Even in times of crisis, M’sians can’t set differences aside

Penang bilal who opened surau’s doors to non-Muslims speaks up

Negarawan: “Saya tahu ada yang akan mengecam tindakan itu, namun saya akan berasa lebih bersalah sekiranya melihat mereka tanpa arah tujuan atau lebih buruk dihanyut arus deras,” said bilal Sapno Tukijo.

Sapno is indeed a man of God, and he showed his love and compassion towards those who were in dire need of help, regardless of their background. He risked his own life to save them. He is a role model for the Muslim community, and Malaysians in general.

The criticisms against him are totally unfounded. It would be highly unrealistic under the circumstances of the flood to expect the victims to be properly attired, or even fully attired, before they entered the surau.

Anonymous 1719401496919916: Sapno, my hats off to you. Don’t care what those critics say. They don’t give a hoot about humanity in times of crisis. They are bigots of the highest order.

Wira: Penangites, regardless of race and religion, had generously donated to the state mosque in the 70s when the state appealed for funds.

I applaud the bilal to give sanctuary to flood victims, some of whom probably sought refuge with nothing but their trousers they had on.

Ravinder: Bilal Sapno, you did the right thing, God bless you. Isn’t this what religion teaches us?

The man without shirt – did he even have a shirt to wear? This was an emergency situation and some bigots focused on “etiquette” without even knowing whether the man had a shirt in the first place, or it was soaking wet and he had to take it off.

Cynical: Obviously in a situation where people were exposed to floodwater and rain, their clothes will be wet and they may not have a ready change of clothes. So either you take it off or continue wearing it and wet the carpet.

You can see that the man was cold. Who would in his right mind want to go half-naked? Think or investigate before you criticise.

Fair Play: What is wrong with some of us? To those escaping from danger, the mosque is a refuge, not a place of worship.

The Analyser: Compassion and caring are instinctive human characteristics which existed long before man concocted gods and religions. Even primates care for each other.

But religions have hijacked basic human traits and try to pretend they are the province of religion. They aren’t.

But as you can see from this discourse, religion has done much to stuff up interpersonal relations.

TheAxman: Such is the state of religious division in Malaysia that such a normal and nothing extraordinary human action is making news.

Tg Bungah rep goes on hunger strike over floods and landslide

Negarawan: In protest against the recent disasters to have hit Penang – the Oct 21 landslide and the Nov 4 floods which claimed seven lives – Tanjung Bungah state assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu is going on a 12-hour hunger strike.

Please do not insult the victims and their families. Your 12-hour hunger strike does not prove anything except that you are an attention seeker who knows little about the situation at hand.

If you were really sincere, you would be helping out at the flood relief centres. You are desperate to put the blame entirely on the Penang state government despite the fact that this is an unprecedented natural calamity, where a 315-mm rainfall was recorded within just several hours.

Going by your way of thinking, you would have to go on a hunger strike every time there is a typhoon or earthquake. Be objective, help others instead of helping yourself.

UntaSenyum: It’s better for you to go ‘makan kow kow’ (eat heartily) then ‘turun padang’ (go to the ground) to help the victims.

And if you fast and yet ‘turun padang’, at least you’d be able to gain some mileage. After that, you can talk about jumping parties or forming a new one.

Ferd Tan: Teh seems like an attention-seeking politician taking advantage of people’s misery and grief by pulling such a useless stunt.

All must put their personal agenda aside to focus on helping flood victims. Period.

Wira: You are targeting the wrong people. You don’t even know the true reasons for the landslide and the floods.

Better donate all your assemblyperson allowance to the contractors to improve their safety record and to the temple for prayers, so that Penang will not be hit by this inclement weather experienced worldwide recently.

Rocky: Right now, some of the flood victims are cold and hungry, and this elected representative goes on a hunger strike.

Please don’t do it for 12 hours, do it for 12 days. 12 hours is not hunger strike, it’s just fasting.

Cynical: Actually, 7am to 7pm is shorter than the time for fasting during Ramadan. If Teh is sincere, he should fast for seven days and seven nights with nothing but only water. Then I will believe him.

Anonymous: I agree, a 12-hour hunger strike means nothing. A lot of Theravada Buddhists do not consume food for more than 12 hours when fasting, as well as Muslims during the fasting month.

Those are better options than just sitting around and not eating.

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