Azalina… Oh Azalina

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysia's sports minister, a Muslim woman with a martial-arts black-belt, likes to lead by example: she does not wear a headscarf and insists that Muslim sportswomen do not have to cover up either.

Azalina Othman Said, 43, believes women offer the best chance of glory for a modern Muslim nation hungry for sporting success -- but in trying to encourage more girls to take up sports, she is quietly holding the line against conservative Islam.

Wearing a tracksuit-top and pants, Azalina told Reuters in an interview in her office on Tuesday that Muslim sportswomen were free here to dress just like their non-Muslim rivals, whether in the pool, on the diving board or in the gymnastics arena.

"It's never become an issue in Malaysia," she said, declaring that women of all ages should, and do, feel free in this country to "wear shorts and jump around".

"I mean we have Muslim gymnasts wearing tights and it's never crossed anyone's mind about how athletes are dressed. I am quite thankful that the people of Malaysia are still open-minded."

Complete article: http://in.today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=sportsNews&storyID=2007-07-11T123828Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_India-284159-1.xml

This is quite an old story, published in Reuters on 11 July 2007. Some blogger and forum already highlight this issue. I also found it while surfing through forum page.

My 1^st comment is, what the hell andartu ni fikirkan? Is she stupid or what? Dia dengan tanpa rasa bersalah menyatakan woman do not have to cover their hair while playing any kind of sport. Maybe she not means from Islam perspective, but when we talking about covering hair, menutup aurat…. tidak boleh lari, we talking about Islam. Or in Azalina words, conservative Islam. Aku malas nak membebel panjang pasal benda ini, bercerita pasal Islam, tapi kalau aku ulas panjang lebar it will end up aku mencaci, mengutuk, mengeji dia and membuatkan diri sku sendiri nampak bodoh. I just like to ask few questions:

1. Si Azalina ingat dia tu siapa untuk mengajar wanita Muslin agar tidak perlu menutup aurat semasa bersukan?

2. Adakah kita semua terlalu lemah sehingga Azalina dengan terang-terangan berani mengeluarkan kenyataan macam itu?

3. Penyokong-penyokong BN dan UMNO buta ke sehinggakan kejahilan pemimpin kanan mereka ini boleh terlepas pandang?

4. Penyokong-penyokong BN bodoh ke, sehinggakan kejahilan pemimpin kanan mereka boleh dibiarkan?

There are few BN’s supporters said, BN dan UMNO tak salah, cuma ahli-ahli dan pemimpin-pemimpin sahaja yang teruk dan busuk. BN dan UMNO adalah organisasi yang suci, bersih, tulus, memperjuangkan nasib orang Melayu, menyatukan kaum, kongsi kuasa..bla..bla..bla..mereka yang menganggotai pertubuhan itu sahaja yang menyalahgunakan kuasa, yang berakhlak teruk dan yang sibuk mengenyangkan perut sendiri. Memang la perlembagaan BN dan UMNO bagus, it is impossible for them to indicate, for example;

Fasa 2.2.3

Segala kontrak-kontrak kerajaan mesti diberikan kepada ahli atau saudara-mara ahli UMNO dan/atau parti-parti lain dalam gabungan Barisan Nasioanal sahaja.

Takkan la nak tulis dalam perlembagaan macam tu… Bodoh…!

Soalan tambahan kepada golongan-golongan bengap ini:

1. Kalau pinggan emas, diisi dengan tahi yang paling busuk, kau nak ambil tak pinggan tu? (Knowing that impossible for you to throw all the shit and only took the gold plate)

2. Penjenayah-penjenaah seluruh Malaysia create an organization to protect their rights and interest, you want to join the group?

I make this conclusion beberapa tahun dulu and I still stick with it; hanya ada dua golongan manusia yang sokong UMNO/BN:

1. Orang pandai yang dapat kepentingan dari menjadi ahli atau penyokong UMNO/BN.

2. Orang bodoh yang kena tipu dengan golongan 1.

Dari cerita Azalina keluarkan fatwa berkenaan aurat, aku dah melalut jauh…. Hahahaha…

Yup.. damn good posting...! I know... Thank you..

Update (23/07/07):

Thanks to Roslan SMS sebab ulas panjang lebar isu ini di blog beliau.

Member aku (supporters BN/UMNO) sms aku. Dia cakap Azalina sebenarnya berniat baik sebab dia nak beritahu kepada media asing yang rakat Malaysia open minded. Maksudnya kalau wanita Islam tak tutup aurat pun masyarakat tidak akan pandang serong. Kira negara M'sia bebas untuk kita buat apa-apa, nak pakai apa-apa pun. Ermmm... maybe it is true what her intention but aku malas nak semakkan fikiran pasal benda bodoh ini. Walau apa pun niat dia. Dengan mengeluarkan kenyataan macam itu menunjukkan betapa bangangnya dia. Full stop.