Malaysians recoil with SHOCK & ANGER at Rafizi's arrest

Written by  Maria Begum, published by Malaysia Chronicle on 1 August 2012.

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=37458:msians-recoil-with-shock-anger-at-rafizis-arrest-move-to-suppress-whistle-blowers&Itemid=2

News of the arrest of PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli has shocked Malaysians, who have reacted angrily to the news. Among the most cited reasons for their anger was why should Rafizi, who was trying to expose corruption, be penalized while the wrongdoers were let off.

Indeed, corruption-tainted Prime Minister Najib Razak may have opened a new can of worms for himself. Already embattled and facing pressure from possible loss in general elections due to be called latest by April next year, many believe he was out to "scaremonger" his way through.

His two main targets are believed to be whistle blowers - many of whom come from the investment and financial community - so that they will stop exposing the misdeeds of his Umno-BN coalition.

The second target are politicians - including from his own government. Leaders from the Pakatan Rakyat opposition do not expect another crackdown like the Operations Lalang effected by former premier Mahathir Mohamad against political rivals in the 1980s.

However, they do not discount the possibility that Najib was also trying to scare BN leaders who have begun defecting to the opposition amid rising concern at Umno's growing extremism as the 13th general election neared.

From leaders

Anwar Ibrahim, Opposition Leader

Applaud his courage on the Cow-Condo case and GeorgeKent involvg dSNajib! .

Tian Chua, PKR MP for Batu

No, we don't expect Ops Lalang. That would be political suicide for Najib and he knows it. This is another ill-advised stunt to discourage whistle blower from coming forward. It is  real shame for Malaysia's image to investors, who are watching closely. We also see him trying to warn BN leaders who are switching out from his coalition that they can expect rough and tough action like this. But he has missed the pulse of the nation. Everyone is fed up and this latest arrest only confirms the need to change the current regime.

Nurul Izzah, PKR MP for Lembah Pantai

Despite expose, despite arrest, despite being charged, George Kent prevails. Shame on you

Shamsul Iskandar Akin, PKR Youth chief

Shahrizat's family, when? RT

Hannah Yeoh, DAP assemblywoman for Subang Jaya

Woke up to news of @rafiziramli being arrested by police. We stand by you

Ambiga Sreenevasan, co-chairman of the Bersih movement for clean polls

The nation is watching! We stand by those brave enough to expose wrongdoing and condemn those who suppress the truth!

Dzulkefly Ahmad, PAS MP for Kuala Selangor

We knew it was coming but why the sudden rushed timing. Was it coincidental with the George Kent news? This is Ramadan, a fasting ad holy month to observe restraint and righteousness. But Umno seems so desperate it is committing blunder after blunder. We also note that such hypocritical action is coming from Najib who has been promising reforms and a clean government.

From Netizens

very very angry rakyat

This is so damn WRONG SO WRONG !!! Rakyat Malaysia , terutamanya saudara dan saudari dari luar bandar tolonglah tengok dengan mata sendiri is this the govt that you wanna cast your vote on ?? Jom mulakan kempen "" BEBAKAN RAFIZI , Hero Rakyat !!! "'

Change

What do you expect from a Third Country like Malaysia. The person who reported the crime get arrested but the criminal got off free. Remember the ex CM of Melaka case!!!!!!!!!!

Susie

Stupidest thing for Najib to do. The whole nation loves Rafizi for his courage in exposing the corrupt at the top level... God is with those who are righteous too. Keep on doing what is right, everyone!

LEE

WE ARE WITH U , RAFIZI !! BE STRONG !!

TANNER

Trying to do the Mahathir? Equivalent of Operation Lalang? More arrests of oppositions. People realise Mahathir's authoritarianism, stupidity and vanity after he retires. But they could see Najib's authoritarianism, stupidity and vanity now.

Related reports:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rafizi-detained-over-alleged-bafia-breach/

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/08/01/rafizi-arrested-to-be-charged/

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=37457:rafizi-arrested-after-george-kent-awarded-lrt-deal-scorpene-fear-grips-najib?&Itemid=2

It’s (Past) Time for a Charismatic Reformation

Published by CharismaNews on 27 October 2011. By J. Lee Grady.

In honor of Reformation Day, here are some complaints I’m nailing on the Wittenberg door.

Long before there was an Occupy Wall Street, Martin Luther staged the most important protest in history. He was upset because Roman Catholic officials were promising people forgiveness or early escape from purgatory in exchange for money. So on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed a long list of complaints on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.

Luther’s famous 95 theses were translated from Latin into German and spread abroad. Like a medieval Jeremiah, Luther dared to ask questions that had never been asked, and he challenged a pope who was supposedly infallible. Through this brave monk, the Holy Spirit sparked the Protestant Reformation and restored the doctrine of grace to a church that had become corrupt, religious, dysfunctional, political and spiritually dead.

I am no Luther, but I’ve grown increasingly aware that the so-called “Spirit-filled” church of today struggles with many of the same things the Catholic church faced in the 1500s. We don’t have “indulgences”—we have telethons. We don’t have popes—we have super-apostles. We don’t support an untouchable priesthood—we throw our money at celebrity evangelists who own fleets of private jets.

In honor of Reformation Day, I’m offering my own list of needed reforms in our movement. And since I can’t hammer these on the Wittenberg door, I’ll post them online. Feel free to nail them everywhere.

1. Let’s reform our theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is God and He is holy. He is not an “it.” He is not a blob, a force, or an innate power. We must stop manipulating Him, commanding Him and throwing Him around.

2. Let’s return to the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation for the Christian experience. Any dramatic experience, no matter how spiritual it seems, must be tested by the Word and the Holy Spirit’s discernment. Visions, dreams, prophecies and encounters with angels must be in line with Scripture. If we don’t test them we could end up spreading deception.

3. It’s time for personal responsibility. We charismatics must stop blaming everything on demons. People are usually the problem.

4. Stop playing games. Spiritual warfare is a reality, but we are not going to win the world to Jesus just by shouting at demonic principalities. We must pray, preach and persevere to see ultimate victory.

5. Stop the foolishness. People who hit, slap or push others during prayer should be asked to sit down until they learn gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

6. End all spiritual extortion now. Christian television ministries must cease and desist from all manipulative fundraising tactics. We must stop giving platforms to ministers who make outlandish claims of supernatural financial returns, especially when Scripture is twisted, deadlines are imposed and the poor are exploited.

7. No more Lone Rangers. Those who claim to be ministers of God—whether they are traveling evangelists, local pastors or heads of ministries—must be accountable to other leaders. Any who refuse to submit their lives to godly discipline should be corrected.

8. Expose the creeps. Churches should start doing background checks on traveling ministers. Preachers who have been hiding criminal records, lying about their past marriages, preying on women or refusing to pay child support should be exposed as charlatans and shunned if they do not repent.

9. Stop faking the anointing. God is God, and He does not need our “help” to manifest Himself. That means we don’t sprinkle glitter on ourselves to suggest God’s glory is with us, hide fake jewels on the floor to prove we are anointed or pull chicken feathers out of our sleeves to pretend angels are in the room. This is lying to the Holy Spirit.

10. Let’s return to purity. We’ve had enough scandals. The charismatic church must develop a system for the restoration of fallen ministers. Those who fall morally can be restored, but they must be willing to submit to a process of healing rather than rushing immediately back into the pulpit.

11. We need humility. Ministers who demand celebrity treatment, require lavish salaries, insist on titles or exhibit aloofness from others are guilty of spiritual pride.

12. No more big shots. Apostles are the bondslaves of Christ, and should be the most impeccable models of humility. True apostles do not wield top-down, hierarchical authority over the church. They serve the church from the bottom up as true servants.

13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character. Those who operate in prophecy, healing and miracles must also exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. And while we continue to encourage the gift of tongues, let’s make sure we don’t treat it like some kind of badge of superiority. The world needs to see our love, not our glossolalia.

14. Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given platforms. And “prophets” who live immoral lives don’t deserve a public voice.

15. Let’s make the main thing the main thing. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s anointing is to empower us to reach others. We are at a crossroads today: Either we continue off-course, entertained by our charismatic sideshows, or we throw ourselves into evangelism, church planting, missions, discipleship, and compassionate ministry that helps the poor and fights injustice. Churches that embrace this New Reformation will focus on God’s priorities.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. He expounds on these topics in his 2010 book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale (Chosen).