AKMAL SALEH

 

Like him or hate him, Akmal Saleh is playing a longer game than most - and that, in politics, often counts as intelligence.

He understands a hard political truth: today’s critics frequently become tomorrow’s partners once the numbers align.

History shows this repeatedly. Parties that denounce him now will work with him later if power demands it - as they always do.

Most political actors prioritise access to power above all else. Principles, outrage, and moral posturing often sit far out on the periphery, invoked loudly in opposition and quietly abandoned in negotiation rooms.

Akmal also appears to see something many prefer not to say out loud: that PAS and Malay unity will shape political power more deeply over the next few election cycles. Not as a passing mood, but as a structural force- demographic, cultural, and organisational. This is not about slogans; it is about numbers, ground machinery, and voter discipline.

Seen through this lens, much of the hostility directed at him functions less as conviction and more as sandiwara - political theatre meant to signal virtue, mobilise bases, and keep options open. The rhetoric is sharp, but the doors are never fully closed.

Akmal seems comfortable with this reality. He absorbs the noise, counts the numbers, and waits.
And when he reaches a position where he can dispense power, narratives will adjust accordingly.

Even DAP - like others before - will find language to justify cooperation. It may be framed as racial balance, political representation, national unity, or checks and balances.

The vocabulary will change, the principles will be reinterpreted, and the past rhetoric will quietly fade.

Because in the end, ideology explains behaviour - but power explains alliances.

Peace, anas

MONKEYS URINATE AND DEFECATE INTO TOURISTS’ CHAR KOAY TEOW

 

Dear Penang State Government,

While having lunch earlier at the temporary food stalls at TPS Pantai Mas, Batu Ferringhi, I was approached by one of the hawker stall owners and asked to sign a petition regarding their concerns and hopes for better facilities.

I thought it would be more constructive to write this note instead, both to acknowledge what has been done well, and to share a few observations that may help improve the experience for locals, hawkers, and tourists alike.

FIRST, CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE

Firstly, kudos to the quick response in rebuilding and relocating the tourist stalls after the fire. Providing food stalls and simple toy vendors for children near the beach was a good and necessary move. It helped restore activity to the area and gave families a reason to return.

I fully understand that this structure is temporary, and expectations should be set accordingly.

That said, there are a few areas worth reviewing.

1. DESIGN, CLEANLINESS, AND SAFETY

Because the structure is temporary, it is understandable that the design was not deeply thought through. However, the current seating areas, especially those outside as shown in the pictures, are not very clean and are visually unappealing.

More worryingly, some time ago, while a group of tourists were having lunch, a group of macaques climbed onto the uncovered areas above and urinated and defecated directly into their food. Surely this is not the kind of memory we want visitors to take home from Penang.

We would much rather tourists remember Penang for its hospitality, warmth, and food, not incidents like these. This is something we should feel deeply concerned about.

2. HAWKERS AND HUMAN CONNECTION

I eat there often. The food is good, the hawkers are friendly, and they engage well with both locals and foreigners. They are, in many ways, face to face Malaysian ambassadors on the ground. Their human warmth is very Malaysian and is something worth encouraging and protecting.

3. LAYOUT AND FLOW OF THE SPACE

The design and placement of the structure could benefit from rethinking.

Previously, before the fire, the stalls were positioned more thoughtfully. Now, they are pushed forward without proper parking space or pedestrian flow. Perhaps it would make sense to return closer to the original concept with some improvements:

• Push kitchens to the extreme left and right

• Allow seating to be more central

• Create a clear and pleasant walkway leading towards the beach – decorate it well

• Use transparent roofing to create better ambience and natural lighting

This would improve both movement and atmosphere.

4. LOSS OF A FAMILY FRIENDLY PUBLIC SPACE

Since the fire, the area once occupied by the stalls has been fenced off and left vacant. This was previously a place where ordinary Malaysians, especially B40 families, brought their children to enjoy Batu Ferringhi affordably.

It was one of the few places where families of all races could gather, enjoy free parking, walk to the beach, shower, and eat together. Today, that space is no longer active, and the loss is felt.

5. BALANCE BETWEEN PREMIUM AND PUBLIC SPACES

While it is good to encourage higher end developments like the Ferringhi Bay, we must be careful not to forget ordinary Malaysians, especially those who need affordable and welcoming spaces.

I used to see crowds of families from all backgrounds enjoying weekends here. Today, that atmosphere is much reduced.

6. PARKING ISSUES

Parking has become very difficult. As shown in the pictures, when I was leaving the area, an incoming car had to reverse directly onto the main road, creating unsafe and congested conditions.

Frankly, the current parking arrangement is problematic and deserves urgent attention.

WE CAN DO BETTER

This note is written in the spirit of care, not criticism. I love Penang, and I love Batu Ferringhi. It is multicultural Malaysia by the sea.

Last but not least, Batu Ferringhi is not just a tourist destination. It is part of Penang’s social fabric. With small but thoughtful improvements, this space can once again be welcoming, safe, and dignified for hawkers, families, and visitors alike.

Thank you for listening.

Peace,

Anas

AMERICA’S FOREIGN POLICY PROBLEM - Adults Bully, Children Learn

 

Children do not learn bullying from textbooks.
They learn it from watching adults with power.

In schools, we know this instinctively. A child who sees intimidation rewarded will imitate it. A child who sees force replace dialogue will copy that behaviour. Bullying, at its core, is learned conduct.

That is why bullying among young Americans being more acute is not surprising.

America itself has normalised bullying on the world stage.

From sanctions that strangle societies, to regime-change bravado, to public humiliation of weaker states, U.S. foreign policy has often relied less on quiet authority and more on coercion by dominance. Power is not merely exercised - it is performed.

The recent Venezuelan episode only sharpens this pattern. The reported kidnapping and public mistreatment of President Maduro’s wife - symbolised by images of her swollen, blackened eye - speaks louder than any official press release. One image can explain what a thousand policy statements cannot: this is power without restraint.

When the strongest nation behaves this way, it should not be shocked when its children absorb the same lesson.

Silent Power: America Has Done Better Before

The United States has several strong historical examples of presidents using silent power - restraint, legitimacy, quiet authority - instead of force. Two of the clearest, widely respected cases are comparable in moral weight to Eisenhower and the Suez Crisis.

History shows that America once understood silent power. During the Suez Crisis of 1956, when Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt to seize the Suez Canal, President Eisenhower refused to back them or look away. Using financial pressure, diplomatic authority, and one firm phone call, he forced all three allies to withdraw - without invasion, missiles, or bravado. A few years later, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy again chose restraint under immense pressure, imposing a naval quarantine, opening back-channel diplomacy with Moscow, and allowing a face-saving exit for the Soviet Union. Nuclear war was avoided not through dominance, but through self-control and legitimacy.

A truly powerful nation does not need to intimidate. Force is not strength; it is the last refuge of insecurity. Bullies, whether in schools or geopolitics, often act not from confidence but from inner uncertainty - fear of losing relevance, control, or status.

America should ask itself an uncomfortable question: Has greatness been replaced by bravado? Has insecurity crept in where moral confidence once stood?

Today, loudness has replaced leadership.

America can do better. It must choose better teachers - restraint over aggression, dignity over domination, moral authority over raw force. It must also be clear about what it should not learn. America must not learn from Israel’s current example, where prolonged use of overwhelming force and dehumanising rhetoric has produced a society in which large majorities openly justify genocide and the killing of innocent civilians. This is what happens when adults model cruelty, impunity, and moral exceptionalism instead of restraint and accountability.

America is a great nation with fundamentally good people, and it should not want its children to grow up accepting genocide as normal or violence against innocents as defensible. America is better than this and it deserves better.

Because when adults stop bullying, children eventually do too.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
(Matthew 5:5)            

Peace, anas

            

365 QURAN – 2-MINUTE DAILY REFLECTIONS - book by Mahani Zubedy

 

We recently launched 365 QURAN – 2-MINUTE DAILY REFLECTIONS, written by my big sister, Mahani.

This book was conceived as easy, gentle reading - two minutes a day-for quiet reflection and inner nourishment. While rooted in the Qur’an, it is not written for Muslims alone. From the very beginning, we envisioned it as a universal book, so that non-Muslims too can experience the timeless wisdom and gems of the Qur’an in a simple, accessible way.

It makes a thoughtful New Year gift—for yourself, your family, and your friends.

Availability

·        Available at all major bookstores nationwide

·        Retail price: RM65.70

🎉 Special New Year Offer (Malaysia only)
🗓 1–31 January 2026
💰 RM50.00 (delivery cost not included) call 03 77336919 or email [email protected]

🛒 Order online:

·        Shopee: https://l1nq.com/EoTky

·        Lazada: https://l1nq.com/Oaa9K

·        Malmega: https://l1nq.com/5Tx0K

📱 Kindle Edition: Coming soon
Price: USD 18.00

Peace—and have a meaningful 2026.

Anas

IRAN’S NUCLEAR HISTORY - AND WHAT IT CAN TEACH US ABOUT POLITICS BACK HOME

 

Most people assume Iran’s nuclear story started as something dark and secretive.
It didn’t.

It actually began in the 1950s, openly, and with encouragement from the United States and other Western powers. Under the “Atoms for Peace” initiative, Iran was helped to develop a civilian nuclear programme. Iranian students and engineers were sent to study in the US and Europe. Hundreds were trained in nuclear physics, reactor engineering, nuclear medicine, and related fields. This wasn’t underground knowledge. It was taught, funded, and supported.

Back then, nobody raised alarms. Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Inspections were allowed. Western companies signed contracts to build nuclear power plants. The narrative was simple: this was about energy, development, and modernisation.

So what changed?

After the 1979 revolution, the science did not disappear. The engineers didn’t forget what they learned. The technology didn’t suddenly become magical or mysterious. But the story about it changed - almost overnight. Same country. Same people. Same scientific foundations. Different narrative. That alone should make us pause and ask: when did the concern become about capability - and when did it become about politics?

And here’s something else worth thinking about, calmly and without emotion.

It is also smart to be more thoughtful. Because narratives are not fixed. They move with alliances. Today, a country can be framed as a threat. Tomorrow, if it becomes an ally, the language softens, the tone shifts, and suddenly the “problem” doesn’t sound quite so dangerous anymore. If one day Iran becomes a strategic partner again, do we really think the narrative will stay exactly the same?

That’s why thinking deeply isn’t just moral - it’s practical. Otherwise, we end up feeling like a political football, kicked around by bigger powers, reacting to headlines written elsewhere, for interests that may not be ours.

There’s another part of Iran’s history that rarely gets mentioned with the same intensity.

During the Iran–Iraq War, Iranian soldiers and civilians were hit by chemical weapons. They suffered badly. Iran had the ability to retaliate. It chose not to. No chemical weapons programme. No chemical response. Why would a country under that kind of pressure hold back?

Iran later signed international conventions banning chemical weapons and often points to that war as the reason. The lesson, they say, was clear: some weapons cross a line that cannot be uncrossed. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Iran today, that choice complicates the neat, black-and-white narratives we are often fed.

This is not about defending Iran.
It’s about understanding history in full, not in fragments.

So what can we learn from this Iranian episode when we look at politics back home?

Quite a lot, actually. Because the cycle is the same.

Today, one side paints the other as racists, bigots, extremists, corrupt, or dangerous. The language is strong. The moral certainty is loud. Everything feels urgent. We are told THIS is the truth, THAT side is the enemy, and YOU must choose.

Then tomorrow - when it becomes convenient - positions shift. Old enemies become useful allies. Old accusations are quietly forgotten. Principles are adjusted. Narratives are rewritten. Almost as easily as changing underpants.

And who is left standing there feeling a little stupid?

Us. The rakyat. Feeling like we’ve been had again.

This is why it’s not just about international affairs. It applies very much to local politics too. It is in our interest - perhaps even our survival - to rise above partisan storytelling. Real change doesn’t happen when the masses are easily triggered. It happens when people become harder to manipulate.

When we slow down.
When we verify.
When we compare narratives over time.
When we ask, who benefits from me believing this today?

Every major tradition urges us to do exactly this. The Bible reminds us to test what we hear. The Buddha warned against blind belief and encouraged careful examination. Chinese wisdom tells us that learning without thinking is shallow, and thinking without learning is dangerous. The Tirukkural cautions against accepting claims without discernment. And the Qur’an tells believers plainly: if news comes to you, verify it.

Truth rarely shouts.
It usually whispers.

And it waits for those willing to think - before reacting.

Maybe, the real test is this: are we Malaysians ready to pause, think, and not be played?

Peace, anas

LOCAL ELECTIONS?

I am for local elections- on one clear condition.

They must be strictly non-partisan.

No political parties.

No party logos.

No sitting politicians.

Anyone who has been a member of a political party should first resign and remain independent for at least five years.

Former party leaders should observe a ten-year cooling-off period.

We already have more than enough politics at the national and state levels. Frankly, dah muak.

If party politicians enter local councils, we will get the same old, same old-promise one thing, do another once in power.

Local councils should be about drains, rubbish, traffic, planning, and public spaces - not ideology, patronage, or national power games.

Once party politics enters, racial narratives will be magnified and hypocrisy will become the norm.

If we truly want grassroots accountability, then let local governance be local people serving local needs—not another extension of party politics.

Peace, anas

Have a Meaningful Christmas 2025 : LEADERSHIP: Why Substance Beats Style

 

 

Have a Meaningful Christmas

LEADERSHIP: Why Substance Beats Style

In leadership, especially in the world of business, competence and judgement matter far more than charisma. Style without substance is not merely inadequate; it can be dangerous. Leadership is not about showmanship, nor does it rely on polished rhetoric, dramatic gestures, or carefully crafted public personas.

At its core, leadership is about judgment: the ability to weigh competing pressures and choose wisely when no option is perfect. It is exercised in real operating conditions through executing tasks, making trade-offs, and balancing profit, people, and the planet.

True leadership operates in a world where problems are rarely simple and solutions are seldom clean. Success depends on real work, not slogans: careful planning, responsible execution, and the discipline to learn from both successes and mistakes. The ultimate litmus test is performance rooted in ethics.

To achieve this, real leaders listen not only to external feedback, but also to their conscience. Substance requires authenticity: the discipline to practise what one preaches. What leaders think, what they say, and what they do must be aligned. Without authenticity, trust erodes. And without trust, there is no leadership.

At zubedy, this same belief guides our work with organisations to help leaders translate values into judgement, and judgement into consistent action, especially when it matters most.

 

Let us add value,

Have A Meaningful Christmas.

Peace, anas

* Picture caption

In a world that rewards charisma, Pope Francis (1936–2025) shows that judgment, listening, and substance are still the most powerful leadership skills of all.