Among the slew of disturbing reports on the Islamic State (IS) of late, two mainly have caught public attention in the country recently. One is the case of local students being recruited for the militant group in the Middle East, now known for their atrocities against others and even fellow Muslims. Another is that of…
Among the contemporary topics which begin to gain much attention among scholars these days is the issue of extremism. This is reflected in a recent conference held on ‘Extremism among the Muslims in Contemporary Times: Dimensions and Manifestations,’ organised by the Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilisation (CASIS), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).…
When human beings are endowed with reason by God, they are able to accomplish much more than other creations. Amongst them are being able to think not only creatively and critically, but also in retrospect of their past actions and advancing for the better to the extent of building or even rebuilding their civilisations. One…
The Deputy Prime Minister’s recent statement that the new School-Based Assessment (SBA) or PBS (Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah) is to be reviewed came as quite a surprise. The reason given is basically technical, namely the problem of system database application and server issues following complaints from teachers that the online system for them to key in…
As long and complex as human history is, an interesting aspect present is the dynamic relationship between religion and civilisation and how they impact each other. No doubt historically, both religion and civilisation have contributed to a great extent in enhancing human life. Islam, in particular, is an example of a religion that has played…
Among the aims of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 launched by the Deputy Prime Minister recently is to end the exam-oriented educational system that has taken place for so long in our country. The revised approach will focus more on the comprehensive assessment which will be based on the banding system ranging from band 1…
The spate of problems that have taken place worldwide of late are somewhat worrying. At the international level, political conflicts among nations, sectarian wars, uprisings against ruling governments make up daily news headlines. Although happenings within the country do not match international standards, talk of post-election issues is apparently still rife for many Malaysians. For…
The recent skirmishes in Lahad Datu reflect attempts by certain quarters in trying to achieve their political aims through violence. Despite their historical allegations, the unrealistic approach taken especially in the form of armed aggression on the sovereign territory of a country, had not only cost unnecessary casualties, but also disrupted, in one way or…
With the general election around the corner, the heat of the Malaysian political climate is gradually increasing. The number of political gatherings, ceramahs and demonstrations by political parties multiply by the day and continue to escalate. The various issues being raised by political parties range from the major ones such as fair economic distribution and…
The string of media reports on crimes and ethical problems in the society of late are somewhat disconcerting. Contemplating on them would lead one to a deeper psychological question; are human beings bad by nature and easily prone to committing unethical deeds? The answer to the question will definitely influence our way of looking at…
