Pray For Pastor Raymond Koh.

There is a saying, “The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are at the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick and the needy, and the handicapped." (Hubert Humphrey).

When I think about the shadow of life, I think about those forgotten, forgotten by their leaders, forgotten because it is convenient, and forgotten because those forgotten are not their problem, it’s someone else’s. They thus let the moral test quietly pass them by. 

Ms Susanna Liew has been named International Women of Courage (“IWOC”). Who is she? Well, you may know her husband, Pastor Raymond Koh. He was abducted in Feb 2017. 

On 13 Feb, a group of more than 10 men ambushed pastor Koh while he was in his car, commandeered it, and drove off with him. 

Since then, pastor Koh remains missing. And since then, Susanna (and her family) has never given up hope looking for her husband, their loved one. 

This is what the embassy who gave out the IWOC award said: “(Susanna) actively pursued justice for her husband and others during the Malaysian Human Rights Commission’s 2018-2019 public inquiry into enforced disappearance and continues to push the government to investigate these cases and prosecute those responsible.”

“Despite police harassment and death threats. She continues to advocate for her husband and others, not because of her faith or theirs, but because of their rights as Malaysians.”

Susanna was amongst 12 extraordinary women in the world who has “demonstrated exceptional courage of leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment at great personal risk and sacrifice.”

Lesson?...

I started this post with the quote about the enduring moral test of government, because stripped of the title, the publicity and attention, and the power, the one who runs the government, or a group of them voted in to lead, are nothing more than husbands to their wives and fathers to their children. They cannot hide their vulnerable humanity behind the facade of power, wealth and fame. 

After an honest day’s work at the office, we all return to our family. We remember our vows and the fruits of our loins and we want to be there for them, in good or in the worst of times. 

Stripped of all the officious, if not pretentious, fanfare, the moral test of our government is really nothing more than the moral test of being a human, despite all our flaws and ego, and learning to see others as you see yourself, and feeling their pain and struggles as you feel it yourself when you go through your own. 

Adam Smith in The Theory of Moral Sentiments wrote this: -

“Two different sets of philosophers have attempted to teach us this hardest of all the lessons of morality. One set have laboured to increase our sensibility to the interests of others; another, to diminish that to our own. 

The first would have us feel for others as we naturally feel for ourselves. The second would have us feel for ourselves as we naturally feel for others. Both, perhaps, have carried their doctrines a good deal beyond the just standard of nature and propriety.”

And if one applies the right approach to morality to government, we ought to see, feel and act towards a shared and common humanity, and come to the aid of those in the dawn, twilight and shadow of life. 

Let me end with this observation.

Just a few days ago, I incidentally saw a video of Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali walking over to her husband (Mahathir) and gave him the longest hug I have ever witnessed in the history of Malaysian politics (see pic below). 

She didn’t want to let go. She held on tight. The crowd applauded, was inspired, and it was a truly touching sight. The whole room warmed up with their radiant devotion, a testimony of a resilient marriage since 1956. 

Their fate could not have been more different from that of Susanna’s (or for that matter, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s, Anwar’s wife, who stuck by their spouses thru the good and bad times). 

Yet, aren’t they all demonstrating the same timeless love for their spouses? Aren’t they all the same, sharing a common passion, unyielding, regardless of circumstances? Yet, what sets them apart, so starkly and ironically, is the circumstances they find themselves in; alas, their struggles differ so much. 

Recently, Susanna Liew met up with Muhyiddin ”after the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia – a parliamentary-backed investigative panel also known as Suhakam – released a 95-page report concluding that Koh and social activist Amri Che Mat were probably “abducted by State agents.””

She said: “My hope and appeal is that since he is now the prime minister, he has the power to arrest, to prosecute the culprits who were involved in this case of enforced disappearance.”

“I still believe my husband is still alive. We have dreams, my family and I ... and we hold on to this hope that one day we will reunite with him.”

And I truly pray that that day will come when our leaders finally and courageously pass the moral test of government.

Mahathir Resigns - the politics of self-survivorship.

Trust me, you can’t fully understand the whole 48 hours drama in Malaysia politics without seeing it through the eyes of the family of Anwar Ibrahim. The view from where they are standing already foretold the stormy horizon ahead. 

Take their daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, for example. She quit the tumultuous coalition government (PH) even before her first anniversary (April last year) because the struggle for power between the grand old sage of politics Mahathir and her father has reached a point of no return. 

In fact, she was the symbol, the canary in the coalmine of what is now happening in the last 48 hours, that is, the shocking resignation of Mahathir and his appointment as caretaker PM until a leader (with majority) comes along. 

She said: “The big impact is you may not be able to see Anwar Ibrahim as the next PM, because the next PM has to be the one who receives the most support from the alliance and the people.”

She had resigned and will not be seeking re-election because she saw through Mahathir’s action and ploy, calling him “the former dictator”. 

But, the question is, is Mahathir attempting to form a backdoor government with the old kleptocratic regime? That is, a remarriage of sorts because better the devil you know than the one you can’t tell for sure? Hold that thot...

Next comes her father. 

All things considered, Anwar Ibrahim has suffered enough, but who is to say enough is enough?

He came out of a twenty year struggle for a clean and fair Malaysian governmemt under the banner of Bersih. He also made an uneasy peace with the one who had locked him up for all those years, thereby giving rejuvenated hope for the people that Malaysia can change, that Malaysia is really boleh. 

But now, this happens - the disintegration of PH, the defection in his own party, and the enigmatic shocking move of Mahathir, just because he said he will not work with the past regime, referring to the Najib-stained UMNO. 

So, from the view of Anwar, things get misty eye because the student is still orbiting around the master teacher’s finger. His daughter felt that he was too soft in engaging Mahathir’s salvos. 

In fact, Anwar pleaded with Mahathir not to step down. He said that the treachery can be addressed together, that is, the two of them against the corruption. 

But, “he was of a different mind. (Mahathir) thought he shouldn’t be treated in that manner, to be associated as working with those who are literally corrupt,” so said Anwar. 

“He made it very clear, in no way would he work with those in the past regime” for Najib had broken the law...”stealing government money.”

But the question is, does Mahathir trust Anwar and his party enough to continue working with him? Was his resignation then a calculated move because he does not see a future with PH alliance mainly on three fronts: -

First, the defection from PH (led by Azmi) and the break away of his own party PPBM (led by Muhyiddin);

Second, the growing strength of UMNO and PAS by opportunistically playing the race card, dividing the nation, and rallying the Malay voters to their side; and 

Lastly, and let’s face it, Mahathir is not getting any younger. At 94, he may have made peace with Anwar, but he will not have his legacy stained by leading a hardly viable government whose patriotic fuel from the astounding victory two years ago is running really low. Mind you, PH lost 4 of 5 of the by-election held last year.

And however unbearable to think of the old regime as corrupt, it is still one that Mahathir had led for decades. Thus, absence may just make the heart go fonder. 

So, there is two options for him: first, quit politics and retire for good, considering his age. It’s time to stretch those legs in Bahamas. 

Or, go for that premiership for the third time round, but with the winning coalition, which at the rate things are going seems to favour working with one’s past enemy. 

For if Mahathir can make peace with his foremost nemesis, Anwar, who is to say he can’t make peace with Najib, his favoured protege, (or the party he had led, UMNO)? Anyway, both in his eyes have broken the law, one for sodomy and the other bribery. 

And finally, seeing the whole saga through the eye of Wan Azizah is the most heartbreaking of them all.

The unassuming former ophthalmologist once complained to her husband in jail, recounting this: "I went to him and said "I can't stand it, going around campaigning and all that, why don't we change places"...and he said "You will never survive it." Then I knew it was not easy.""

Well, politics is a game of survivorship. And the quizzical thing about politics is that the ones who get it right, which are rare, follow only one rule - keep your promises to the people, at all costs. 

But the ones who get it wrong, follow many rules, except the one rule that good governance demands. The many rules are essentially the rules of self-survivorship, and they will strive to hold on to power, at all costs.

The City Harvest Trial - the Final Chapter.

After 142 days of trial, 9 presiding judges, more than 700 pages of judgment (not including the judgment in Chew's two appeals), 3 years of investigation, 3 apologies, several senior counsels and DPPs, millions in legal fees, and not forgetting, a corporate anointing in end 2015 with the passing of a personal bible from one to another, the CHC saga is finally over. 

Like it or not, I can't say that I disagree with Sun Ho when she said: "I'm very thankful for everyone that has journeyed with us and prayed for us and loved us in spite of everything." 

The journey that she is talking about is one that had started with an unusual vision in 1999 and had ended up with six lives held behind bars in 2017. 

And I hope that when Sun Ho talked about "in spite of everything", she was referring to not just what I had written in my first paragraph above, but also the faith lost, lives broken and hope crashed in the wake of the ironclad refusal to accept responsibility and to be held accountable for one's actions until all legal defences and appeals are thoroughly exhausted (or maybe not?).

Mind you, this is the second longest trial in Singapore history, and it is definitely the most sensational and heartbreaking one. The longest trial goes to a drug trafficking case in the 1990s which lasted for 168 days. 

But I guess both trials share something in common, that is, there is an element that is psychedelic in nature; where one is about a certain heightened vision, and the other, a certain hallucinogen. 

But say what you want, it has taken its heavy and at times, unbearable toll. 

Families of the accused have to go through great anxieties and disruption in their normal routine to stake out at home worrying over their loved ones. Tears were quietly shed and the uncertainty over the seven years was not only emotionally tormenting but financially draining. 

Somewhere, and somehow, it has just got to end and end it did with a twist that even the most enlightened of the spiritual oracle would not have predicted. 

As it turned out, it has got nothing whatsoever to do with the much touted "theological legitimacy". But it has everything to do with the legislation, the highest law-making body of the land, which takes precedence even over the highest Court in the land. 

As the CA wrote in its conclusion, "...the shaping of a remedy should be left to Parliament."

Well, it took seven years (or 40) to unravel that, that is, more specifically, section 409 is not applicable to directors, the governing board members, key officials of charity, and in this case, pastors of the church. And the CA has eschewed the broad interpretation of the section by past judges on the ground that "a tough case shouldn't be allowed to make bad law".

As such, directors, leaders of charity and pastors of churches face only a max of 7 years imprisonment if they should commit CBT as they would be charge under section 406 (and not the more serious section 409).

However, clerks, storemen and employees of the company (and presumably church salaried support staff) are not that fortunate. 

If they should commit CBT, they face a max of 15 years imprisonment under the more serious charge of section 408. 

So, you can say that Kong Hee and the rest escaped on a godsend technicality, premised on the reservation of justice to close a gap that justice had quite presumptuously, but wrongly, bridged for the last 40 years (until yesterday) when a high court judgment in 1976 misinterpreted "agent" in section 409 to include key decision-makers and high-salary-earners like directors, charity leaders and church pastors, which it shouldn't have. 

With this newly minted COA decision of five justices on the 1st of February 2018, we now know beyond reasonable doubt that they do not come under section 409. They are clearly off the sharper hooks of the law into its relatively more gentle edges.

Ironically, what unfolded in this CHC saga after such an exhaustingly long time was not so much justice pursued and meted out, but on the contrary, the highlight was how injustice was uncovered for all those who had once held high positions in the company and were erroneously charged under section 409 (before yesterday's legal "rude" awakening) when they ought to have been charged under section 406 instead. 

And there is another side to this so called "unjust" outcome, at least potentially, if it is not already obvious by now. 

And that is, henceforth and until such time when parliament convenes to remedy the lacuna, directors and pastors are liable for shorter maximum sentence (section 406) as compared to their salaried employees at the bottom rung of the organization (section 408); while section 409 is only reserved for external agents like bankers, merchants, broker and an attorney (who are in the business or profession of providing agency services). That much is clear. 

FYI, Malaysia has long taken the initiative to amend its equivalent section 409 to tailor fit it to modern commercial realities to cover trustees, directors, managers of company, partnership and association. 

On this, we are lagging behind, and as the Court said, "is long overdue".

Alas, the law was finally clarified yesterday. The prosecution will just have to accept it and move on. 

The defence have done their job and they can send their robe to the cleaners to fight another day. Kong Hee is at last at peace with himself and is "getting on with his life." 

Sharon Tan can safely migrate to Canada to be reunited with her beloved family. Eng Han is granted a reprieve to celebrate a solemn CNY with loved ones before he surrenders himself on 22 Feb. 

The other accused with proper remission may just be out very soon. Pastor Sun Ho is, as she had said, very thankful for the prayers and love in the journey. 

And in the words of Serina Wee's husband: "Now I can tell the kids a date that mummy is coming home."

Now, what has CHC to say about all that?

Well, her pastors Aries and Bobby made this public statement:-

"We thank God for His mercy and kindness for sustaining us through these seven years and bringing this to an end. We thank you, Church, for continuing in prayers all these years and for your faithfulness and support."

Lesson? One.

In the end, my personal view, if it is worth its two cents, is that God has really nothing to do with all that. 

If anything, Galatians 3:3 comes to mind: "How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?"

And if it is not obvious by now, then let me spell it out. 

The only person clearly not involved in all the legal saga, spiritual wayanging and leadership drama (in particular the crossover project) for the past seven years (or my god, for the past 18 years since that vision first started) is God himself. 

Somewhere along that "own-human-effort" journey was someone in the high places of the church leadership using His name in vain, for self-gain, and as the appalling legal trail shows, it's simply insane. 

It bears repeating that God cannot be in any part of it or at all, or else, someone up there will have to fill in another lacuna of a wholly spiritual kind, and that is, how on earth (or in heaven) is it ever possible that God could have personally and directly masterminded and engineered this whole unfathomable legal and spiritual mess that has clearly divided believers, broken hearts, ruined faith, destroyed innocent lives, tormented families, caused millions of dollars (wasted), and ended up in six lives imprisoned, 7 justices washing their hands over a 40-year-long misapprehension (since the case in 1976), and a certain anointed passing of the leadership mantle that leaves more questions hanging than answered?

If at such time, we as believers are still checking our brains at the door before we enter the church, and blindfolding our eyes because we refuse to face reality, then we would sadly need much more than just prayers to continue this journey of faith. 

I recall Jesus once said: "Whoever has ear to hear, let them hear." And by an extension of that, "whoever has eye to see, let them see." 

Most times, it not that we are in a metaphorical sense deaf or blind. But it is because we choose not to hear and see that which is staring at our face as it goes against what we so eagerly want to believe about our leaders and our church. 

This is, I believe, a major part of the reason why we are where we are today in the first place. And why leaders of megachurches (or for that matter, current leaders of the world) have such unbelievably wide latitude and license to act as they please.

And if this lesson of checking our leaders, putting them in their place, exercising moral courage to speak out, is not nurtured and learned (even after all that has happened), we will surely repeat it at the most unwitting season in subsequent lulled years. 

In Psalm 107:2, it says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord speak out, those whom he delivered from the power of the enemy". 

Let's just hope that we will all move on from here and as a redeemed people, will always be prepared to "speak out" (not just on a celebrative tone but on a cautionary note), even at the expense of losing our membership in a tight-knit community for the "blissfully unperturbed" who rather treads gently with cold feet than walk firmly and boldly in faith and in truth. Cheerz.