And that is why religion is so successful. People are prepared to accept ‘the truth’ based on myth and folklore. And if Dr Mahathir can successfully spin the myth that Najib stole 1MBD’s money and that RM42 billion has disappeared into thin air and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB, many of you will ‘religiously’ accept this as ‘the truth’. It is how the human mind works.

(The Malaysian Insider) – Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s speech at the party’s recently concluded general assembly was ‘very disappointing’ as it was all about defending himself, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In his latest blog post today, the former prime minister and Umno president said Najib had claimed that he was a ‘gentleman, had a big heart, brave and would not step down’, but added that the president did not touch on the party’s struggles or his administration.

“There was also no explanation on the others issues like the problems with 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion which was found in his bank accounts.”

“The delegates wanted an explanation on these issues so that they could explain them to the grassroots and to the public.”

*********************************************

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. — John 8:32

But that is just it. Contrary to what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, over the last year or so many explanations have been given regarding these two issues. It is just that Dr Mahathir and the critics of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak are pretending as if no explanation has ever been given.

The Umno ‘Team B’ being led by Dr Mahathir wanted to use the recent Umno annual general assembly to attack Najib. And they were hoping that Najib would be brought down during the assembly. And, as Dr Mahathir himself had admitted, they were going to use the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion issues as the catalyst in that move to oust Najib.

In short, Najib was under attack. But the many attacks since the beginning of this year failed to do the trick. So the last and final attack in that plan to oust Najib was supposed to be the recent Umno assembly. If Najib did not defend himself well he was going to fall.

So, of course, Najib would have had to defend himself during the assembly. What else could he have done? They left him very little choice and no other alternative. They had earlier challenged him to prove that he is a fighter and not a cowardly quitter. They even mocked him about him being a gutless Bugis warrior.

So Najib fought back. And he fought back during the Umno annual general assembly, the same forum they were using to try to oust him before Christmas. According to their plan, Najib was not supposed to celebrate Christmas as Prime Minister. And it was up to Najib to prove them wrong, which he did.

A pre-council meeting was held on the eve of the assembly where the delegates were given a detailed explanation regarding 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion. And the delegates were happy with that explanation. They saw that the allegations about Najib stealing 1MDB’s money or that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ or that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB were not true.

So they did not need to, again, raise an issue, that had already been resolved earlier, at the Umno assembly. It was an issue that had already been explained — and explained, as far as the delegates were concerned, to their satisfaction. Only those who boycotted the pre-council briefing on the eve of the Umno assembly so that they can pretend they do not know any details are the ones who keep repeating the allegations and keep raising the same questions.

There are many similar comments in the Internet, even in the comments section of Malaysia Today, by people who say they want the truth. They do not care about the quarrel between the Prime Minister and the ‘Team B’ being led by Dr Mahathir, they say. They just want the truth regarding 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion, they say. That is all they want, they say.

Well, it all depends on what you mean by ‘the truth’. Many of those who are asking that ‘the truth’ be told are those such as Dr Mahathir who are convinced that Najib stole 1MDB’s money or that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ or that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB. That, to them, is ‘the truth’. So would any other explanation other than that ‘truth’ be acceptable to these people?

All they want to hear is that Najib stole 1MDB’s money and that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB. Any other explanation that contradicts this ‘truth’ is not acceptable. The only ‘truth’ they want to hear is that Najib stole 1MDB’s money and that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB.

So they do not really want to hear ‘the truth’, as they say they do. They want to hear that Najib stole 1MDB’s money and that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB. And if whatever explanation you give contradicts this ‘truth’ then it is going to be rejected.

What is happening here is that we are playing with beliefs and those who are asking for the so-called ‘truth’ are standing on a position of belief and all they want is for you to confirm this belief of theirs. In other words, they already believe a certain thing to be true. No explanation of yours is going to change their belief. So if your explanation contradicts this belief then it is going to be rejected. It will only be accepted if your explanation confirms and strengthens this belief.

Let me put it another way. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross. I believe that Jesus came back to life three days later. I even believe that next Friday is the 2,015th birthday of Jesus Christ. That is ‘the truth’, and the truth will set you free, as the Christians believe.

So that is ‘the truth’ to many of you. But then ‘the truth’ is subjective. If you believe it then it becomes ‘the truth’. If you do not then it becomes a lie. And when you ask for ‘the truth’ what you mean is you want me to confirm that Jesus is the Son of God, He died on the cross, He came back to life three days later, and next Friday is the 2,015th birthday of Jesus Christ.

If you already believe that this is ‘the truth’ then why keep asking for ‘the truth’? ‘The truth’ is whatever you believe to be ‘the truth’. Anything that contradicts your belief is a lie. And since your version or interpretation of ‘the truth’ contradicts mine then it is futile to keep asking for ‘the truth’. ‘The truth’ is whatever it is you believe to be ‘the truth’.

The issue of 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion is the same. You already believe what is ‘true’ and what is not — the same goes for Dr Mahathir. Unless Najib can come out and say that he did steal 1MBD’s money and that RM42 billion has disappeared into thin air and that the RM2.6 billion did come from 1MDB, you are not going to believe or accept what he says.

Najib can say anything he wants but unless what he says is he did steal 1MBD’s money and that RM42 billion has disappeared into thin air and that the RM2.6 billion did come from 1MDB you are going to reject what he says. So why keep asking him to explain? You already know ‘the truth’, as how you see ‘the truth’. You already believe what you believe.

And nothing that Najib says is going to change your mind — just like even if I were to say Jesus is not the Son of God, He did not die on the cross, He did not come back to life three days later, and next Friday is not the 2,015th birthday of Jesus Christ you are not going to convert to Islam.

So believe what you want to believe and stop asking for ‘the truth’ because, to you, ‘the truth’ is what you believe to be ‘the truth’ and any explanation contrary to what you believe to be ‘the truth’ would be a lie as far as you are concerned.

And that is why religion is so successful. People are prepared to accept ‘the truth’ based on myth and folklore. And if Dr Mahathir can successfully spin the myth that Najib stole 1MBD’s money and that RM42 billion has disappeared into thin air and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB, many of you will ‘religiously’ accept this as ‘the truth’. It is how the human mind works.

Raja Petra Kamarudin

And that is why religion is so successful. People are prepared to accept ‘the truth’ based on myth and folklore. And if Dr Mahathir can successfully spin the myth that Najib stole 1MBD’s money and that RM42 billion has disappeared into thin air and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB, many of you will ‘religiously’ accept this as ‘the truth’. It is how the human mind works.

(The Malaysian Insider) – Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s speech at the party’s recently concluded general assembly was ‘very disappointing’ as it was all about defending himself, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In his latest blog post today, the former prime minister and Umno president said Najib had claimed that he was a ‘gentleman, had a big heart, brave and would not step down’, but added that the president did not touch on the party’s struggles or his administration.

“There was also no explanation on the others issues like the problems with 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion which was found in his bank accounts.”

“The delegates wanted an explanation on these issues so that they could explain them to the grassroots and to the public.”

*********************************************

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. — John 8:32

But that is just it. Contrary to what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, over the last year or so many explanations have been given regarding these two issues. It is just that Dr Mahathir and the critics of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak are pretending as if no explanation has ever been given.

The Umno ‘Team B’ being led by Dr Mahathir wanted to use the recent Umno annual general assembly to attack Najib. And they were hoping that Najib would be brought down during the assembly. And, as Dr Mahathir himself had admitted, they were going to use the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion issues as the catalyst in that move to oust Najib.

In short, Najib was under attack. But the many attacks since the beginning of this year failed to do the trick. So the last and final attack in that plan to oust Najib was supposed to be the recent Umno assembly. If Najib did not defend himself well he was going to fall.

So, of course, Najib would have had to defend himself during the assembly. What else could he have done? They left him very little choice and no other alternative. They had earlier challenged him to prove that he is a fighter and not a cowardly quitter. They even mocked him about him being a gutless Bugis warrior.

So Najib fought back. And he fought back during the Umno annual general assembly, the same forum they were using to try to oust him before Christmas. According to their plan, Najib was not supposed to celebrate Christmas as Prime Minister. And it was up to Najib to prove them wrong, which he did.

A pre-council meeting was held on the eve of the assembly where the delegates were given a detailed explanation regarding 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion. And the delegates were happy with that explanation. They saw that the allegations about Najib stealing 1MDB’s money or that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ or that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB were not true.

So they did not need to, again, raise an issue, that had already been resolved earlier, at the Umno assembly. It was an issue that had already been explained — and explained, as far as the delegates were concerned, to their satisfaction. Only those who boycotted the pre-council briefing on the eve of the Umno assembly so that they can pretend they do not know any details are the ones who keep repeating the allegations and keep raising the same questions.

There are many similar comments in the Internet, even in the comments section of Malaysia Today, by people who say they want the truth. They do not care about the quarrel between the Prime Minister and the ‘Team B’ being led by Dr Mahathir, they say. They just want the truth regarding 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion, they say. That is all they want, they say.

Well, it all depends on what you mean by ‘the truth’. Many of those who are asking that ‘the truth’ be told are those such as Dr Mahathir who are convinced that Najib stole 1MDB’s money or that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ or that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB. That, to them, is ‘the truth’. So would any other explanation other than that ‘truth’ be acceptable to these people?

All they want to hear is that Najib stole 1MDB’s money and that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB. Any other explanation that contradicts this ‘truth’ is not acceptable. The only ‘truth’ they want to hear is that Najib stole 1MDB’s money and that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB.

So they do not really want to hear ‘the truth’, as they say they do. They want to hear that Najib stole 1MDB’s money and that RM42 billion had ‘disappeared into thin air’ and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB. And if whatever explanation you give contradicts this ‘truth’ then it is going to be rejected.

What is happening here is that we are playing with beliefs and those who are asking for the so-called ‘truth’ are standing on a position of belief and all they want is for you to confirm this belief of theirs. In other words, they already believe a certain thing to be true. No explanation of yours is going to change their belief. So if your explanation contradicts this belief then it is going to be rejected. It will only be accepted if your explanation confirms and strengthens this belief.

Let me put it another way. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross. I believe that Jesus came back to life three days later. I even believe that next Friday is the 2,015th birthday of Jesus Christ. That is ‘the truth’, and the truth will set you free, as the Christians believe.

So that is ‘the truth’ to many of you. But then ‘the truth’ is subjective. If you believe it then it becomes ‘the truth’. If you do not then it becomes a lie. And when you ask for ‘the truth’ what you mean is you want me to confirm that Jesus is the Son of God, He died on the cross, He came back to life three days later, and next Friday is the 2,015th birthday of Jesus Christ.

If you already believe that this is ‘the truth’ then why keep asking for ‘the truth’? ‘The truth’ is whatever you believe to be ‘the truth’. Anything that contradicts your belief is a lie. And since your version or interpretation of ‘the truth’ contradicts mine then it is futile to keep asking for ‘the truth’. ‘The truth’ is whatever it is you believe to be ‘the truth’.

The issue of 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion is the same. You already believe what is ‘true’ and what is not — the same goes for Dr Mahathir. Unless Najib can come out and say that he did steal 1MBD’s money and that RM42 billion has disappeared into thin air and that the RM2.6 billion did come from 1MDB, you are not going to believe or accept what he says.

Najib can say anything he wants but unless what he says is he did steal 1MBD’s money and that RM42 billion has disappeared into thin air and that the RM2.6 billion did come from 1MDB you are going to reject what he says. So why keep asking him to explain? You already know ‘the truth’, as how you see ‘the truth’. You already believe what you believe.

And nothing that Najib says is going to change your mind — just like even if I were to say Jesus is not the Son of God, He did not die on the cross, He did not come back to life three days later, and next Friday is not the 2,015th birthday of Jesus Christ you are not going to convert to Islam.

So believe what you want to believe and stop asking for ‘the truth’ because, to you, ‘the truth’ is what you believe to be ‘the truth’ and any explanation contrary to what you believe to be ‘the truth’ would be a lie as far as you are concerned.

And that is why religion is so successful. People are prepared to accept ‘the truth’ based on myth and folklore. And if Dr Mahathir can successfully spin the myth that Najib stole 1MBD’s money and that RM42 billion has disappeared into thin air and that the RM2.6 billion came from 1MDB, many of you will ‘religiously’ accept this as ‘the truth’. It is how the human mind works.

Raja Petra Kamarudin