The Princess of Java Return to Hinduism

Kanjeng Raden Ayu Mahindrani Kooswidyanthi Paramasi is the Princess of Java, Indonesia, who is known for her love for music and is also an avid pianist and composer.

The Princess of Java went through a Sudhi Wadani Ritual on July 17, 2017, in the Pura Luhur Catur Kanda Pat Sari of Bali. This ritual can be described as an initiation into Hinduism, one of the

major minority religions which are seeing a major boost as many are returning to its fold, attracted by its philosophy.

Sudhi Wadani ritual of the Princess was led by a Hindu priest, Ida Sari Galuh Wiku Sri Bhagawan Putra Natha Nawa Wangsa Pemayun, who hails from Bali.

It began with the purification ritual, followed by the priest chanting the second stanza of the Puja Tri Sandya (Narayana mantra), and the third, and also the last one being, the chanting of the Gayatri Mantram. After the ritual, the Princess of Java, Kanjeng Mahendrani, officially became a Hindu on July 17, 2017.

The Princess has also vowed that she will build a pasraman (ashram) in Bali which will boast of a blend of Javanese, Bali, and Nusantara culture.

After undergoing the Sudhi Wadani ritual, the Princess, who earlier had a serious demeanor, was seen smiling ear to ear.

People close to her said that the Princess was delighted to see the Balinese people who had come to witness the ritual of her embracing Hinduism and was touched by the warmth and their greetings.

Talking later, the Princess of Java had said that she felt grateful as her brother also supported her move of adopting Hinduism. In Pura Luhur Catur Kanda Pat Sari, she said:

“I am very grateful… today is a good day…because my own heart… and my brother supported it (move of adopting Hinduism).”

Further, she said that her desire to “return to the Dharma path was exactly what she wanted to do for a long time.”

Kanjeng Mahendrani even said that even before officially becoming a Hindu she followed the prayers in the Puras (Temples).  She added later, that, only now it is official.

The Princess said that her desire to become a Hindu was the exercise of her free will as she always felt peaceful when praying in a Temple or whenever she participated in a Hindu procession or Kejawen.

According to Princess of Java, Kanjeng Mahendrani, her entire family supported her decision to return to the path of Dharma as a Hindu.

Why was the initiation done at the Pura Luhur Catur Kanda Pat Sari? 

This is an interesting point and was a major point of discussion.

Pura Luhur Catur Kanda Pat Sari was chosen because it is a Temple dedicated to the Dewata Nawa Sanga who is associated with the strong tradition of Sedulur Papat in Java which is still practiced by the Java and the Kejawen Hindus.

Kanjeng Mahendrani also strongly believes in the tradition of Sedulur Papat and hence, coming to Hinduism seemed natural to her.

The Princess was born in Rome, Italy in 1961 and is one of the major personalities of Indonesia.

The religious inclination of the Princess of Java prior to her initiation into Hinduism remains a mystery.

By Parwati Agung and Namta Gupta

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MAIKA SIDIC MITRA

PETALING JAYA: A DAP leader has highlighted several embezzlements and abuse of public funds meant for the Indian community.

These include the MIC-linked Maika Holdings, the Socio-Economic Development of the Indian Community Unit (Sedic) and the latest involving the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra), which is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“From time to time, attempts have been made to assist the community through the efforts of the political parties such as MIC and lately, public funds have been allocated through special agencies to assist the target group – Indians in need of assistance,” said Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy.

“However, funds meant for the uplift of the poor have been hijacked to cater to the interests of those who manage public funds. But the unfortunate thing is that these scandals are allowed to repeat and those responsible get away scot-free,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Describing this as a “curse on poor Indians”, Ramasamy said Maika, set up in the 1980s by MIC, was meant to mobilise funds from the community for investment purposes.

He said nearly RM100,000 was collected from its members to launch the fund under former MIC president S Samy Vellu.

If the company had engaged in the prudent management of the funds, he said, the Indian community could have assets worth a few billion ringgit.

“Maika Holdings is a sad chapter in the lives of Indians. The sad thing is that those responsible for the collapse of Maika Holdings have never been charged for criminality,” he said.

Further, Ramasamy said, during the tenure of former prime minister Najib Razak, Sedic was set up with public funds to assist the community. However, a similar fate befell Sedic with mismanagement of funds.

Under the Pakatan Harapan administration, Sedic had been renamed Mitra, and after the Perikatan Nasional government took over, Mitra was placed under the national unity ministry.

Recently, MACC arrested 16 company directors after they were suspected of being involved in misappropriating Mitra funds.

“Both Sedic and Mitra are guilty of not passing the funds to the affected groups and individuals directly. Those responsible for these two organisations are guilty of not channelling the funds directly to the recipients,” he said.

Ramasamy said the idea of assisting the Indian community indirectly by channelling funds to NGOs was “improper and highly unethical”.

“I understand that a big portion of the funds allocated might be used for administrative purposes of the NGOs including salaries of their staff. Funds given to NGOs might be subject to abuse.

“I urge the enforcement authorities to investigate not only the wrongdoing of Mitra but also its predecessor, Sedic,” he said.

WEll said by Ramasamy (DAP)

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10 reasons why Bumiputeraism is bad policy

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob says the Bumiputera agenda will be continued under the 12th Malaysia Plan, so that Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees the special position of the Bumiputeras, will be upheld.

If political leaders and the Malay community need to know why Bumiputeraism is bad for them, here are 10 reasons:

1. The simple fact of being Bumiputera has robbed many Malays of the privilege of working hard.

All of us would like an easy life, but avoiding many of life’s challenges has given rise to Malays who revel in a culture of entitlement and who fail to see the joy of giving. All facets of their lives are affected, from easy access to schools, hospitals and universities, to jobs and business opportunities.

2. Being Bumiputera means some are not ashamed to bully others, treating others as inferior; taking what is not theirs, banning others from certain areas, and depriving some well-deserved and hard-working citizens of places in educational institutions. Such actions are a setback to inter-racial harmony.

3. Some Bumiputeras want things immediately, they demand instant gratification because they are used to having their own way, all the time. This culture has been fostered because politicians use it, like an opiate for the Malay masses.

4. The Orang Asli, despite being the original people of the land, do not seem to have the term ‘Bumiputera’ equally applied to them, or to the people of Sarawak and Sabah. Some Orang Asli are mistreated and left without basic amenities like running water and electricity. Their lands are trespassed upon and their sources of income and livelihood destroyed. Many are forced to endure a lack of opportunities.

5. By virtue of being Bumiputeras, many Malays grow up with an inferiority complex. They receive the most funding for their businesses and the most housing allocations. A non-Malay, who reaps the benefits of his business or educational attainments, will naturally feel proud. Not so for some Bumiputeras. They receive snide looks because others believe their academic success was due to a lowering of the pass mark, and their success in business was because of their political connections.

6. Being a Bumiputera means one does not have to clean up his own mess. The allegations of corruption among ministers, their aides, the civil servants and cronies are easily covered up. We have endured several financial scandals, but few have been satisfactorily resolved as the guilty still roam free. As a result, the nation suffers.

7. Bumiputera cronies feel they do not need to work for what they want. They skim off the money from over-inflated purchases of goods or contracts. The politicians enact policies which enable them to grab and spend the taxpayer’s money. What happened to Bumiputera accountability?

8. Wealthy Bumiputeras are the envy of others with their big homes, luxurious lifestyle and a host of companions. They have been spoiled by the culture of entitlement, and the only way they can get their hands on these ostentatious things is by force or by government policy. They fail to realise that they are not entitled to things that they have not earned.

9. The term ‘Bumiputera’ has robbed some Malays of their self-respect. They have low self-esteem and reduced levels of confidence. They crave respect but do not know how to earn it. Any Bumiputera who lives overseas, and is given the right instruction and tools to survive, will most probably thrive, his self-confidence restored and his reputation intact.

10. There are many types of Bumiputeras. Some Umno Bumiputeras are above the law. Pseudo Bumiputeras are more Malay than Malay, and some are treated even better. Women Bumiputeras are always bullied. Orang Asli Bumiputeras are largely ignored with few of them enjoying the Bumiputera benefits. All of these breed ill will, resentment and contempt.

Bumiputeraism is like a poisoned chalice. The only way to cure its damaging effects is to admit that there is a problem and to do something about it.

by Maiam Mokhtar (Free Malaysia Today)

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Orang Asli And History

“Orang Asli”, a term officially coined in 1960, collectively refers to the original or native people of Peninsular Malaysia. Currently numbering about 200,000 (about 0.6% of the total Malaysian population), the Orang Asli are the “first people” or oldest inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia.

In the words of Colin Nicholas, a leading authority on the Orang Asli, the Orang Asli “are descendants of the earliest known inhabitants who occupied the Malay Peninsula before the establishment of the Malay kingdoms.”

In a similar vein, Harry Lake - the then Johor government’s mining engineer writing in 1894 - states that the forefathers of the Orang Asli “roamed the jungle long before the advent of the Malays”.

This fact was acknowledged by Abdul Rahman, the then secretary to the Johor sultan (Sultan Abu Bakar) as follows: “The aborigines were the possessors of the soil before we [the Malays] came to the peninsula.” Indeed, two reputable historians - Mary Turnbull and Leonard Andaya - have described the Orang Asli as “the oldest known inhabitants” of the Malay Peninsula and “original people in the land”.

Sadly, the above historical fact regarding the Orang Asli is missing in our current school history textbooks. Indeed, the role and significant contributions of the Orang Asli community have not been adequately portrayed in our history textbooks. Hence, this article seeks to throw light on the Orang Asli community.

Missing again, this is similliar to Tamil Indian Hindu histoy in this land... The Chinese frm China historical mile stone too has been long missing from the text book. What is the agendas?

To hide in order to high light some thing which was not there.... 

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