“...war – is none other than mass murder – committed by warring nations...”
F
irst, I would like to congratulate the Criminalise War Club for successfully organising a world forum, “Engaging the Young to Criminalise War and Energise Peace”. I’m glad that CWC has taken an important initiative to educate the young about the dangerous effects of war on mankind and, of course, to impart peace as an honourable value.
surely spend most of their lifetime behind bars. That is how civilised nations treat murders – as a serious crime. But unfortunately, war – is none other than mass murder – committed by warring nations, is not regarded as a crime. Likewise, leaders of these nations, sanctions against innocent civilians, women and children, women and elderly, are not regarded as criminals. We have seen the sufferings of innocent people in war-torn countries. Where do they go to demand justice?
We all know that murder is a heinous crime. All civilised nations make murder a crime punishable with the most severe of punishment. Even in countries where death penalty is outlawed, convicted murderers will
In their minds, there must be someone who is responsible for all the suffering inflicted upon them; but more often than not, this someone managed to escape, or escape scott-free. And far from
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being punished, the leaders of victorious nations take pride in the victory of the army, and the soldiers are decorated as heroes and saints. Whereas the brutal truth is that they are just killers whose mission is to kill their enemies, and in doing so, causing pain and injury and death of the innocent people. And all these happen because the so-called civilised nations of today do not regard war as a crime. Sadly, the death and injury of innocent people is assumed as collateral damage. By no means the victims of war can seek justice for the loss of their loved ones and for their own sufferings. Justice can never be done as long as war is not regarded as a punishable offence.
In this regard we would like to commend YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who is one of the main proponents of criminalise war movement. Ever since he founded the Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War (KLFCW), YAB Tun has been very vocal in voicing out the brutal truth about war and the misery it causes to mankind, and therefore call for war to be made a crime. I must praise you, Sir, for your bravery and perseverance in stating brutal truths about war, and for your guts to stand against the powerful nations and the leaders to criminalise war. For in fact, telling the truth and standing up against the powers that be has been your trademark, ever since you were a young doctor; and, of course, as an ordinary UMNO member, and until today. And let me assure you, Sir, you are not alone in telling the truth. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Malaysia pays special attention to education of children. The largest slice of the national budget goes to education. As much as 21% of total annual budget is assigned for education, operating expenditure, building new schools, and upgrading existing ones among others. It is not just the physical that we are concerned with but also the quality of education. And this has been the policy of the Malaysian government on and on. As the Minister of Education I have always paid particular attention to the needs of schoolchildren, teachers and the education fraternity. We have done our best to encourage a wholesome upbringing of our children by teaching a wide range of subjects and thereby embarking the young minds in various aspects of virtue, the culture of understanding, tolerance, and good behaviour. Thus, when the request for the Ministry of Education to sanction the launch of the Criminalise War Clubs, or CWC, for schools came
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‌ We would like to commend YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who is one of the main proponents of criminalise war movement. Ever since he founded the Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War (KLFCW), YAB Tun has been very vocal in voicing out the brutal truth about war and the misery it causes to mankind, and therefore call for war to be made a crime. I must praise you, Sir, for your bravery and perseverance in stating brutal truths about war, and for your guts to stand against the powerful nations and the leaders to criminalise war. For in fact, telling the truth and standing up against the powers that be has been your trademark, ever since you were a young doctor; and, of course, as an ordinary UMNO member, and until today. And let me assure you, Sir, you are not alone in telling the truth.
to my attention, I did not hesitate to give my fullest support and approval. Moreover, the founder of CWC is none other than our beloved and well-respected YAB Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, and over the years, as a cabinet member, I was aware of the drive and passion that YAB Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah bring to any project, be it big or small. Hers is the touch that leaves a lasting impression on every Malaysian and produces the best results. I am honoured that Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah personally invited me to this international conference and a quick glance at the programme tells me that great effort and
thought have gone to selecting the topics for discussion. The eminent speakers who would, no doubt, provide great insights and share with you the inherent dangers if we ignore the signs of impending war or do nothing about it. Extremism and terrorism, for example, has become one of the greatest threats that the whole world is facing right now. Signs of extremist tendency among our people must be quickly nipped in the bud before it imposes a serious threat to the peace and stability of our country. And therefore strong measure must be put in place to keep such threat in check and address its root cause, and Malaysia has JUNE 2015 CRIMINALISE WAR
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done so by introducing tough laws to deal with such threats, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act which has been passed by Parliament recently. To me, the theme for this international conference, “Engaging the Young to Criminalise War and to Energise Peace,” is most appropriate. It is a clear and precise message that the young assumes an important role in the shaping of our future – of how people can live in peace and harmony. The organisers have also scheduled that the young members of the clubs of CWC to share their world view of what their movement is all about, their hopes and their aspirations. And, of course, I look forward to that presentation. I understand that the leadership of YAB Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah has seen at least 13 such clubs in the country, and I am aware that YAB Tun Hasmah personally helped to launch the 3 pioneer clubs. And this gesture of the Founder is an excellent example of her involvement in projects she undertakes. And, most important, the young must appreciate the time and the effort that YAB Tun has put in, and thus, members of the existing CWC have a duty towards the Founder: spread the word and the message that “War is a Crime” and that the world can be a better place for all of us if there is peace and goodwill. Children, especially, have suffered the most in any place where violence has broken out. Look at the Middle East – Palestine, Syria, Yemen and Iraq: How many of the young ones there have had their lives snatched away from them because a war is being fought in their home town? And the same is in the case of many other parts of the world such as in Africa where young girls have been kidnapped, raped, and not heard from. In other troubled spots like Libya and Latin America, I feel that there has been far too much killing and loss of lives. And this our young must understand and appreciate this. We in this country have been blessed in many ways. We have not seen an armed conflict or massive loss of lives. We have just a massive flood that caused loss of lives and hardship for many people in several states at the end of last year. But, as is our tradition, everyone pitched in to help the victims of that disaster. We have been a peaceful country and we have developed in a peaceful manner. And this is recognised by many countries that have turned to Malaysia for leadership and guidance and training. The international
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“ I would like to congratulate the Criminalise War Club for successfully organising a world forum, “Engaging the Young to Criminalise War and Energise Peace”. I’m glad that CWC has taken an important initiative to educate the young about the dangerous effects of war on mankind and, of course, to impart peace as an honourable value.
community has also given us the honour of serving in the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member and, of course, this is the fourth time we have served in that capacity. I remind you of this to highlight, to our young audience here, what peace and goodwill can bring to all of us not just in our own homes and backyards, but also at the international level. And because we have given our children the best in education, healthcare and welfare, most Malaysians enjoy a high standard of living. Many are able to seek jobs internationally all because of a solid background in primary and secondary education. And today many international institutions of higher learning are establishing their branches in this country. This, in itself, allows our children to mingle and understand different cultures and traditions right here, and at a very early age. Now that the CWC is slowly taking root, I’m sure the spill-over effects will be far-reaching and very beneficial. I would like to conclude my speech by saying “Thank You” again to YAB Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali for the very kind invitation. I wish all participants and audience here today the very best. I know that many good things will come out of this conference, and I once again thank you all.
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