so potong ayam means cut cock?

Trial by ordeal.

Until now, Anwar Ibrahim has steadfastly refused to swear by the Quran. Apa pasal kita tidak tahu. Certainly it would cause suspicion that he is guilty for what he has been accused of.

His nemesis, Dato Seri Najib has sworn before GOD. He has uttered the Islamic incantations of Wallahi, Wabillahi and Watallahi. Although he did not do it upon the Quran he has least said it. Anwar hasn’t. Dato Najib has come out smelling like roses.

Anwar wants to defend himself in court. The court of public opinion appears to believe that he is innocent. According to the cyber polls taken. But ultimately he must prove his innocence or guilt in the court of law.

If Anwar wants to prove his innocence in the court of law, then he will have no moral standing to accuse the court later as being biased and what not. The last time he was defended by a battalion of lawyers, he was jailed as a result of that.

The verdict on sodomy, the offence he is now charged with, was overturned on technicality. His followers and adulators will continue saying he was jailed not because of sodomy.

I am prepared to accept that he is innocent until proven guilty. So everyone must wait for the court to try his case.

In the meantime, everyone hopes with the direct interposition of GOD the guilt or the innocence of an accused person would be firmly established. This trial by ordeal, for that’s what it really is, is based on the belief that an omniscient and just GOD will not allow an innocent person be punished.

Everyone thinks God is on his or her side. When Americans go to war, they also believe that God is on their side. That’s why they reasoned, America has won its wars. The republicans think God is a republican. The democrats think that God is certainly a democrat.

So if everyone thinks God is on his side, then how do we establish guilt? Whom does God love more? Najib thinks God is on his side. Saiful certainly does think so. Anwar of course thinks God must be on his side. Further, Anwar believes what Gus Dur believes. Nalla Karuppan thinks God is a tennis player and his partner. Ezam Mohd Nor thinks God is inside the six boxes. A certain ex minister accused of fondling buttocks thinks MONEY is God.

The thing is, I think falling back on the omniscient God to prove innocence against an accusation does nothing except appeases our own religious guilt. We have all sinned brother!. And Sistah! It also provides an emotional link and a feeling of inner peace with our own innate religiosity.

Other than that it proves nothing. Swearing before God with or without the Quran is just like Dato Najib says- it is a matter between the accused and God. So what’s the fuss? It’s not like your are going to be struck by lightning immediately right? So go on swearing or angkat as many sumpahs you want.

Just so you know there are so many ways to carry out your trial by ordeal, maybe you may want to survey the options.

You can if you want, swear by the Chinese way by decapitating a chicken. Since it must be a rooster, you therefore Potong Your Cock!.

Or if you want to prove your innocence, you can do like in ancient days, cut yourself up to reveal the colour of your blood. If your blood turns out white colour, then you are innocent beyond the shadow of any doubt.

Maybe, you can do what the Indian rubber tappers do. Drink a bottle of paraquat or Roundup and if you survive, you are terror and innocent.

Still in ancient times, in Hammurabi’s time in fact, you prove your innocence by jumping into an icy river. If you are guilty you are consumed by the cold river. If you are innocent, then you come out unscathed.

Or perhaps you can hold a red hot iron. If your hands are alright, then you are innocent. Or using a similar version, you can draw a stone in a smouldering cauldron of boiling water. If your hands are ok, you are innocent.

There are 1001 ways by which to conduct trial by ordeal. It is an archaic and ancient way to prove one’s innocent. Whether one swears by the holy book or without, it does not prove anything but only serves to appeal to the maddening crowd.

Even before God, Lucifer or Iblis can still defy Him, what more, if you are far from Him.

But maybe for those accused of sodomy or adultery, POTONG COCK is best. See whether it grows back.