Kagemushas- The Shadow warriors in Hulu Selangor
Toshiro Mufune was the vagabond who acted out as the dead Shogun is Kurosawa's epic Kagemusha. He was the shadow warrior acting out as the real Shingen. A similar drama is presently being played out in Hulu Selangor. Anwar wants to reaffirm his and his party' legitimacy and PM Najib wants to establish the relevance of his new leadership.
Yes, I know in an election, as in war and love, all is fair. That translates into anything goes. You dig up whatever dirt you have about your opponent hoping that will cast him in bad light with the voters. So we berate Zaid for his liberal lifestyle. He drinks like a fish. That's anathema to the Malays.
UMNO ministers do too. The point is, if we are able to tolerate our own people doing that, it means, that point isn't an all important consideration to form the basis to choose a leader. Would it be comforting for us to know that almost all UMNO leaders of the past drink? But they didn't cross the line and compromised on political principles. They brought out the best in their opponents not the worse.
I am not going to stop any of those UMNO paratroopers doing that thing. That is what they are most clever at. There are so many UMNO bloggers out there doing just that. Very good. Because they balance the PR propaganda machine.
But I want to ask that we be consistent in our stand. If we reject a person who drinks as a possible MP, we have stronger grounds to reject those drinkers within our own party because we have taken position on the moral high ground. We should unreservedly condemn those associated with our party policies that have business interests in beer making factory and censor those who drink. When the model was given the caning punishment I was one of the earliest to support that decision because I wanted to have the ruling applied consistently and without fear or favor.
We should reject all those who drink even if he is not a Muslim.
On a personal level, I am saying we don't have to do that if we all aspire to raise our politics on a higher level. We talk about issues – economic, political agenda. What is the economic agenda which Zaid wants to champion? What is his political agenda? What does he plan to do about the 6000 FELDA settlers in Hulu Selangor who are up in arms with Felda Plantations Bhd? What are you going to do to prove that UMNO is for all Malaysians? How do you reconcile UMNO's current openness with its willingness to accommodate Ibrahim Ali in Hulu Selangor? Will Ibrahim Ali be a liability to UMNO? How do you make UMNO relevant to the people in these times?
Zaid and Kamalanathan are two bit actors in a bigger drama- which is the political fight between the chief protagonists. Anwar Ibrahim representing the PR and DS Najib, the current PM of Malaysia and leader of UMNO.
Let's compare the leadership of the two.
I think Najib will be the first to disavow that he is saint. But it's not my mission to talk about this. His opponents will do so and their views will be challenged at every level. I am sure of that. Najib is not hypocritical to represent himself as what he is not. For example, it was never his trademark to represent himself as an ultra religious person. Because he knows that is a heavy responsibility to shoulder. If you make out yourself as an ultra religious person, your whole persona and action must also reflect the persona you have chosen to project out.
Anwar Ibrahim since his student days has always made himself out to be a modern Muslim- adhering to Islamic fundamentals. He has graduated from wearing Kurta shirts and sold at Wisma Yakin Sandals to Zegna suits and LV shoes. He has chosen a particular bed that behooves him to lie on it. If he does anything that betrays the projected image, what has he done? He has made himself out as a hypocrite.
I put it to readers that hypocritical ad hypocrite are two different things. Being hypocritical is an adopted behavior while a hypocrite goes to the root of character. It represents an inherent trait.
So if we were to compare then I can say Najib is hypocritical but Anwar is a hypocrite. Two different things. One is salvageable. The other doomed.
When he was called up by Dr Mahathir in the days leading to his expulsion from UMNO, the old man and Anwar talked about people womanizing in general. Anwar was reported to have questioned Mahathir whether being an UMNO leader means you have to be an ascetic and don't fool around? A womanizer can't be a PM? Mahathir answered some people do- but in Anwar's case it's different. He has projected himself to be a fundamentalist Muslim and therefore must at all times adhere to the code of conduct becoming of a seriously devout Muslim.
So let's go to the basic issue of a person's integrity. Najib is no saint and he will readily admit but he doesn't make himself out to be another person other than his true self. Anwar on the other hand is a political Jekyll and Hyde. He hides his other personality behind a facade of religiosity and that makes him a schemer as well as being a hypocrite.
I am asking the people of Hulu Selangor to think about this matter. When you meet Najib in person and when you meet Anwar in person what do you see? In Najib we will see a normal human being with human failings and who don't make a virtue out of that. But you see someone whom you can trust and decent enough to depend on. He is a person whom you can run to plead.
This election in Hulu Selangor is not confined to the clash between Zaid Ibrahim and Kamalanathan. Zaid is Anwar's flag bearer while Kamal is Najib's. We should be discussing the agendas of the real protagonists. 
36 comments:
You do your readers a great service with this posting, which cuts to the chase.
I too felt uncomfortable with how UMNO suddenly decided to take to the moral high ground in terms of the PR candidate's supposed moral failings, because as you pointed out, it only exposes BN's hypocrisy - people who live in glass houses, after all, should not throw stones.
I want to see BN campaigning to the people in Hulu Selangor not by smearing the PR candidate but by trying to persuade them that BN has the BETTER candidate, that they won't make empty by-election promises like in the past, and to tell them that their vote is important to give BN and PM the traction they need because BN has good plans - i.e. new economic model, etc.
But no prizes for guessing what we'll be seeing more of - BN engaging in gutter politics, and saying that they have a right to do it cos that's what PR has been doing all along.
What a shame. I almost felt some hope for BN, and almost wanted to switch allegiance and maybe offer my vote to them in the next general election. If this is how its going to be, then my message to UMNO is this - tak jadilah. If you really want to play moral high ground, I'm better off supporting PAS, because in UMNO, the people whose moral standings are rather questionable far outnumber PAS, and even Anwar, if he really is as morally questionable as alleged, surely is no worse than many leaders in UMNO!
BN mampu berubah? I doubt it.
Sincerely, Melayu yang sudah letih diperbodohkan oleh orang yang sebenarnya jauh kurang cerdiknya.
oklah.. PR pun kata Hishamuddin minum arak masa muda..
all is fair...
Anonymous 9:40, don't you feel uncomfortable at how PR engaging in gutter politics, invoking Altantuya at every nook and cranny, smearing and slandering BN leaders, etc?
You must have puked so many times listening to their ceramahs!
Dato'
Beza nya Najib dengan Anwar is their leadership quality. Let's put aside perangai peribadi mereka sebab dua dua manusia macam kita juga ada kelemahan nya.
Orang lebih yakin kepada kepimpinan Anwar dari Najib, hanya Najib berkuasa kalau tidak dah lama tenggelam as you know politic is about power and resources.
The rakyat have waited for Najib to change or will he continue to play safe as he is known and please answer to those allegation and the conduct of his spouse.
I am no supporter of both as I prefer to read you thoughts rather than listening to both so called leaders which deserved to be label as hypocrites.
Was in one of the kampung in Hulu Selangor yesterday and bumped into the Kamal 1Malaysia claimed by DPM and he sure is a hypocrite when he met the Kampong Malays and obviously he is the best candidate representing BN as he looks more like Pak Turut and not inspirational at all tapi biasa lah bolih kelentong orang Melayu di kampong - so that's it, nasib lah Melayu Hulu selangor.
Gua caya lu la dato'!!!
Its interesting that some people are shortening the BN candidate's name to "Kamal". Perhaps this is a ploy to "lessen" his Indian-ness, and accentuate his Malay-ness?
Perhaps, he also calls himself Kamal for the same reason? Kamala is too feminine. Or, Nathan is too Indian.
When will we ever get out of this racial thing in our politics?
I don't know how it is different to be "hypocritical" and not be a "hypocrite".
Dato, perhaps you are trying to split a hair?
If BN's campaign is predicated on smearing the opposition, just like the other way round as well, then, God help us. We'll never get out of this quagmire.
It's always the pot calling the kettle black.
Everything is game and fair fodder when you want to win elections.
Dont talk about higher grounds because to many, its hohum, BOOORINGla.
Zaid is also playing the same game. Like a buffalo whose nose is tied to a noose.
Cannot be his action self la in front of Kampung people lor. If got to don kopiah or songkok, wear it bro though you look ridiculous.
Samplings from some of the ceramah I heard:
To vote for Zaid is to vote stupidity.
To vote for Anwar Ibrahim, is to vote for extreme stupidity.
To vote for Kit Siang, baik bunuh diri lor.
But of course it's Ezam's saying that is bandied around
"Anak Melayu anak saya. Anak Cina anak saya, anak India anak saya. Anak Shamsidar anak siapa?"
Nice to hear, nice to cheer.
Anon 10.33
Gua tak caya lu. Halili Rahmat dah resign and quit Umno. Semalam ramai dari PKR Shah Alam quit the party. More to come bro.
So how can you say orang lebih percaya kepimpinan Anwar.
Najib is Jekyll, Anwar is Hyde.
Najib is what you see, is what you get.
Anwar, what you see is what you don't get. Or better still, you don't get what you see.
Bro, can story us why many leave PKR in any elections but not Umno?
Anwar is a problem to PKR. But BN has multiple problems in Umno, MIC & MCA. PM & DPM do not seem to see eye-to-eye. Then of course you have the colourful Nazri and 'intelligent' Foreign Minister just to name 2 outstanding ministers. No forgetting the IGP, AG & judiciary.
Dato, BN's problems is no less and may even be more than PKR. There also has to be juggling & horse trading in the by-elections as shown by HS. So it is not all rosy as is portrait in 1Malaysia.
But having said all that, 50 years is more than sufficient for a party to govern. Almost half by TDM and he still wants some action. PKR has their own problems. They are not exactly ideal. But in the absence of a credible alternative party, people are willing to try and see if there is going to be any difference to BN for we have not known any other ruling party.
Unless we can rise above these superficial squabbles, we are in deep sh_t. You can hold back the non-Malays but you cannot hold back the world and there is no NEP nor ketuanan Melayu in the world market. We will be getting closer to be like Iran then a developed country.
Dato,
What is the difference between someone who tells a lie and a liar ? What is the difference between someone who tells a lie once and a compulsive liar ? Unless you want to debate that one is more than the other.
If someone says you are hypocritical, I would be surprised if they do not think that you are a hypocrite.
Mohd Isa may have paid his dues but can we say he is innocent ?
If you think drinking is not acceptable, then you would cut out almost everyone except Muslims & George Bush Jr. But then again, some Muslims also do drink.
I was in Pakistan many years ago. It is almost a norm behind closed doors in parties of the rich to have liquor. Dare we say the same does not happen in Malaysia ?
UMNO members should vote for Zaid in HS for the flwg reasons :
1. If Zaid wins, BN will still run the country. Status-quo. But at least we will have one capable MP who can articulate and argue things out in an intelligent manner in Parliament. It will be good for the country. He is any time better than many of the BN MPs.
2. If Zaid wins, then UMNO stands a better chance to contest the HS seat in the next general election as they can claim that MIC has failed to deliver twice.
So, it is the interest of all, including UMNO members, to vote for Zaid.
Cheers.
If I were to meet Najib and Anwar crossing the road, I will knock Najib down to save Malaysia!!!!
BN leadership doesn't get it. The people who voted for PR not necessary believe in PR struggle.
They wanted the BN government to discard their excesses, focus on people interest first rather than the select few, humility, break feudalism in politics to name a few and ultimately to show voters are real kings.
DS Najib in my mind has worked hard to correct these perceptions and perhaps making some head ways. Unfortunately, what going on in HS election with all these slandering, talk about moral high ground and excesses in some way reverting back to the old politic reminded people why they voted the opposition then.
BN may win this election but the rest of the country definitely monitor how the BN government conduct themselves in this election and are they really reform as what has been promised. Now the bar has been raised.
Zaid was UMNO's product, so if he drinks, who cares.Dont tell me that the current UMNO leaders are angels and alchohol free...wow, I getting dizzy now!!!!
UMNO's move to attack Zaid on moral ground will backfire sooner or later. The HS Malays arent that blur about this and in fact they know how to distinguish between a devil and an angel.
Being an ardent UMNO supporter I am really pissed off at the way UMNO is campaigning. By exposing Zaid,they are in fact exposing themselves more! Ludah ke langit jatoh atas batang hidung sendiri.
Give and take, HS will be in PKR's hand and I'm asking all my family members to vote Zaid Ibrahim(PKR) this time around.
UMNO will never learn their lesson,dulu kini dan selama-lamanya.
ahli UMNO totok.
Datuk S
Do you really know Najib well? Do you really want to know the real Najib. Just say yes and I will post it here in your comment section under your blog.
Samat
So Najib is no saint and don't project himself to be one,but Anwar project himself as a modern Islamic fundamentalist ?
I see your point, as Najib do not project himself as a saint, thus his actions right or wrong are permissible, excusable and pardonable on all counts?
Yet Anwar's projection of himself thus subject him to all sorts of accusations, and actions scrutinize and its fair?
One has to wonder, if its a case of the difference of position of these 2 people that allow one be accuse and questioned on all fronts ,whereas the other with power has the comfort of a cushion?
While in Istanbul, booze are readily available on every streets and corners.
Dato' SAK,
Rumusan saya :
i. Ular akan terkejut apabila rumput disekeliling di pukul- pukul.
ii. PRK atau PK adalah pentas dengan menegakkan ,betul-tak betul.Caci maki ,apa yang dikata dalam blog.
iii. Kaum melayu suka benar dan begitu prihatin berpolitik. LEPAS prk BALIK SEPERTI SEDIAKALA.
bEGITU LAH.
Dear Dato & fellow commentators,
Firstly, congratulations to Dr. Halili Rahmat, your facial and antiques are best known to you and the people above who "magnetic" charms knows best.
It is evident from the beginning this is a start for UMNOBN to leap frog and buy all malaysians with $$
" its just one of those mantra - sebuah project oleh kewibawaan kerajaan malaysia"
who we kidding mate? Anwar you're losing the race - checkmate bro.
It sounded like Malaysia in the Worldcup - have not won the first kick of the ball, better yet - qualification has not even started Orang Kampung Screaming & Keris-ing
"We already won the WorldCup!"
Typical lot aren't we?
Hurray!
Gua tak caya semua politician malaysia - semua haprak.
Different toilet bowl same shit, similar stinking smell.
-Hoping for better Malaysia-
Have you heard the rumours of Nurul Iizzah leaving PKR?
If it is true, it will be BN's biggest coup.
It says volumes about mum and dad.
The Kamal guy was seen on TV3 news yesterday shedding tears ( crocodile?) after listening to a Malay lady's sad story while campaigning in a Malay Village!!
Does not make sense at all. Pandai Berlakun (or some call it Over- acting). I puked seeing this.
Dear Dato'
Perhaps there are shadow warriors at works in Ulu Selangor.
But as far as integrity is concern, I don't see anyone can claim the moral high ground.
A repented MP is much preferred than a hypocrite for the future of the 'rakyat'.
Finally can any MP who does not sin raise his/her hand ?
Hey TAR had a tipple too so what's the issue again?
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19810522&id=2zMRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wJQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5663,3192460
Oh, I agree. As a matter of fact I am always for the issue. Thus I am unfazed about personal attacks including extra-marital relationships and sexual preferences. So I saw no reason to ask CSL to resign or to bad mouth him nor do I worry about gay leaders as long as they perform their jobs and don't betray the trust of the voters by indulging in corruption and underperforming.
Consistency, my man.
AsamLaksa
It's really splitting hairs when you try and differentiate between hypocrite and hypocritical. After all, how else can a hypocrite act but in a hypocritical fashion? The adverb and adjective are complementary.
In these by-elections, given the nature of politics and politicians, we often have to choose between not so much good and evil, as the lesser of two evils!!
As to Najib being himslef and not two faced, I dare say that the winds blowing now from Parisiennne courts may well reveal the true nature of the man when Defence Minister soon enough. More than that, his suspicious conduct in publicly denying and then back-tracking in Saiful's case belies the cherubic round face that others may have confidence in.
That's not to say DSAI is an angel or saint. But he has a certain charisma that engenders hope and change for the better, which the country is ripe for!!
May the better man, not necessarily the best, win!!
dpp
We are all of 1 race, the Human race
it's not about najib vs anwar. it's about old politic (bn) vs new politic.
the only problem is the 'new politic' doesnt look like much. PKR has as much rubbish as umno. not suprising because most of their leaders are ex umno leaders.
but despite all the shortcomings, we must give a change to new politic. i hope malaysians would rise above all this miasma and move on to a new world. and new politics.
don't we all have enough of old politics already???
the only other problem is too many malaysians are still too stupid to see the bigger picture.
Many people still don't seem to understand politics..it's a zero sum game.
The only way for things to get better is if there is "competition".
Same as in sports. If juara kampong keeps playing and winning in the same kampung..he will never improve.
It's not about najib or anwar, or umno or PKR..it's about having alternatives. Regardless of which may be the lesser of two evils, the other will not attempt to improve if it does not get its nose rubbed in the dirt a few time.
i want to know why some hate najib so much.
womaniser? which man has not had more than 1 woman?
drinker? i would want to trust a man who's not tasted a bit of alcohol in his life. remember, Hitler was a vegetarian and did not drink alcohol
corrupt? oh i see....as if you's say no to a BILLION ringgit? pooodah hypocrite
murderer? you must be mad to believe this. if you know najib, you can see he cant harm a cat
robbed perak from PR? Hoi, it was PR reps who gave Perak away. should have selected people with a bit more spine in the first place
the more i think abt it, the more i am convinced that najib actually is the person he potrays, which is a cunning politician with all the human failings all of of us have but also someone who is saying and somewhat doing the right things for MALAYSIA. cant ask for more from a man, can we?
The last thing any politician, and includes you, should be talking about is about morality in politics.
If you have not sinned cast the first stone?
Come on, don't play God?
Salam Dato', well if jibby's gonna jail Anwar then Zaid could be the best person to replace him but must attain his place in Parliament first!
Hey Sakmongkol, or whatever fuck your real name is :
1. When anwar asked mahafiraun that questions on moral leadership , that was an open-ended question. Like if I asked you, " if you like kalaishnikof rifle so much, must you use it to kill someone ?"
it was no way in hell anwar was admitting to mamak he was a womanizer. You are a true shaitan to even insinuate that.
Yes, najib fucks many women. Yes he fucked altantuya. He even fucked raja nazrin's sister when they were teenagers. He n his cousin kerismuddin, love their liquor n beer to death. Any other reason why JJ is najib's best friend ?
Anwar DOES not fuck women. Anwar does not guzzel alcohol. Paul wolfiwitz offered him n he Even declined.
How much do u know of anwar's akhlak ? Don't talk about mamak kutty. His son driving d white mercedes wh the plate no MM1, is it mirzan or mokhzani drinks wine n fuckEd a Malay cunt wearing a black dress one night in
Caleo's ristorante.
So sakmongkol, an alim ulema like Qaradhawi n nik aziz won't simply issue fatwa in support of anwar lah if he is a penzina n boozer.
Even aku will perform my istikharah first to check anwar authenticity before supporting him. Inikan pula ulema2 muktabar ?
Go fuck yourself sakmongkol. Tak habis2 khianat busuk hati sangat dengan anwar. Sial punya melayu kau ni !
anon at 00:18
i am waiting for an fucking asshole like you to come in so that the whole world will know that Anwar supporters consist of people like you.
i hope you really know to solat istikharah like you said you do, as obviously enlightenment does not come easy to people like you.
how do you elevate people to ulama muktabar status? NIk Aziz once endorsed abu hassan omar as a decent man until it was exposed that he did bonk his sister in law. the morale? Nik Aziz can be wrong. if he can be wrong once, he can be wrong another time.
as for Yusuf Qardawi- he comes to Malaysia once in a while and sizes up Anwar when the latter was spewing some Quranic verses but you find it all right to accept his 'at the moment's assessment' as a permanent validation of Anwar's character? what a blockhead you are!
as for those things you said about najib/hishamudin and the sons of Mahathir- your indictment of them appears as a balancing argument to lessen the truth about Anwar's trysts. its only value is for UMNO people to reject them the next time when choosing our party leadership.
people like you will turn away potential supporters to Anwar's cause.
When I see Najib,I see someone who is hapless and can't lead a nation.When I see Anwar,I see a leader.End Of story.
Raja Petra said the same thing as yours when it came to the drinking part.
As for the PM part , neither Anwar or Najib are fit for that post.
Both are aloof and cakap tak serupa bikin.
This is about Zaid vs that "Kamal".
The other 2 "pretenders" withdrew from contesting.
Dear Dato,
at the end of the day we should cut all the rhetoric and ask ourselves what has bn done for us in the past 52 years. the first 30 was probably all well and glory but after that we descended into this pit.
i see the by election or any other election not as a platform between bn and pr but more so as a platform where real issues are being brought forward and addressed. honest promises should be made and fulfilled later but most of the time i see janji kosongs; both in bn n pr.
in the long run we all know its unhealthy to have a single dominant ruling party without check and balance. pr is an entity that enables the rakyat to voice their displeasures to the extent that pr can possibly rule the country. an ideal system for all malaysians is a dual party system tht foster efficiency and transparency.
i hope u understand that bn itself is just a party and personally i hold no malice against it. it is the actions of the people in the party that i dislike. i can't say i'll like the pr people if they come into power but if i don't i'll get rid of them as well. yes dato, im talking about kuasa rakyat. isn't that what democracy and honest politics is about? if our leaders are truly honest about serving the people letting go the power wouldn't be so hard. i have a lot of respect for some japanese and korean politicians who loses power and come down graciously. what we witness in malaysia (n in thailand) is that there seem to be so damn much to lose if they lose power. gripping to something so hard will only make people wanting to get rid of u harder.
some may argue that if pr comes to power they will put on an iron grip and end all democracy for good. so its good to keep bn and live with a devil we are familiar with. well, 52 years under a single party isn't much of democracy. anyway im an idealist that think we underestimate malaysians' intelligence. the next big step for us isn't the modernisation of tools and technology. it's the revolution of minds and thoughts. we have to step into some unfamiliar territories, ditch the historical baggage and unfortunately keep race and religion out of how this country is run. if we can do that we will walk out of it stronger and better and speak about historical baggage ;-) we'll make our founding fathers proud.
so what will happen in hulu selangor? who cares? if bn wins pr has to work harder, if pr wins bn has to work harder. both scenarios can't be bad for the rakyat. if only bn n pr hold to their promises.
feels good talking to u dato.
have a good day.
anon.
There is no difference between someone with bad intention walks up to you and shoots you in the face to a person who smiles, shakes your hand, pat your back and when your back is turned, he shoots you in the back. On both counts, you are still DEAD! Anyway, Najib that represents my former description [the latter being Anwar] is tainted with a murder rap hanging over his head, and I cannot, on my life, acknowledge him to be my leader. No way Jose!
Dato
sabar...jangan naik angin dgn anon at 00:18. Setelah baca berkali-kali, rasanya anon at 00:18 bermain reverse saikologi tu. Directed solely to you.
Maklumlah u cukup vocal criticising UMNO especially cara kempen di HS. Dont let ppl like anon at 00:18 have their field day in here.
bat8my
Talking about moral ground UMNO has none to shout about. If this is a criteria for selection of YBs, then more than half the cabinet including the PM is weeded out and more than 70 percent of the other YBs will be excluded.
Our first PM Tunku drinks alcohol and own horses and yet he was accepted by all. Tun Razak was no different and so is Najib. Tun Razak's illness was due to this habit. So was almost all those UMNO senior members who graduated from UK, Australia and USA.
What is so wrong about owning and rearing horses. Islam did not forbid that unless there is an element of gambling involved.
I just do not understand your definition of hypocrite and being hypocritical. Merely labelling one as a hypocrite makes the one who criticise to be hypocritical as well.
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