Anwar's problems are not over yet

Anwar has been acquitted. I don’t wish to douse the flames of enthusiasm that was evident on the faces and response from his supporters. Family members and friends were elated. I am watching out for possible landmines.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Anwar said, this present case shouldn’t be considered as a landmark case representing the independence of the judiciary. The only concession he made was to recognize the courage of the presiding judge to arrive at this particular verdict. It will be interesting to watch what happens in the coming months.

The future of Malaysia will depend on what happens within one or two weeks after the Anwar verdict. He has been acquitted. However I do not think he is out of the woods yet. Despite being acquitted Anwar is circumspect about the judiciary. His acquittal does not prove the judiciary is independent he says. Now, that is somewhat ominous. Why would Anwar say that?

Anwar knows this. He is let off the hook this time- that’s what the government MAY want the public to think. So that they can say, this is proof that the judiciary is independent. DR Mahathir says it before the sitting PM does. Dr Mahathir says Anwar’s acquittal is proof that the judiciary in independent. The information Minister said the same thing too. Finally the PM joined in saying the same thing. It’s almost like preparing the ground to justify that if Anwar is charged and convicted for some other offences, it is not possible for people to accuse the judiciary of being not independent. It is the same judiciary that acquitted Anwar in this sodomy 2 case.

What if, Anwar is charged for other offenses? And he is convicted there because the evidence is so overwhelming. Anwar isn’t able to say the judiciary is independent now because if he is indeed convicted on another instance, he can’t turn around to say, the judiciary is not independent. That would be contradictory. So despite being acquitted, Anwar can’t say the judiciary is independent.

He can be charged for making a false report about the video showing a man resembling Anwar having sex with a China doll. Having sex is not a crime but making a false report is. Anwar is charged once more because the prosecution has the omega watch, the Chinese national in their custody and the video is proven as authentic by forensic experts. Anwar can then be charged and may be found for committal.

So, he is still not out of the woods yet. Even in the present case, the prosecution can appeal. Dr Mahathir will order DS Najib to appeal. Dr Mahathir would rather have UMNO lose than allow Anwar to be PM. He knows if Anwar ascends to the chief executive office, Mahathir and all those on the same ship are finished. So Anwar must be stopped at all cost.

We must move this country beyond Anwar. Much energy and resources have been spent on the Anwar Saga. While Anwar and his supporters will shout of fitnah and of lies perpetrated, the public is also wasted with the tiring claim of conspiracy.  It’s been 14 long and bloodletting years.

Anwar’s salvation actually lies in changing the government. And that is possible through the next general elections.

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The shape of things to come

901.

This 9th of January 2012 is the day when the court passes sentence on Anwar Ibrahim. He can either be acquitted or convicted. Anwar seems resigned to the fact that he will be convicted and will spend time in jail. On the other hand he is very upbeat on the outcome of the next elections. Accordingly he has defiantly travelled across the country giving fiery speeches galvanizing public support. Seemingly indifferent at the prospects of going to jail, he is already talking about an interim PM. Others from the opposition parties are behind him on this and reiterate their confidence that Anwar will become PM.

Much will depend on the reaction from the Malay ground; Anwar will have to hope that morality isn’t treated as a big issue among Malays in general.  Among the non-Malays his morals do not factor big in their decision making process. What Anwar does behind locked doors is his business. The non-Malays appear to take a detached view from being moral judges. The old Indian lady whom I once wrote about who prayed for Anwar dismissed the things Anwar is alleged to have done but instead rued at the tyranny visited upon Anwar and his family. The non-Malay lawyer whom I met denounced Anwar but was equally vicious against the injustice committed on Anwar’s family. He vowed never to vote BN.

 So how does the Malay ground feel for Anwar? Anwar and his supporters will say the government is using fitnah to do him in. his detractors will say Anwar is using the tiring term of conspiracy for more than 13 years. How does the average Malay feel?  I think Anwar and his supporters must be prepared to accept the courts verdict. The others must prepare how to win the elections. The opposition can’t be Anwar-centric.

If the average Malay feels numbed by the distasteful exploitation of Anwar’s morals, he may reap the sympathy of the majority. If the average Malay feels Anwar’s morality is a reflection of a deep-seated flaw in character that makes him unsuitable for high office, Anwar is gone. As it is, it’s very difficult to read the Malay crowd. Whenever he speaks, thousands come in attendance. The irony of the whole thing is, as I wrote sometime back, the situation has come to the point where whatever Anwar says is believed and whatever the government says, is dismissed.

I am not going to analyze the reasons for the optimism surrounding Anwar but I have my personal reservations about calling 100,000 people to the court premises. For what purpose? What the court decides, it can’t be challenged extra judicially not withstanding 100,000 people clamoring for a verdict favorable to them. You fight your battles in court and cannot be accusing the courts to be impartial all the time. The whole world is watching. The watchful eye of the international public serves as sufficient deterrent against flippant judgment.

I question the wisdom of organizing large crowds. Trouble could be started by anybody within the crowd and blame will certainly be attributed to the organizers of the rally. I am all for leaders of the opposition parties attending court to show support for a friend in distress. Anwar has many friends and it’s fitting for them to come and give him moral support.  I think that is a proper thing to do. Other than that, the presence of 100 thousand over people will serve to show that Anwar has support and sympathy. But that could come at a high cost.

When a friend got into an accident and is hospitalized we visit him at the hospital to console him and offer him our best wishes. He may have caused the accident himself but when we visit him, we don’t ask whether he is the cause of the accident.  So if opposition luminaries attend court on the 9th, they do so to offer best wishes to a friend.

The other news that is making its round is my admission as member of the DAP. I think this shouldn’t be made into a big thing. Aspan Alias and I are no threat at all to UMNO with its pervasive and ubiquitous machinery. We are two insignificant people. I have been accused as a failed ADUN and wasn’t much of anything else. I am no threat at all.  Ignore us and we will fade into oblivion. With all the negative points, UMNO and BN will have no difficulties at all to pulverize us. If we were to be fielded as candidates in the next election, let us contest in the ring and wish the better of our opponent. There were many calls for me to leave UMNO as I am most of the times criticizing it and now that I have decided to accede to those calls, why should that decision be objected vehemently? A dear friend from MCA text me to offer his felicitations and good wishes and I thought that was heartwarming for him to do so. This contrasted with the outpouring of diatribes from some of my UMNO friends. As I wrote the other day, I am only changing political platform not my faith.

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UMNO- Pelindung atau Pemusnah?

Berita mengenai kami berdua masuk DAP mencetuskan reaksi yang di duga dari penentang kami dalam dunia blog. Yang boleh di duga ialah isi serangan. Serangan peribadi dan personal. Memperlekehkan perwatakan. Orang2 kecewa. Di bayar oleh DAP. Agaknya, ini cara UMNO menggalakkan orang lompat? Bayar sana sini. Yang saya tahu itu dia cara Najib Razak operates- pays his way through.

Dan seumpamanya. Jika benar, maka tidak perlu UMNO dan penyokong rasa cemas dan gusar. Mudahlah mengalahkan mereka berdua.

Kalau Aspan bertanding di Seremban, semua menteri berasal dari Nogori Sembilan akan hentam dia. Teruklah dia kena belasah. Saya pula, mana lah terdaya menentang Ng Yen Yen di Raub- dia ada billboard yang berharga RM 1.9 juta, ada website yang bernilai jutaan Ringgit juga. Dia menteri. Dia boleh buat hebohan yang rapi lagi mantap. Lain lah kalau saya bertanding di Triang. Tapi Leong Ngah Ngah has done a sterling job. Biar dia disana.

Dua orang tua ( muhyidin, Najib Razak dan ramai lagi pimpinan UMNO lebih tua dan ganyut) tidak menjadikan kudis pada UMNO. Aspan pula tidak hensem walaupun ada menteri UMNO kita pandang macam ada down-syndrome. UMNO gagah dan perkasa walaupun pemimpin nya dari yang tertinggi ke yang tidak tinggi semua korap dan rasuah. Bukan saya yang kata- Dr Mahathir yang kata. Bukan saya kata- tapi Shahrizat yang kata. If I go down, the other clowns go down with me. Mana pemimpin UMNO yang tidak ada masaalah tanya Shahrizat?

Tidak ada orang misalnya membahaskan apa yang mungkin tidak kena dengan UMNO. UMNO maksum. Berjuang lah dari dalam. Yang bertanya ini ahli UMNO ke? Tahu kah system dalam UMNO has been designed to self perpetuate bukan self renew. Jangan percaya cakap pimpinan UMNO. Najib boleh bercakap mengenai demokrasi penuh- orang lain boleh bergolak dan bertombak berlembing asal kedudukan nya jangan di kacau!. Dan saya bercakap dari pengalaman saya sendiri. Goga dan gegak gempita macam mana nun di bawah, asal kedudukan nya tidak terancam, biar lah.

Ceritalah misalnya, kenapa agenda Melayu yang di canangkan UMNO masih di takuk lama dan tidak bergerak? UMNO suruh orang Melayu kaku dan jangan berubah sedangkan berubah itulah punca kemajuan. UMNO tak ajar orang Melayu jadi fit supaya mereka boleh survive. Malah yang di tanam dalam benak orang Melayu ialah orang Melayu bergantung dan dependent pada UMNO. No need to change. Just depend on UMNO.

This is a stupid way to promote growth. Tapi cara demikianlah yang UMNO suka- lagi di sembah lagi suka. Najib sendiri pun gaya nya aristokratik. Dia suka kalau orang berduyun duyun menyambut nya di lapangan terbang, berduyun duyun pula mengiringi kunjungan nya ke Pekan. Maklum sahaja lah, setelah puluhan tahun balik ke Pekan, dia masih tidak tahu jalan nya. Terpaksalah segala soldadu yang bersetia dan gegak gempita mengiringi sebutir bintang dan intan payung singgah ke Pekan. mudah mudahan dengan sentuhan majis nya, orang melayu Pekan akan bertukar menjadi Melayu yang terbaik di Malaysia. Saya dengki ke dia di perlakukan demikian? Who cares?

Agenda yang serupa takkanlah lama sangat UMNO hendak mencapai nya? Mustahil UMNO di pimpin oleh si bahlul dan tongong. Bahasa Melayu, agama Islam, kedudukan orang Melayu, institusi Raja Melayu. Semua ini di lindungi oleh undang undang dan perlembagaan Malaysia. Siapa yang mengancam nya semua? UMNO kelentong orang Melayu mengapa? Kebenaran nya ialah, semua perkara ini sudah di terima. UMNO sahaja yang mempermainkan isiu2 ini demi menutup kebobrokan dan pembohongan keatas orang Melayu. Perkara perkara ini tidak di ancam oleh PAS, PKR atau DAP.

Oh- DAP. Itu parti Cina chauvinis. Anti Melayu. Anti Islam. Anti Raja Melayu. Ini gelaran Dato pada lahabau Ariff Sabri- tarik balik. DAP pun rakyat DYMM raja Melayu. Ariff Sabri pun rakyat setia pada DYMM Raja Melayu. Jangan lah respond macam budak budak. Tak setuju, gesa tarik balik gelaran. Ambiga derhaka! tarik balik gelaran. Panggil dato atau tak panggil, doesn’t make any difference to me. Esok saya jaga dari tidor, saya tahu ramai yang ada gelaran Dato tetap juga bodoh macam dulu. Pendidikan yang saya ada, pengalaman saya, tetap berada dalam diri saya, Dato atau tidak Dato.

Apa agenda orang melayu yang patut? Agenda orang Melayu- (1) pemimpin yang memimpin kerajaan terdiri dari yang terbaik. (2) Urustadbir yang baik. (3) Menentang rasuah. (4)Memajukan ekonomi orang Melayu dengan model ekonomi yang tulin. (5) kedaulatan undang2 atau rule of law.

Ini dia agenda Melayu dalam era baru. Bukan yang lapuk yang di mainkan sampai jemu kita mendengar nya.

Di mana silap UMNO? Ekonomi orang Melayu? Model nya- selagi menyokong UMNO, kedudukan ekonomi akan di perjuangkan. Masa depan politik Melayu?-bergantung kepada UMNO. Bahasa Melayu dan Islam?- bergantung kepada UMNO. Jelas disini, orang Melayu tidak dapat maju kehadapan kerana kesemua nya bergantung kepada UMNO. UMNO simply doesn’t have a  model for the advancement of orang Melayu. It has only one answer- just depend on UMNO.

Hasil nya? Orang Melayu yang lemah mental tidak menyedari bahawa majority penyelesaian dalam hidup ini bergantung kepada kesedaran diri sendiri. Sebab itu, saya katakan sikap yang memusnahkan orang Melayu ialah- usah di tanya apa UMNO boleh lakukan kepada kamu, tanya apa kamu boleh lakukan kepada UMNO. UMNO pelindung- orang Melayu di lindungi; UMNO adalah wadah yang mesti di puja dan di taati. Nak senang- sokong UMNO. Nak selamat? Sokong UMNO.

Kita ada jawapan lain.

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hutang UMNO pada budi orang Melayu

Dalam masa seminggu ini saya di hujani soalan adakah benar saya dan saudara Aspan Alias akan memasuki DAP? Cuba baca berita yang mula2 di keluarkan oleh Malaysian Insider. Disana di nyatakan bahawa tiada keputusan yang di capai. Ertinya, karya MI itu bersifat spekulatif. Demikian juga rencana yang di keluarkan oleh Free Malaysia Today.. Artikel itu juga bersifat spekulatif dan menimbulkan lebih banyak persoalan dari memberi jawapan.

Tidakkah terfikir oleh sesiapa bahawa jika kami berdua cederung menyokong DAP atau parti lawan UMNO, sikap tersebut ialah kerana di dorongi oleh kepercayaan dan prinsip2 tertentu?  Kita tidak boleh konsisten jika hanya di dorong oleh rasa frust, dendam dan sebagainya. Sikap konsisten hanya datang dari asas yang lebih stabil dan kekal- seperti di pacu oleh keyakinan dan kepercayaan kepada prinsip2.

Sebagai contoh, kami berdua merasakan UMNO sudah bertukar watak menjadi suatu Frankenstein yang tidak lagi boleh di kawal. Ia menjadi wadah untuk mencuri harta benda rakyat, membelakangkan political decency, memanipulasi rule of law, dan paling dasyat sekali melupakan budi orang Melayu kepada UMNO. Dan kami telah lama menerima apa yang di sebut oleh Presiden UMNO yang paling lama mengetuai UMNO iaitu Dr Mahathir- yang menyatakan UMNO is rotten to the core dan kerajaan UMNO korap dari atas hingga ke bawah.

Izinkan saya membawa perhatian orang Melayu kepada suatu perkara yang sangat tidak betul pada UMNO. Seringkali kita di banjiri dengan nasihat supaya orang Melayu mengenang budi UMNO. Tapi bagaimana pula dengan UMNO yang tidak mengenang budi orang Melayu? Bukankah UMNO itu hidup atas budi orang Melayu dan amanah yang di pertanggungjawabkan?

Biarkan saya menyimpul pendekatan UMNO hari ini. pimpinan UMNO hari ini meniru apa yang John Kennedy ucapkan dalam pidato sulung ketika menerima perlantikan sebagai Presiden USA.  Kita dapat membayangkan mana2 pemimpin UMNO hari ini menyatakan:- jangan tanya apa UMNO boleh lakukan kepada kamu, tanya apa yang kamu boleh lakukan kepada UMNO.

Inlah titik tolak penentangan kami kepada UMNO kerana sikap seperti ini merosakkan orang Melayu. Ia menjadi orang Melayu peminta sedekah kepada UMNO. UMNO bukan pemberi rezeki orang Melayu yang beragama Islam.Sanggupkah kita menerima dan melihat orang Melayu tertunduk tunduk sebagai tambi suruhan? Inilah yang di lakukan oleh UMNO hari ini kepada orang Melayu.

Bahagian pertama ungkapan tersebut- jangan tanya apa UMNO boleh lakukan kepada kamu- memberi pengertian bhawa UMNO itu tuan dan ahli nya adalah hamba. UMNO itu penaung dan rakyat adalah yang bergantung kepada mereka. UMNO itu bersifat ketuhanan yang mesti disembah kerana ianya pemberi segala rezeki kepada orang Melayu.

Bahagian kedua ungkapan tersebut- tanya apa kamu boleh lakukan kepada UMNO membawa erti bahawa UMNO itu sesuatu yang perlu ditaati dan di takuti serta punca segala kesenangan untuk orang Melayu.

Kedua2 bahagaian ungkapan tersebut merosakkan orang Melayu dan bertentangan dengan piagam orang yang berjiwa merdeka. Orang Melayu yang berjiwa merdeka akan melihat UMNO seabagi suatu wadah dengan dan melalui nya, mencapai obejektif 2 besar dalam masyarakat. UMNO bukan sesuatu yang mesti disembah atau dalam bahasa yang selalu di sebut oleh pimpinan UMNO- mesti mengenang budi UMNO.

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Malays should not fear the DAP.

I am not going to respond to the xenophobic responses around news that Aspan Alias and Sakmongkol are about to join DAP. No explanation will be able to change preconceived biases. So why bother? So we are about to join or have joined DAP.

The DAP is a democratic party committed to the rule of law, good governance and good government. It abhors corruption and abuse of political office. To me those are attractive propositions. UMNO on the other hand has turned its back on these. It harps only on one primal worry of Malays- when UMNO is threatened it shares the threat with Malays at large. So a threat to UMNO is translated mindlessly into a threat to Malays as a whole. Nothing can be farther from the truth. That is how UMNO has approached politics in Malaysia basically- make its fears public, make the gains private for selected Malays within UMNO.

I have only one message to that- those salad days and that halcyon period are over.

UMNO is trapped by its own successes. Indeed its supporters and leaders assume ownership of the wrong things and end up digging in to support the wrong choices.

My answer is, if we do indeed change our political vehicle that is what we are actually doing. Don’t read our move as blasphemous or treasonable. The DAP is more relevant and functional in achieving a more democratic and abuse-free society. As a Muslim, we are changing wadah not aqidah.

So, I thought it would be more substantive to answer my critics by writing an article, why shouldn’t Malays embrace DAP politics? That’s the only way to dominate and conquer your fears.

How has DAP politics been inimical to the general political health of this country? Can any DAP Chinese leader be a PM when it’s contesting only at most 50-55 seats? Can any DAP non Malay leader harbor the dream of becoming a PM in a country dominated by Malays? Has the DAP threatened the institution of Malay rulers? DAP has never done that or will not be mad to countenance such rebellious idea, but UMNO on the other hand has insulted the Malay rulers way back in 1998 constitutional crisis. Can we reasonably accept the allegation that the DAP is instrumental in claims that Malays are being converted into Christians when most DAP members are not themselves Christians? We have to do better than that to take Malays as imbeciles. Only UMNO seems to do that.

But DAP is Chinese chauvinist party and anti-Malay. I will answer by examining the deeds rather than slogans. When I was an ADUN in the Pahang Legislative assembly ( 2004-2008) I have never heard the lone DAP member ever speak about anti Malay themes. He spoke about abuse of power, about mindless spending, he spoke about maladministration. The first book Lim Kit Siang writes that I read was Time Bombs in Malaysia. After that I read so many books written by Kit Siang that touched on the Maika Scandals, the BMF financial scandal and so on. If we are honest enough, we have to admit, the issues raised were never about one race dominating the other but were always about the abuses of those in power, corruption, and a continuous attack on policies that are ruinous to this country. So we are going to oppose Kit Siang on the basis of the fact that these things are spoken of by a Chinaman?

To the Chinese UMNO is also a chauvinist Malay party except, their leaders can be easily bought. The Malay will sell all to abandon their cause. Er…correction, the UMNO Malay, I mean.

I would also like to respond by saying- why Malays should consider joining DAP en masse. It’s a party committed to democratic principles and rule of law. I can only imagine, so many can prosper under a regime of freedom of speech within DAP. I can speak on the plight of the displaced and disowned Malays with more energy than allowed of in UMNO. The interest of Malays can be fought of on any political platform other than UMNO. That is what UMNO fears. Its monopoly is broken.

So the past week I have had many friends calling me asking whether it’s true I am joining DAP? Some folks in my hometown, Pekan refer to me now as Dato DAP. I find the responses somewhat amusing and comical.

There was a comment reminding me and Aspan as to who started May 13? The thrust of that reminder is to remind us; of his and others belief that DAP started the May 13 incident.

Ok, you want to play ball, we play ball too. Since you want to know, what if I say Tun Razak allowed it to happen because the ensuing troubles would give him an excuse to kick out Tengku Abdul Rahman? The point is, there was no single contributor to the May 13 incident. But I would place some blame on Tun Razak who as Home Minister allowed things to degenerate. He allowed it so that a proclamation of emergency can be made.

Finally, let me deal with certain responses from certain pro UMNO bloggers. The chief spokesman is of course that paid lackey and buffoon of a regurgitating machine. He does nothing but regurgitate material passed on to him by his paymasters. The material he writes and posts therefore emits the strong smell of vomit. The owner of the lard layered brain does what he does best- spewing personal attacks. And so he invites comments from likeminded mental gnomes to do what he has orchestrated.

Why the paranoia? If we are not good, failed ADUN, bankrupt politicians, it will be cinch for any winnable UMNO candidates to beat us. So, it’s no cause of concern or a sleep depriver. But please remember to stop telling lies about us so that we can promise not to tell the truth about you.

I see a sense of hopelessness. They cannot attack our nationalist credentials because we are as Malay as they are too ( to some we are , in fact more Malay in appearance and in thinking) – so they do what they do best. Attack me on the personal side. No big deal. My advice to these UMNO bloggers is simple. Please stop telling lies about me, and I promise not to tell the truth about you people. And telling the truth about you people includes telling the truth about top UMNO leaders including the PM who is Pekan UMNO division head.

If we are so easily beatable, then why all the fuss?  We can’t do damage to invincible UMNO. We on the other hand, see UMNO as the party before, presently and forever stealing, pillaging and ruining the country.

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