On Anwar Ibrahim

When I was in the 1st year as a university student in 1976, a friend who then went on to serve as a professor at UIA showed me a letter sent by Anwar Ibrahim. The letter came from Kamunting. Anwar was a cause célèbre at that time. He was detained under ISA. His name was iconic. So, we gathered around to listen to Anwar's voice in that letter.

Apart from revealing how he was coping in incarceration, there was the usual stuff about not letting the fire in the belly extinguish. That was Anwar's forte really- to agitate, to prod on, to inspire. He was and still is a leader. He can inspire the bird that's up in the tree to come eat in his hands. If he can mesmerize thousands, Saiful- one person is chicken feed. He peppered the letter with Quranic verses- the translated version.

Allow me to answer the often repeated statement- that if this offence cited is consensual, why is Saiful not punished too? Are Anwar supporters taking this position which is tantamount to admitting Anwar has this sexual preference? This is the thing that Anwar denies but his supporters are saying he is. To admit so is politically suicidal. What Anwar is doing, in contrast to what his supporters are inferring, is to seek a court declaration that he is NOT that- NOT that either consensual or non-consensual. Unequivocally no. nahi, nein.

You orang mahu mati kah- excusing Anwar because this is consensual? You mau dia mati by admitting he is by agreeing what they did to be consensual?

I think many of his supporters have missed this point. It is and will indeed be a glaring anomaly if the offence cited seeks to punish Anwar alone if it was consensual. What was it that's consensual? Sex between two adult males? So many of his supporters are almost acknowledging that Anwar is indeed a gay or bisexual but they are shouting it's not fair that only one is being punished. Are you people saying this? Yes our man is gay but both should be punished. You don't understand- he does not want to admit it even if its consensual. You want Malaysia and the whole world to know this?

Then ask Anwar to make a report that Saiful buggered him. Then Saiful will be the one who should be punished. The person who makes the report is the victim and he is seeking redress. He can't be punished as he is asking justice against his violator. The point that is missed by Anwar supporters, is that Anwar will not even admit that he has this sexual preference by admitting further that the tryst was consensual. The position taken by Anwar is he is absolutely not gay or bisexual, consensual or non consensual.

 

That point answered, we return to asses Anwar for his leadership material. This should answer those who are salivating at the prospects of Anwar entering Putrajaya. It will bring joy to the likes of the person who said he couldn't care less if Anwar buggered a pig, he will still chose Anwar. We respect your choice but we shall laugh at it.

Anwar's forte is his abilities as an orator. This is unmatched. We have to concede this. There are so many copy cats of Anwar's style of speechifying – Ezam Mat Nor, Suhaimi Ibrahim, many many more. Its nauseating to hear these copycats in UMNO.

He is the great communicator just as Reagan was. But someone said that just a quarter of Tip O'Neill's brain equals the whole of Reagan' entire body. That's a very uncomplimentary comparison. Translated. Your ability to talk, does not equate your cerebral substance.

It may the same with Anwar. Once his thoughts and words are in writing, that's where his invincibility ends. Writing is Anwar's Tameng Sari without which he is vulnerable.

Talking is not writing. When you write, you have to be more disciplined, organized, and precise. When you talk you can repeat, stress, intone and all that. You know how Anwar speaks, the nasal sound bites, the rrr thing and all that. UITM female students went to auditoriums just to hear Anwar speak and get high.

Yes I remember when Anwar was the finance minister, he delivered a speech in parliament quoting all sort of philosophers that his chief supporter then, Johan Jaafar , his major domo of the Press, who must have ejaculated in his pants, wrote an OPED saying Anwar was creating a revolution!. Just because Anwar used some Indonesianised words to which those who studied Pengajian Melayu at UM were more at home. Johan Jaafar was one of them. Today he is head of TV3 or whatever.

You can use body language and exploit the atmosphere of the moment. Hence if you don't have substance, your visual manifestation can hide those.

Anwar is not a thinker, he is a demagogue. He doesn't carry formidable thinking. Just look at his writings on his blogsite. We haven't seen any path breaking thinking in the caliber of Tengku Razaleigh's for example. He is first and foremost a verbal maestro.

That's ok. Because to be a leader you have to communicate your feelings and move the other fellow. Anwar appears to be successful in moving people.

So you have to weigh what kind of leader you want. One who is good in giving speeches but whose thinking span is limited. Ronald Reagan was called the Great Communicator. He had 3 basic ideas- America is Great, Less government is better and Soviet Union is Eeevil. Anwar? I don't know how many ideas. Malaysia in not great, PR government in Putrajaya, our Judiciary sucks.

Read his books then. Anwar has this uncanny ability to make it appear that he read entire books. He probably upload some phases and then embellish them to make it appear that he has mastered the contents.

What do you call this kind of leader? I call this influencing by deception. Assessing Anwar in terms of leadership, we have nothing to go on with.

Lets look at what he did when he was the Youth and Culture Minister, then Agriculture Minister, then Education Minister, then Finance Minister and finally Deputy Prime Minister.