Some FAQs on Anwar
| Some FAQs on Anwar |
Ah Chong
Apr 24, 07 3:28pm |
Adjust font size: |
 |
 |
|
| I agree wholeheartedly with Ramu Rathkum on his analysis of Anwar Ibrahim and his warts and all. I will take up his challenge to speak up and not be bashful. The frequently asked questions on this man are:Can we trust him, after his ultra-Malay stance while in Umno?
For whatever he appeared to be when he was vice-president of Umno, one common theme then and now is the plight of the hardcore poor in Malaysia. He fought for them when he was finance minister and deputy prime minister, implementing many policies that helped the poor irregardless of race.
What I hear today from him speaks of a Malaysia we could only dream of in the past. Whether he turns into a racial monster after he or his party comes to power remains to be seen. However, what he speaks today at all ‘ceramahs’ irregardless of audience, resonates with many from all races.
Why did he not implement changes when he was in BN?
I think one must recognise Asian leadership styles and that is the ‘lord’ is the top man. In this case it’s the executive head, the prime minister, who held absolute power in Malaysia. More so the previous prime ministers than today’s PM. Anwar would have had to work within the constraints of the leadership without getting on his wrong side. Even that became impossible as one can only compromise one’s principles so many times. Finally, it led to his violent sacking.
‘He is not a man of principles’
On the contrary, I think he is a man of principles and great courage. Who, after all, would be willing to suffer shame and pain and six years in solitary confinement? Would any minister today in the BN government stand up for what he believes in and be willing to be thrown into jail and beaten up badly by the police? I somehow doubt it.
I am convinced that Anwar is a man with great conviction and is able to lead this country. I feel strongly that there should not be a political party who should claim governance solely for 50 years. It does not speak well of a democratic nation. We must have change and to think of change. We need to have free and fair elections.
We need to have unbiased media reporting. We must have a deep sense of justice and respect for the Federal Constitution. We must have righteous people in office who will be brave enough to stand up for what is right and not for their own pockets or for the continuation of their own empire.
Do you have a viewpoint you want to share? Speak up! Send your ‘Letters to the Editor’ to editor@malaysiakini.com. Your letter may be published in Malaysiakinis Letters forum, and do let us know if you wish to remain anonymous. We reserve the right to edit your letters for language and clarity. |
Website – http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/66373
|
20 Comments
Anwar’s ‘new’ agenda
By ANDREW SIA
After being sacked from the Government and Umno in 1998, he exchanged his plush black Mercedes of the Deputy Prime Minister’s post for the bleak Black Maria that took him to controversial court trials and six years in prison. What drives Anwar Ibrahim now?
IT had been drizzling earlier at a small kampung at Hulu Langat, Selangor, yet the roadsides are full of parked cars. Around 300 people, standing round a soggy, muddy field, roar in approval as Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim declares “Lawan tetap lawan! (We will keep on fighting!).”
Anwar has been accused of being a chameleon, tailoring his message to suit his listeners. But here he is, railing against the New Economic Policy (NEP), the Holy Grail of Malay politics, with a predominantly rural Malay crowd at a ceramah organised by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR, or the People’s Justice Party).
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim addressing a gathering in Johor last year.
At various ceramahs up and down the country, Anwar has plenty of hot issues – and is drawing crowds of thousands (between 5,000 and 20,000, say PKR sources). In the past two years he has been saying that the NEP “has become a gimmick” to subvert wealth “to leaders, their families and their cronies.”
And last week on Al-Jazeera, he said that the NEP policy of giving a discount to rich Malays to buy RM1mil homes “just doesn’t make sense”.
In an interview with this writer at his home in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur (he has since moved to a new home in Segambut), Anwar, dressed in a short sleeved shirt and denim pants, is relaxed, friendly and thoughtful.
He tells me that Malaysia’s economic policy can no longer be governed by the “racial card”.
This is because the policy should firstly be “about propelling the economy, making sure we succeed, being competitive. Otherwise we will lose investor confidence and foreign investments”.
As he elaborates on his web page: “In the 1970s and 1980s our peers were Singapore, Taiwan and Korea – they are now far ahead of us. China and India have emerged as economic giants. We are now losing out to Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.”
Then and now: Anwar chatting with Pak Lah in 1991 when he was in the Government.
He adds that Malaysia, once ranked fourth globally by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) in terms of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), has slipped to 62nd place.
His NEP comments actually sound pretty similar to what the DAP and NGOs like Aliran have been saying for years. It’s an interesting development coming from a man who was the former DPM and Finance Minister.
Since his release from prison in September 2004, when the Federal Court quashed his conviction for sodomy, Anwar has been one busy man. After surgery and rest, he took up positions at various universities including Oxford, Johns Hopkins and Georgetown, Washington DC.
He has also been busy networking with top leaders from India, Tanzania, Indonesia and other countries. Britain’s Sunday Times says that Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten are “among his friends”. Last July, he was in Brisbane, Australia, at the World Shakespeare Congress giving a lecture on the bard, whose works he has read several times while in jail, he says.
His name was also touted last year as a possible Asian “moderate” Muslim candidate to replace Kofi Annan as UN secretary-general. But he declined, claiming it might compromise him speaking out strongly on issues like Iraq.
‘Newspeak’
After resigning from Georgetown University last December, Anwar returned home full-time to enter local politics. Early this year he called for the lowering of petrol prices (due to soaring Petronas profits and burdensome inflation) as PKR was organising anti-toll protests.
In the past three months, he has been making some colourful claims about the Mongolian model murder mystery. Currently, he has been nominated by most PKR divisions for the president’s post (now held by his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail) for party elections in May, in a move to silence talk of him returning to Umno.
Now that he opposes the NEP, does he support meritocracy, I ask him?
With DAP leader Lim Kit Siang at a forum on the Malaysian economy in January this year.
“Certainly. I fail to understand why Malay leaders have become so apologetic about it,” he responds. “It is shameful to claim to be a Malay leader and not talk of meritocracy (as it would mean) the Malays are not competent, not qualified. The Malays who come from good schools are able to compete (with other races). If you don’t believe in meritocracy, that means you believe in mediocrity, purely racial qualifications.”
However, Anwar’s definition of meritocracy also includes affirmative action, albeit on a non-racial basis.
“Meritocracy also means giving due opportunities to those who are poor and marginalised from all races. Scholarships and loans should be given out based on ability or need. If we give things based on race, too often the benefits are robbed by a few.
“Billions have been taken by the elite few through contracts, privatisation and share allocations in the name of the NEP. All these have not benefited the poor Malays. Even as a Malay, I can’t accept that so how can a Chinese or Indian?”
Was this statement skewed just for the ears of a Chinese journalist from an English newspaper?
After all, Saifulbahri Kamaruddin, a journalist of more than 20 years, in a letter to Malaysiakini observed: “Very often I covered Anwar’s functions, especially involving Umno Youth and Abim (Islamic Youth Movement of Malaysia). I had never heard of one speak with so much disdain of the Chinese before. We, the journalists, knew that Anwar was trying to be all things to all people, so when he addressed ‘kampung’ people with a skewed view, he would tell them what they wanted to hear.”
Yet, by 1993, as Deputy Prime Minister, he was famously saying (and even writing the Chinese characters): “Wo men dou shih yi jia ren (we are one family)”.
Was he merely being an image-conscious politician? Why did he support the NEP so vociferously during the 1970s in his youth?
In the latest issue of Aliran magazine, he says Malay activists of his generation were “very insecure” of the economic and professional status of the race. Now, due to its abuses, he advocates a New Economic Agenda.
Anwar owes much to his wife, Datin Seri Dr Azizah Ismail, who has stood steadfastly by him through his trials and tribulations.
And in an interview with Indonesia’s Tempo magazine in December, he admits that in the past, he had tried “the softer way” until he ended up “compromising too much sometimes”. Now he says, “I choose a clear agenda.”
So has the chameleon disappeared after his trials and tribulations? Listen to his Hulu Langat ceramah:
”The Indian Institute of Technology is one of the best in the world. Their professors are solid. Here, our academics write sajak (poetry) to bodek (bootlick). And our undergrads are told not to criticise. Our universities are not even in the Top 100 of the world.
“It is not wrong if there is a smart Chinese or Indian to lead some of our universities. I am not scared even though I am speaking in front of a Malay crowd here.”
When I quiz him about the claim by some Penang Umno leaders that the state government is “not doing enough” for the Malays, he replies:
“What about Kedah? Poverty in Sik and Baling is one of the worst in the country yet the Mentri Besar is Malay. Why pick on the Chief Minister of Penang because he is Chinese?”
He adds, “There should be a programme in Penang to help all the poor and marginalised people, regardless of race.”
Anwar laments that during the Umno general assembly last year, racial tensions were raised while fundamental economic and social problems such as poverty, the 100,000 unemployed graduates and inflation were hardly discussed.
He believes that multi-racial political parties, such as PKR, are the way forward towards “national maturity”.
“It takes a lot of effort. But we cannot continue with segments of the population, the non-Malays or even some Malays, feeling that they are second class citizens,” he says.
On Al-Jazeera last week, when a caller claimed that the NEP has marginalised the Indians, for instance, Anwar replied:
“You are right…. That is why the NEP should be dismantled and we all come together as Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans and Kadazans. This country has enough resources to benefit all.”
More forcefully, at a ceramah in Kuala Berang, Terengganu, last month, he said, “The keris is for true Malay warriors to defend justice and fight oppression, not for people to enrich themselves and defend corruption. We reject that kind of keris.”
But can the Malays accept his rather radical message?
He candidly told Aliran: “Many of my friends, Malay professionals, had advised me, ‘Look Anwar, you are venturing into a very dangerous sort of battle and many Malays cannot take it.’
“I told them, ‘Look in the civil service, the congestion in hospitals (like the one) in Seberang Jaya (Penang). Who suffers most? The poor Malays, Chinese and Indians.’
“I have addressed predominantly Malay crowds and I said I am not going to sacrifice the Malay position or interests. I am a Malay and I am also responsible. But I am also a Malaysian and I believe a Malaysian economic agenda will ensure the success of the Malays, Chinese and other communities.”
Azmin Ali, his long-time political secretary and current vice-president of PKR, thinks the Malays are seeing the bigger picture.
“Initially, it was difficult to convince the Malays as the NEP has been indoctrinated in their mindset. But they are now more aware that the NEP has been hijacked. Some of them receive RM50 or some batik cloth to work as supporters. Yet, just compare their humble homes with, say, (Selangor state councillor) Datuk Zakaria’s palace (in Klang),” he says.
Or as another political activist comments:
“If the DAP says it, the Malays will reject it. But if Anwar says it, the Malays will listen because he can quote Quranic verses to support it. Racism is not part of Islam.”
But is Anwar afraid that he and PKR will be seen as leaning too much towards non-Malays?
At his ceramah in Bandar Tun Razak, KL, early this year, the ever-eloquent Anwar told a huge crowd, “Umno Youth calls me a traitor to the Malays for being pro-Chinese and pro-Indian because I question the NEP. No, I am pro-rakyat. The real traitors are those who rob from the poor Malays.”
His tainted past?
It all sounded good, but I had to throw the big question at Anwar: “Yes, now you’re talking of reforms but what did you do when you were in power?”
“It’s a fair question. I was part of the system then and I supported it,” he admits.
Obviously, as part of Umno and the Government from 1982 till 1998, he supported the NEP. And surely, he could not have been blind to what he is railing against now – how the NEP has been used for political patronage.
When asked what were his proudest reforms as Deputy PM, Anwar is less forceful and eloquent. Nevertheless, he points out that he did push for public housing programmes.
“Just to have one public housing programme, I had to call the Mentri Besar personally and push for it,” he recalls. “Only then did they start moving. Something is wrong with the system.
“Even though the country was doing well economically (before the financial crash of 1997), I had to push with special funds from Bank Negara. But there were lots of funds for mega projects. Why? Because there are a lot of ‘easy returns’ for mega projects.”
Anwar adds that he also put in place tougher anti-corruption laws (allowing prosecution of Ministers even after leaving office) when he was Acting PM for two months in 1997 (when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was on leave).
“Can you name me who in the entire Cabinet supported the tougher ACA laws? It was very, very unpopular with many Ministers,” he claims.
In addition, he underlines that he was the only Minister who publicly spoke out (in Parliament) for the Internal Security Act to be amended to make it less draconian. And the Cabinet Committee on Management, which he headed, looked into billions of losses and met “much resistance”.
Did he question any of the “mega projects”?
He says he was not opposed to Putrajaya per se, but to the “manner and speed” of its implementation.
“We spent billions on Cyberjaya. But the MSC has not really taken off because we were more focused on the construction of buildings rather than building the human resources. Our problem is this delusion of grandeur which does not generate income.
“India has surpassed us in IT – just look at Bangalore. When I met with (Indian PM) Manmohan Singh last November, I was told their government spent only US$30mil (RM102mil) on their version of Cyberjaya.”
And he points out that when he was Finance Minister, despite the “big debate” within the civil service about the position of Treasury secretary-general, he appointed a non-Malay, Tan Sri Clifford Herbert, due to his ability and integrity.
Since January, he has been telling the public that he refused to raise the toll rates, despite political lobbying, when he was Deputy PM.
“The month after I was sacked, the tolls were raised,” he says.
Anwar is acutely aware of public doubts over his integrity. To counter that, he has thrown bold challenges at his ceramahs. At the Bandar Tun Razak gathering, for instance, he declared:
“Set up an independent commission to investigate all past and present Ministers. See if I have taken one share, one inch of land, one piece of timber or one contract. That kind of money is haram!”
And in Kuala Berang, Trengganu, last month, he said:
“If I wanted things easy, I would not have gone to prison. Some people said I was stupid. Just support (Tun) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) and I would have become PM.”
At the Umno general assembly of 1998, as Anwar’s allies were preparing to assail Dr Mahathir on the KKN (the Malay acronym for cronyism, corruption and nepotism) issue, the latter took the wind out of their sails by releasing a so-called “complete list” of all recipients of government contracts, tenders, etc – many of whom were figures thought to be associated with Anwar.
As a disillusioned ex-leader of PKR says, “Well, personally he may not have taken any money, but his associates had to build a support base and probably did.”
He also claims that the 1993 Umno election campaign (when Anwar ousted Tun Ghafar Baba as Deputy President) set the worst record (at that time) for money politics.
The ex-leader also mentions that Anwar supported the 1987 episode of having non-Mandarin educated headmasters transferred to Chinese schools as well as the 1988 sacking of Lord President Tun Salleh Abas.
“Now he goes round talking of human rights and all that. Ha ha, come on.”
And what about his image as a firebrand on Malay-Muslim issues in his younger days?
Anwar says, in our interview, that the way Pas projected its Islamic state was “ill-advised” even though the party deserves credit for – “quite remarkably” – giving land to Chinese temples and schools.
He adds that, in a democracy, Pas is free to espouse what it wants.
“But I made quite clear to them, in the context of a multi-racial society, it is better not to talk in terms of labels. When I ask them, what about freedom of expression, independence of the judiciary, fair economic policy and clean government, they say yes to all. So I say, why confuse all these things with the Islamic state slogan?”
Anwar has also taken a moderate, middle-of-the-road line on controversies such as the Moorthy conversion case. He says Article 121(A) of the Constitution was drawn up to respect the rights of Muslims in the syariah courts.
“But once it infringes on the rights of non-Muslims, they have the right to question. 121(A) is not meant to block Christians, Buddhists and Hindus from going to the civil court. For me, there is no problem,” says Anwar.
He does not think that stopping discussions, for fear of religious sensitivities, is the solution. However, any discussion has to be done in a mutually respectful manner.
When asked about the closing down of the Article 11 (freedom of religion) forums organised by NGOs, he replies:
“I met the ulama in Shah Alam, and I told them, why should we be defensive? Even views perceived to be wrong should be allowed (because) it’s like the meritocracy argument: Let’s have the courage and confidence to counter them.”
Trust his promises?
As part of the lingering mistrust towards him, there have been persistent rumours that he will rejoin Umno – despite his persistent denials and despite Umno itself passing a resolution (shortly after his release in 2004) barring his re-entry.
Anwar has admitted that he was initially more conciliatory towards Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi. In a Febuary 2005 interview with Off the Edge, he said that Pak Lah: “genuinely believes there is something wrong with the system, that corruption is endemic…. I do believe that given the constraints of the present system, he is still the best bet if anything is to be done. But it has to be done now!”
Since then, his tone on Umno has been increasingly strident. Now he says more than three years have passed since Pak Lah’s administration began and the signs, such as corruption, are not encouraging.
If Anwar ever became Prime Minister, what would he do?
In the Tempo interview, he said his agenda includes: increasing economic competitiveness, abolishing the ISA, freeing up the mass media, reforming the judiciary and fighting corruption.
As for his economic policy, Anwar has told Aliran magazine that he believes in the free market and economic growth but it must be a “humane economy” with social justice – not the kind of liberalisation which “allows some to privatise in order to piratise.”
He says he believes in Keynesian economic “pump-priming” – not in the manner done by Dr Mahathir with wasteful mega projects, but rather through education and public health programmes.
“You can see the packed hospital in Seberang Jaya – spend an hour there, it’s pathetic.”
Steven Gan, Malaysiakini’s editor-in-chief, says this about Anwar being part of crony politics:
“There are definitely a lot of skeletons in his closet, for instance, in terms of cronyism and his ambition to be PM. I think it would help (for him) to tell, in an unmistakable way to everybody, that he’s a changed man, that he’s learnt his lesson.
“In fact before he joined Umno (in 1982) he actually said that entering the party to reform it was like cleaning a septic tank from the inside. And yet, he joined.
“I think Anwar is a flawed man, but so are top Umno leaders. As a journalist, I would like to see more checks and balances in our system including a strong opposition. Anwar, flawed as he is, can play an important role in building that.”
Is he sincere?
“Very few politicians are,” says Gan. “But I believe Anwar has changed…. Spending four years in prison and going through the kind of humiliation meted out to him would have a dramatic impact in anyone’s life.”
So, is Anwar sorry about his past actions in Umno? When this writer asks him twice about any deep personal transformation since his sacking, he sidesteps the questions. Perhaps it is too much to expect the consummate politician to confess to any wrongdoings while in power, or to some sort of life-changing epiphany in prison. However, at a ceramah at Bota, Parit, Perak, last August, Anwar related:
“They were bringing the mattress up and down, up and down in court. There I was sitting in the dock with my wife and five daughters behind me. And they would say, ‘Here, here and there are the sperm stains.’ It was a test from Allah. Others told me, padan muka (serves you right), why did you join Umno? But I have no regrets. I tried to reform it from within.
“The people of Parit here supported me during all the Umno elections. From Youth chief to deputy president. I have not forgotten your jasa (kind deeds). But why did you support me? To steal APs, logs and contracts? Or to help the poor?”
His wife, Dr Wan Azizah, says:
“Anwar has deep reserves of patience, resilience and humility, and those qualities saw him through the ordeal of six years’ solitary confinement.
“He has changed in that he is now more aware of who his real friends are. As the saying goes, it is only in winter when you know which tree is evergreen.”
Political analyst Khoo Boo Teik, who explores these issues in the book Beyond Mahathir, says:
“I don’t really know how he has changed since then, I’d like to know. Few politicians who come within reach of real power are humble. It’s important that Anwar realises that the common people stood by him when he suffered injustice, unlike the corporate and political elite who flattered him only when he was in power.”
Can Anwar be trusted on his reform promises? Khoo adopts a very practical approach.
“It’s futile to discuss character or personal integrity. Anwar has reasons for wanting political reforms. He was part of the system, no doubt, but he was twice its victim as well. To what extent Anwar will push reforms depends critically on public demands, political support and compelling socio-economic conditions.”
However, Ong Kian Ming, another political analyst, thinks that Anwar will be compelled to deliver.
“He has put himself in the international limelight now and it’ll be very difficult for him to renege on his promises of press and political freedoms. Anwar is someone who really cares about his reputation domestically and internationally. After associating with and comparing himself to the likes of Nelson Mandela, it’ll be difficult for him not to stick to at least some of his promises of reform.”
Anwar may be on the comeback trail but few people give PKR and the Opposition any realistic chance of winning the next general election, or any general election in the foreseeable future. And if he can’t win high public office, he won’t be able to deliver on any promise.
However, if Anwar, who is only 60, remains sincere and true to his newfound cause, his strongest contribution to nation-building could be his bold pronouncements on multi-racialism. If a significant Malay leader can say all that, it may just transform the spirit of local politics for the future.
Website – http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2007/4/8/lifefocus/17172620&sec=%20lifefocus
Multiethnic politics ultimate answer
DRAK
Apr 26, 07 5:18pm Adjust font size:
Malaysia’s state of development seemingly looks good under 50 years of political hegemony by the Barisan Nasional government. A critical, rational examination reveals that what BN has achieved is far below the potential of the Malaysian multiethnic human capital.
What could have been achieved through a genuine integration of the people, based on true multiethnic unity would have been far greater than what the race-based, loose Umno-led aristocratic cum autocratic coalition of BN could ever achieve.
There was never a situation in our 50-year history where the nation was given a chance to be ruled by a non-BN group of parties, particularly a multiethnic political alliance which subscribed to a more advanced worldview of human unity far superior to the race-based politics of Umno-BN. Malaysians need to change this immature political situation for greater positive growth.
If Malaysian voters continue to support a race-based Umno-led BN, actualisation of the full potential of the Malaysian multiethnic human capital will be seriously jeopardised , stifling the quality and speed of holistic development of the nation and its people. Under BN, Malaysia is in a situation where the best of Malaysia cannot be realised. If united through the expanded multiethnic policy of PKR, Malaysia will unleash a power and competitiveness far greater that what can be seen under the race-based BN leadership.
The best policy for a nation must witness the full actualisation of the human potential of the nation. Dividing and ruling the people using the race or religion will deprive the people of what they really deserve, thus slowing down the developmental process and ensuring that we lose out to other nations.
If a political system stifles optimum actualisation of the human potential, it must be discarded for the betterment of the nation and the people. BN race-based politics is not only less conducive for optimum development of a mutiethnic nation, but it is outmoded in light of the ‘unity in diversity’ emerging global worldview based on the latest knowledge.
Being just good is not enough. Malaysians must strive for the best, and this can only be achieved through a solid multiethnic political worldview, such as the one devloped and propounded by PKR , led by the foremost political icon Anwar Ibrahim. That will be the best option with the contribution of every race and creed having a potentiating effect of the strength and power of the nation.
Where every race will have the freedom to express itself in the best possible manner to create a real and powerful unity among the races and people, one unseen in the past 50 years of rule by the outmoded race-based BN.
Multiethnic politics is the ultimate answer for Malaysia and all Malaysians must do all they can to ensure the country is genuinely united with all the races embracing each other in the greater beauty of ‘celebrating in the difference’.
May the Almighty open their hearts and minds to take on this great challenge to reposition Malaysia where beauty is seen in a multiethnic unified culture nurtured and supported by a genuine multiethnic political system.
——————————————————————————–
Do you have a viewpoint you want to share? Speak up! Send your ‘Letters to the Editor’ to editor@malaysiakini.com. Your letter may be published in Malaysiakinis Letters forum, and do let us know if you wish to remain anonymous. We reserve the right to edit your letters for language and clarity.
Website – http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/66509
Monday, 15 November, 1999, 16:34 GMT
A crisis unfolds: Timeline
Website – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/malaysia_crisis/204632.stm
BATTLE OF WILLS
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad may control all the levers of power,
but his dismissed deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, is refusing to go quietly.
The war at home is not over yet.
By Sangwon Suh and Assif Shameen / Kuala Lumpur Website – http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/98/0918/nat1.html
Everything in the known universe tagged Anwar Ibrahim – http://technorati.com/tag/Anwar+Ibrahim
Laman Puteri Reformasi
Kemaskini: Ahad, Jun 24 2001
http://www.geocities.com/preformasi/
The Dirty Dozen –
http://members.tripod.com/Anwarite/
Click here to read our archived material.
Development as Accountability: Accountability Innovators in Action – http://www.accountability21.net/ Presidential Lecture – http://info.worldbank.org/etools/BSPAN/PresentationView.asp?PID=1847&EID=868
50 REASONS WHY ANWAR IBRAHIM CANNOT BECOME THE PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
(From the book by Khalid Jafri originally written in Malay. This book is now banned in Malaysia. Now translated into English.)
THE PROPHECY
Khairuddin Abu Hassan is the cousin of Anwar Ibrahim, while the late Sulaiman Palestine was his uncle. Sulaiman Palestine was one of the founding fathers and the fourth longest UMNO member. He was one of those UMNO veterans responsible for inviting Anwar into UMNO and shaping his political career. Khairuddin once said that before Sulaiman passed away, he left a prophecy. The prophecy says that Dr. Mahathir shall not appoint Anwar as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. As long as Anwar is in UMNO, the party will be in jeopardy. Dr. Mahathir was instead asked to appoint Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Foreign Minister) or Sanusi Junid (Chief Minister of Kedah) as Prime Minister if Dr. Mahathir wishes to save UMNO, the Malays and the country.
ANWAR IS NOT WITH VISION 2020
After five years of being the Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President, Anwar Ibrahim now pose a new dilemma in the party and the country’s leadership.
Anwar’s failure to tackle the economic issues since he assumed the Minister of Finance position five years ago, is becoming clear to the people that he cannot be entrusted to follow through and make Vision 2020 concept a success for the country and its people.
Instead of doing his job, Anwar interfered with the Prime Minister in other administrative matters that are way outside his jurisdiction and responsibility.
It is as if Anwar wants to challenge the extraordinary capabilities of Dr. Mahathir, his brilliant leadership, his futuristic vision and his abilities to expertly handle national and global issues.
Due to the persistent failures of Anwar in the past five years, Dr. Mahathir deserves the opportunity of a new deputy and successor.
As such, leaders and UMNO members who are concerned about the party’s struggles must demand that the Deputy Prime Minister and the UMNO Deputy President be replaced to a leader who is more productive, not power and money crazy and not behave as if he is already the Prime Minister.
In short, moral obligations must be taken into consideration besides other values like sincerity and honesty of the leader.
The wave of change must however be about the conscience of the party continuity and ingenuity. It is up to UMNO members to find the right solution. This is important since the responsibility to handle the change in leadership is solely for the UMNO Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister position.
As the backbone of Barisan Nasional, UMNO is responsible to formulate a meaningful destiny. This can only be achieved if all parties are sincere and willing to accept the fact that the number two leader which was chosen five years ago cannot be entrusted upon to preserve and protect the religion, the party, the people and the country.
Otherwise, internal conflicts will always exist and the commitments to the country’s bright and successful future under the leadership of Dr. Mahathir will be tarnished and destroyed by Anwar whom we have put our trust without knowing the factual truth about his background.
Actually UMNO members do not know much about Anwar. He is still regarded as an outsider and his sudden appearance in UMNO attracts lots of bad interpretations. Anwar’s arrival as an UMNO leader is just like the emergence of Tun Perak in the Melaka Sultanate during the rule of Sultan Muzaffar Shah in the 14th century.
In the beginning, Tun Perak was only the administrator of the Kelang territories representing the Sultan of Melaka. Later he became the Deputy Prime Minister in Melaka. The Prime Minister at the time was Bendahara Seri Nara DiRaja. Tun Perak however, wished to seek more power and authority although he was already in a very high position in the Melaka government.
Tun Perak created conflicts among the people, other ministers and the Sultan so that they disliked Bendahara Seri Nara DiRaja. At last, after all the conniving, he succeeded in overthrowing the Prime Minister and became the Prime Minister himself.
The struggle to make Vision 2020 a success is a struggle that require a very important change in the country’s political leadership. Otherwise, all efforts towards this struggle will be doomed to fail.
The majority of the population realizes that in order to achieve Vision 2020, it requires change in perception, attitude, values, decision and action in every aspect of social, economy and politics. This change will make the population more positive in their perception, possess good moral values, more caring, make good decisions and judgments and more dynamic in their actions.
These changes give a psychological impact towards the success of Vision 2020. Now, the majority of the population, the leaders and UMNO members subscribe to these changes as a prerequisite to the success of Vision 2020.
Due to this, UMNO members make spontaneous demands for Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who coined the Vision 2020 idea and concept, to have a successor who is dynamic, progressive and can uphold the vision of the people, religion and the country.
Anwar, when offering himself for the Deputy President’s post five years ago said, “I shall abide by the party’s vision to upgrade the well-being of the people through the Vision 2020 concept in concurrence with the changes within UMNO”.
Anwar not only disappoints the people by engaging in immoral activities but also distanced himself from the Vision 2020 concept. He seldom speaks about Vision 2020 since he became Deputy Prime Minister.
THE 50 REASONS
1. VENGEANCE
Anwar Ibrahim possesses vengeance against not only his enemies but also his friends. He holds never-ending vengeance against Sanusi Junid (Chief Minister of Kedah), Rahim Thamby Chik (former Chief Minister of Melaka), Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Foreign Minister) and many others making him unpopular as a leader.
2. REBELIOUS
His ‘go against the leader’ attitude is his norm eversince he became active in UMNO in 1982. In the same year, he challenged Suhaimi Kamaruddin for the post of UMNO Youth Chief.
3. DIVIDE AND RULE
This is Anwar’s strategy to grab power within UMNO and the government. He conspired and created chaos in UMNO Kedah in order to prevent Dr. Mahathir from appointing Sanusi Junid as the Chief Minister of Kedah. He also forced Rahim Thamby Chik to resign from his Chief Minister of Melaka position.
4. FALSE SWEARING
Anwar bravely swore that he would not challenge Ghaffar Baba for the post of UMNO Deputy President. It was proven to be a lie.
5. DESTROY MAHATHIR
Anwar vowed to destroy Dr. Mahathir in front of the late Haji Sulaiman Palestine because he was detained under the ISA when Dr. Mahathir was Education Minister.
6. DOES NOT PRACTICE WHAT HE PREACHES
Lying is part of Anwar’s leadership qualities. He said he was anti money politics when in fact he was the leader of money politics during the UMNO Deputy President elections in 1993.
7. FATHER OF CORRUPTION
Corruption is at its highest during Anwar’s tenure as the Finance Minister. So much so that people call Anwar the ‘Father of Corruption’.
8. BROKEN FAMILY
Anwar comes from a broken home. His father, Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, took his maid as his second wife. Anwar’s mother, Hajah Che Yan, was so emotionally distressed from this until she is paralyzed. Anwar’s brother, Mokhtar, was a drug addict. Anwar’s family, which was poor then, is now very rich and living in extravagance during Anwar’s tenure as Finance Minister.
9. ELOPE
Anwar eloped to Thailand with Azizah since he could not get the blessing of Azizah’s father, Wan Ismail, to get married. Wan Ismail hated Anwar so much that he took his gun to chase Anwar out of his house. In the end, Azizah’s mother took the initiative to legally marry them again at their home in Bukit Mertajam.
This attitude proves that Anwar will disregard the law, family, culture and Islam as long as he can get what he wants.
10. SODOMIST
Everybody was talking about Anwar performing sodomy on his driver, Azizan, when the secret was out. However, Anwar’s hobby on sodomy is not new. It began when he was still in secondary school at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) and in college at University Malaya (UM). A lot of people would want to come forward to tell all. Just wait and see.
11. ADULTERER
The sister of Mohamad Azmin Ali (Anwar’s private secretary), Ummi Hafilda Ali, told the story about Anwar’s sex scandal with Shamsidar Taharin (Mohamad Azmin Ali’s wife).
12. BORE ILLEGITIMATE CHILD
An illegitimate child was born by the name of Afifa as a result of the sex scandal between Anwar and Shamsidar.
13. A CHEAT
Anwar not only have been cheating on his wife but is also a homosexual.
14. AGGRESSIVE
The name Anwar Ibrahim itself portrays fighting and warring (AN-WAR). As such, he is fond of creating chaos, crises, conflicts and wars.
15. A RELIGIOUS FAKE
During his leadership of the ABIM movement, he used Islamic principles as his strong fundamentals to achieve his political ambitions.
However, after he joined UMNO, all those principles and Islamic struggles were actually pretences and fake. Anwar became an infidel when he gave Friday sermons and led prayers when he himself was full of sins. On many occasions, he did not only utter the Quranic verses wrongly but were also seen wearing silk clothing, which is prohibited in Islam, when leading prayers.
16. DOOMED BY GOD THE ALMIGHTY
God the Almighty will not bless Anwar, for all his terrible sins. He will not be able to administer the country properly since God already dooms him.
17. BELITTLE UMNO
When Anwar was the leader of ABIM and a student, he loudly despised and belittled UMNO and its leaders but not long after that he praised those that he despised.
18. LEADER WITHOUT VISION
Anwar is a leader with no vision. His vision is only on bad intentions such getting himself rich from
corruption, power takeover through UMNO and homosexuality.
19. ABUSE OF POWER
Although Dr. Mahathir is the Prime Minister, Anwar ignored him and portrayed the image as if he is the Prime Minister.
For instance, Anwar acted unilaterally on foreign policy matters which foundation has been laid correctly by Foreign Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Due to this, there were differences in the government’s stand on foreign policies between Dr. Mahathir, Anwar and Abdullah. Anwar uses government machineries as tools to achieve his own political ambition.
20. PUPPET OF THE UNITED STATES
A lot of people were shocked when Anwar was accorded a red carpet treatment complete with a 21-gun salute by the Americans as if he is the head of state when Anwar visited Washington DC. Dr. Mahathir was never given this special treatment although he is the head of state.
Similar special treatment by the Americans was also accorded to Boris Yeltsin while Gorbachev was still the President of the Soviet Union. Not long after that, Soviet Union disintegrated and Boris Yeltsin became the new President.
Is the United States planning the same for Malaysia? The Malaysian people can make many conclusions on Anwar’s special relationship with the United States. Is Anwar an agent of the CIA?
21. RIBA
As Finance Minister of Malaysia, Anwar failed to defend the previously excellent economic status of the country. The economy continues to plunge. But surprisingly, the Americans still regard Anwar as a brilliant economist.
Recently, Anwar was appointed as Chairman of the IMF Development Committee. IMF is the American financial institution that gives out loans to countries facing economic problems such as Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea. The loans were given out with very strict conditions specially designed to suffocate those countries. So, Anwar is party to the practice of ‘riba’ in the IMF which is forbidden in Islam. Anwar can never make the IMF practice Islamic banking as practiced in Malaysia.
22. LIAR
Anwar is a chronic liar. He claimed that ABIM was founded by him and the word ABIM came from the abbreviations of his name. The fact is Sanusi Junid and Professor Nawawi Ghazali founded ABIM. Nawawi was its first president while Sanusi was the deputy president.
23. ABIM
Before Anwar left ABIM for UMNO, he swore that he would make UMNO an ABIM organization. No wonder many ABIM members are now in UMNO holding important positions such as Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs and Committee members in UMNO divisions and branches throughout the country.
24. PARTY ’46 REJOINS UMNO
Anwar opposed the rejoining of Party ’46 to UMNO, which was headed by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Anwar took every effort to prevent any Party ’46 members from holding high positions in UMNO.
As a leader, it is unbecoming of Anwar to do this since Party ’46 is sincere in dissolving their party to rejoin UMNO.
25. BRINGING DOWN UMNO LEADERS
Anwar will find ways to bring down and remove whoever is regarded as politically strong in UMNO so that
his men will replace them. Among his victims were Ghaffar Baba, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Sanusi Junid,
Rahim Thamby Chik, Mohamad Taib, Anuar Musa and Daim Zainuddin.
26. DISRESPECTFUL
Ghaffar and Dr. Mahathir were among those who founded UMNO in 1946. After years of championing the UMNO struggles, it is only fair that Ghaffar deserves the Deputy Prime Minister’s post.
But Anwar, who had just joined UMNO, became UMNO Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister by destroying other leaders who have done a lot for the people and the country.
Anwar is disrespectful of these leaders.
27. A HYPOCRITE
Anwar is a hypocrite and as such made many mistakes which made him an unsuitable leader.
28. A HOMOSEXUAL
God the Almighty forbids homosexuality. As a homosexual, Anwar’s character, personality and behavior are questionable since he is a sinner.
29. A SNOB
Eversince Anwar became a Minister, he has forgotten his Islamic ideals and struggles. His ideals and principles now are completely the opposite. If he can, he hopes to have an autocratic power and regime.
Once when Anwar was the Education Minister, he was invited to officially open a primary school in Masjid Tanah, Melaka. But sadly, Anwar said, “Why should I come?”.
30. CONTRADICT THE PRIME MINISTER
Although Dr. Mahathir is still the Prime Minister, Anwar behaves as if he is already the Prime Minister.
Dr. Mahathir’s statements regarding certain projects or issues were frequently contradicted or even denied by Anwar.
31. CONTROL THE MEDIA
Anwar effectively controls the local media namely Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian and TV3. Anwar’s speeches were often front paged by these newspapers while Dr. Mahathir’s, although makes more sense, were placed inside.
32. VICTIMIZE
Through these media, Anwar victimizes other leaders by harping on their ugly sides and not giving them the opportunity to defend themselves.
For instance, Rahim Thamby Chik was clearly accused by these media for corruption and having sex with a minor although he was never convicted in the courts.
33. FLAT FOREHEAD
If one were to observe closely Anwar’s forehead, one would see that he has a flat forehead. According to “Fung Shui” predictions, those with this physical feature will never become a great leader or the number one man in a country.
34. WAVES
The book entitled “Waves” written by Anwar portrays his life as constantly wavy and unstable.
35. FALL OF THE RINGGIT
Prior to Anwar becoming the Finance Minister, the Ringgit stood at RM2.20 to US$1. But now, the Ringgit plunged to RM3.90 to US$1. The price of daily essentials soared up to 60% higher as a result of the drastic fall in the value of the Ringgit.
By Anwar being appointed as Chairman of the IMF Development Committee, it should influence the rise of the Ringgit not the continued plunge.
36. THE NATION’S LOSS
The continued economic slowdown is the result of the loss of up to RM12.8 billion by Bank Negara in currency trading. Bank Negara should not be involved in currency trading but should protect the country’s reserves.
Bank Negara was regarded as the “Big Bully” in currency trading until it incurred huge losses. Currency traders in Europe and the United States disliked the role that Malaysia played. They decided to retaliate and targeted the Ringgit.
As Finance Minister, Anwar told the people that the huge losses were only on paper. This is the capability of our Finance Minister who had no knowledge and is so inexperienced in economic matters but entrusted to safeguard the country’s wealth.
37. EDUCATION
Anwar Ibrahim only holds a degree in Malay Studies from University Malaya. He failed the first year. As such, he has no idea at all about business and economy. He cannot be relied upon to administer the country’s finances.
38. NEPOTISM
From a poor family, Anwar’s father, Ibrahim is now a very wealthy man until he wishes to marry a third wife. If Ibrahim cannot get the blessing of the other two wives for this third marriage, he can elope to Thailand – Anwar style.
Anwar’s brother, Rani used to be declared a bankrupt. But now he is also a very wealthy man.
Wan Ismail, Anwar’s father-in-law, who took out his gun and chased Anwar away for eloping with his daughter, Azizah to Thailand, now loves Anwar very much. Wan Ismail was given 30 million shares in a public listed company worth RM90 million by Anwar.
39. ABUSE OF POWER
Imagine if Anwar becomes the Prime Minister. Not only Malaysia becomes poorer and his families become filthy rich but also all youths in the country will fall prey to his lust.
The Youth and Sports Ministry will be forced to line up youths, especially gays each week to fulfill Anwar’s lust. All Ministers will be fired except those who are willing to let Anwar sodomise them.
Syed Hussin Al-Attas (a writer who is not a professor) will never accept a job from Anwar since he is not a gay and not a person who likes to steal other people’s wives. It would be different if Anwar offers him lots of money. He will grab it for sure.
40. THE PEOPLE OF THE PROPHET LUT
According to the local news, there is an estimated 20,000 gays in the city of Kuala Lumpur. The number increases rapidly and it is worrisome that Kuala Lumpur will become the village of Sadum in Palestine where almost its entire inhabitants were homosexuals.
The people of Sadum totally ignored the warnings of the Prophet Lut that God the Almighty forbids their behavior. Finally, God the Almighty except the Prophet Lut and some of his followers destroyed Sadum and its entire people.
We are afraid that God will do the same to Malaysia if the rapid increase in homosexuals in Kuala Lumpur is uncontrollable.
Anwar is mightier that the people of Lut since he can have sex with both men and women.
41. DISLIKED BY THE PEOPLE
Anwar’s sex scandals, homosexuality, corruption, abuse of power, puppet to foreign powers and others, make him an unpopular leader. Anwar’s bad behaviors will lead to chaos not only within UMNO but also to the whole country.
42. MALAYS BECOME POORER
Before Anwar became the Finance Minister, there were many wealthy Malays. But soon after Anwar took over from Daim Zainuddin, the Malays become poor. For five years they waited patiently for the economy to recover but it never did. The Malays will become poorer, the longer Anwar is the Finance Minister. Only Anwar’s families are the ones getting richer and wealthier.
43. BLEAK FUTURE
Malaysia is well known worldwide due to the efforts of the Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. In a relatively short period, Malaysia will be transformed from a third world country to a developed country.
The Vision 2020 concept is making Malaysia achieve the developed country status. The people will be united and enjoy a high standard of living.
Can Malaysia achieve this vision if Anwar becomes the Prime Minister? The people predict that the country’s future will be bleak under Anwar’s administration.
44. STRATEGY
During this economic slowdown, Anwar still persists in lining up his political strategy to grab power by toppling Dr. Mahathir.
Anwar commands that all his generals and lieutenants must contest and win important posts in all UMNO divisions during the elections held recently.
Fortunately, the rules and regulations of the UMNO Supreme Council thwarted Anwar’s plans. As a result, Anwar’s staunch supporters did not hold many of these positions.
If Anwar’s strategy was successful, he plans to contest and removes Dr. Mahathir in the 1999 UMNO elections.
45. MONEY POLITICS
The immense wealth of Anwar and his men with their money politics will ensure their candidates win in UMNO elections.
In the election for UMNO Divisional Chief for Langkawi in 1995, Anwar’s cronies used money politics to ensure Sanusi Junid’s chances of wining was totally diminished. The influence of money politics was so strong that Sanusi lost to Anwar’s crony, Abu Bakar Taib, the Member of Parliament (MP) of Langkawi.
It was the same for Kota Melaka. Due to money politics by Anwar, Rahim Thamby Chik lost to Anwar’s crony.
46. EAT SQUATTING DOWN AND WITH CHOPSTICKS
Malay customs are usually associated with Islamic values. Anwar used to champion Islam when he was in ABIM.
But when he became a Minister, his Malay customs disappeared. Anwar was recorded squatting down while eating in public and even used chopsticks while eating with the Prime Minister.
47. MTEN (NEAC)
The Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was too lenient with Anwar despite Anwar showing disrespect to him. Dr Mahathir had to find ways to control the country’s finances for orderly expenditure.
In order to prevent Anwar from spending public funds unnecessarily during the economic slowdown, the Prime Minister established the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) and appointed Daim Zainuddin as its executive director.
48. A DISGRACE TO ANWAR
Anwar should realize that the establishment of the NEAC clearly showed that his credibility of managing the country’s finances is gravely questionable. If Anwar is a man with high morals and principles, he should resign as Finance Minister.
49. DESTROYER
UMNO and Malay unity, which so far is very stable, will be destroyed if Anwar becomes Prime Minister replacing Dr Mahathir. This is based on the facts laid out in this book.
50. PROPHECY
Finally, the prophecy by Haji Sulaiman Palestine to Dr Mahathir before he passed away.
Haji Sulaiman Palestine was Anwar’s uncle. He was also an UMNO veteran who had full knowledge of Anwar’s secrets and weaknesses.
Due to this knowledge, he left a prophecy so that Dr Mahathir will not choose Anwar as Prime Minister because it will lead to the disintegration of UMNO.
Dr Mahathir was strongly advised by Haji Sulaiman Palestine to choose Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister if Dr Mahathir wishes to see UMNO in safe hands.
THE FILTH OF A DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Anwar is a homosexual through his same sex relationship with one of his victims who has the courage to come forward. He is Azizan Abu Bakar who used to be Anwar’s driver but is now the driver of Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Anwar has a secret affair with Shamsidar Taharin who is the wife of Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Anwar lied about Ummi Hafilda Ali (the sister of Mohamed Azmin Ali) about her having a crush on him through love letters sent to him solely for his political survival.
Anwar disgraced his own private secretary by having a scandal with Shamsidar Taharin without the knowledge of Shamsidar’s husband.
Anwar disgraced the whole family of Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Anwar abused his power to cover up all his lies, deceits and filth.
Anwar disgraced Islam by projecting an image of a devout Muslim by delivering sermons all over the place when in fact he is a devil in disguise.
Anwar does all sorts of devious things to threaten the credibility of UMNO’s leadership as the backbone of the nation without considering its implications to the development of the people and the country.
REASONS FOR REPORT SUBMITTED BY UMMI HAFILDA
To ask the Prime Minister’s wisdom to investigate every report submitted.
To ask for protection and security on behalf of the writer and the whole family.
To expose the truth for the sake of the party and country.
To overcome grave emotional pressure in the whole family when the case became public knowledge.
To ask the Prime Minister to save Mohamed Azmin Ali from continuing his service with a monster, Anwar Ibrahim.
To ask the Prime Minister to take appropriate action if the reports submitted are true to give a clear signal to other leaders not to abuse their power and position.
To stop the sexual acts against the order of nature which is forbidden by God.
~ TO BE CONTINUED ~
Website – http://www.geocities.com/freedom_malaysia/50Dalil.html
Malaysia’s Anwar says libel award has cleared his name
M Jegathesan
August 19, 2005
Website – http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/World/GH19Wd04.html
Khairy Chronicles – http://www.malaysia-today.net/GraficsJul2006/Book_KJ_full_english.pdf
10/11: 70 dalil Pak Lah hilang kelayakan memimpin negara – Bahagian 7
Category: General
Posted by: Raja Petra
Oleh Ahli Umno Kedah
Apakah yang akan terjadi kepada negara kita
61. Memang kelemahan Dr Mahathir yang amat ketara ialah memilih ‘ahli silat tongkat pendek’ dan badut menjadi timbalannya. Tetapi Dr Mahathir adalah seorang manusia yang sangat mengikut prosedur. Lihatlah bagaimana beliau merendahkan diri menawarkan diri menjadi calon perwakilan Kubang Pasu. Semuanya menghormati prosedur. Apabila manusia tidak bijak Mahdzir Khalid masuk dewan, Tun Dr Mahathir yang berusia 81 tahun serta isteri Tun Dr Siti Hasmah berdiri memberi salam hormat kepada Menteri Besar. Melayu boleh tinggalkan budaya, semoga budaya tidak tinggalkan Melayu.
Begitu juga sebenarnya bukan Dr Mahathir yang hendak memilih Pak Lah tetapi itulah kehendak parti Umno. Dato Najib dianggap masih muda. Begitu juga dulu Dr Mahathir terpaksa melantik Anwar Ibrahim menjadi Menteri Kewangan sebab Anwar mendapat undi tertinggi Naib Presiden parti. Ikut Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, Dr Mahathir tidak mempunyai pilihan dan terpaksa akur kehendak parti. Dr Mahathir laksanakan tugas ‘by the book’. Kepada pasukan psy-war yang membantu beliau dulu – nasihat Dr Mahathir adalah ‘Don’t break any laws’. Itulah Dr Mahathir. Semuanya ‘by the book’.
Dato Najib boleh tunggang kuda polo
62. Tetapi apakah yang bakal terjadi kepada negara kita? Pertama sekali Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak boleh membuat persiapan balik ke Pahang dan tunggang kuda polo saja. Kerjayanya sudah terkubur. Jika Pak Lah masih berkuasa selama dua tahun lagipun, Khairy Jamaluddin akan dilantik menjadi Naib Presiden Umno – dan bukan Ketua Pemuda. Hishamudin Hussein – boleh kekal sebagai Ketua Pemuda. (Jangan pandai pandai mahu jadi Naib Presiden? Apa macam hari ini? Keris panjang ke pendek?) Apabila Khairy menjadi Naib Presiden beliau sudah dekat dengan kerusi Timbalan Perdana Menteri. Tidak mungkin Najib akan diberi peluang menjadi Perdana Menteri.
Kepada Datuk Seri Najib, walaupun kepala ‘think tank’ Dato sekarang sudah masuk ‘fish tank’ kerana beliau menggunakan kepala kecil lebih daripada kepala besarnya, Dato tidak perlu kepada ‘think tank’ untuk nampak senario ini. Sedikit common sense pun sudah cukup – sudah tentu Datuk boleh faham. Tidak mungkin Datuk akan jadi PM jika Pak Lah pegang takhta lagi dua tahun pun. Tidak mungkin. Jika Datuk mahu selamatkan masa depan Datuk, kena buka langkah sekarang juga.
Syaitan suka Anwar jadi YAB (Yang Amat Berbahaya)
63. Pihak syaitan Amerika, Britain, Singapura, Australia dan syaitan lain masih mengidamkan Anwar Ibrahim menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia. Bab itu belum habis lagi. Mereka sangat seronok melihat perbalahan antara Tun Dr Mahathir dan Pak Lah berpanjangan. Perbalahan ini memberi mereka peluang untuk menonjolkan Anwar Ibrahim sebagai calon ‘alternative’ menjadi Perdana Menteri. Ini adalah satu bahaya besar sebab Anwar berpotensi menjadi Y.A.B atau Yang Amat Berbahaya. Saluran untuk membawa Anwar masuk balik ke dalam Umno telahpun disediakan – iaitu menerusi Khairy Jamaluddin – menantu kesayangan Pak Lah. Sebelum ini Anwar telah minta bantuan Khairy untuk memujuk ahli Umno menerimanya balik. Kebanyakan ahli MT Umno serta Pemuda dan Wanita Umno tidak setuju membenarkan Anwar kembali masuk Umno.
Oleh itu Anwar telah cuba cara lain. Anwar telah mencuba sebanyak tiga kali untuk berjumpa dengan Dr Mahathir. Dalam kiraan Anwar jika dia boleh berjumpa dengan Dr Mahathir, minta maaf kepadanya dan mendapat restu Tun Dr Mahathir, maka Umno pun akan sudi menerimanya kembali. Anwar telah minta Vincent Tan telefon Dr Mahathir dan pesan untuk bertemu dengan Dr Mahathir. Apabila percubaan tersebut gagal, Anwar telah minta Joseph Chong (Sabah Shipyard) pula berjumpa dengan Dr Mahathir dengan pesanan yang sama. Pun gagal. Percubaan ketiga juga gagal. Dr Mahathir berpendapat bahawa Anwar boleh mengancam keselamatan negara kita. Anwar sangat disayangi Amerika, CIA, Pentagon dan sebagainya.
Jika Khairy jadi Naib Presiden?
64. Memang bab ini belum tamat lagi. Jika Khairy jadi Naib Presiden, apakah Anwar akan dibenarkan masuk balik ke dalam Umno? Jika Anwar masuk kembali ke Umno, sudah tentu dia boleh gantikan Pak Lah sebagai presiden parti dan Perdana Menteri. Khairy akan dipilih jadi timbalannya. Najib boleh balik ke Pekan dan tunggang kuda polo.
Kalau kita sudah nampak gelagat Anwar Ibrahim setelah tiga tahun saja jadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan juga gelagat Khairy Jamaluddin setelah tiga tahun saja Pak Lah jadi Perdana Menteri, cuba bayangkan apakah yang akan berlaku kepada negara kita jika kedua-dua ’romeo’ ini menjadi Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri? Apakah setan akan kencing berlari dalam usaha memadamkan api neraka?
Bukan Pak Lah seorang saja benci Dr Mahathir
65. Jadi bukan Pak Lah seorang saja yang hendak menyekat Tun Dr Mahathir daripada bercakap, menegur dan mengkritik pentadbirannya. Ada ramai syaitan lain di sekelilingnya yang tidak mahu Dr Mahathir merosakkan komplot jahat mereka.
Sekarang Dr Mahathir telah jatuh sakit (9/11/06) dan dimasukkan ke Institut Jantung Negara. Kita berdoa semoga Ayahanda akan pulih dengan cepat dan mengambil rehat. Semoga Allah akan memudahkan segala urusan bagi Dr Mahathir.
Tetapi bukan jambatan bengkok, jambatan lurus, Proton atau isu jual pasir saja yang termasuk dalam fikiran Tun Dr Mahathir. Dr Mahathir boleh nampak bahaya yang lebih besar yang mengancam masa depan negara kita dan kedudukan orang Melayu jika Khairy, Kalimullah, Pak Lah atau Anwar Ibrahim memegang kuasa. Contohnya Kalimullah yang menjadi penasihat paling akrab kepada Pak Lah pernah ditolak oleh Special Branch (SB) sebagai tidak sesuai menjadi setiausaha Tun Ghafar Baba atas alasan ‘security risk’ atau mengancam keselamatan negara. SB berpendapat bahawa Kalimullah terlalu akrab dengan pihak perisikan Singapura. Maka Kalimullah terpaksa diberhentikan kerja beberapa minggu saja selepas menjadi setiausaha akhbar Tun Ghafar. Habis pasal apa Pak Lah lantik dia menjadi penasihat terdekat, bagi dia jawatan mengurus New Straits Times, bagi dia lesen ECM Libra dan macam-macam lagi? Kenapa Pak Lah begitu bodoh?
Dr Mahathir lebih faham bahaya ini daripada sesiapa pun. Bukan air, pasir, udara atau jambatan bengkok saja yang merunsingkan fikiran beliau. Apakah Umno akan menggadai tanah airnya sendiri kepada orang lain? Fikirlah baik-baik.
Jika tiada Dr Mahathir untuk perjuangkan nasib kita, negara kita akan habis dijual oleh penyangak dan penyamun. Sudah pasti kita akan dijajah sekali lagi. Mengikut cadangan bodoh Khazanah Nasional Berhad, wilayah Singapura akan ditambahkan sebanyak 4000 hektar lagi secara percuma – di dalam negeri Johor. Orang Singapura boleh masuk tanpa menunjukkan paspot ataupun kad pengenalan. Banyak cantiklah tu!
Sejarah tetap berulang – history repeats itself
66. Memang benar bahawa sejarah itu berulang. History repeats itself. Sejak awal zaman manusia, orang yang kurang inteligen pun akan cuba manipulasi orang yang bodoh. Sebelum 1969 pimpinan kita telah leka dalam menjalankan tugas. Akibatnya pada pilihan raya 1969 kerajaan Pakatan pada masa itu hampir kalah dalam pilihan raya. Negara kita dilanda angkara dan kekecohan. Pada pilihan raya akan datang sudah tentu Kerajaan BN akan mengalami keruntuhan besar dalam jumlah pengundian. Ini pasti akan berlaku. Negeri Kelantan akan tetap berada dalam genggaman PAS. Terengganu akan hilang sekali lagi ke tangan PAS. Negeri Kedah dan mungkin satu atau dua negeri yang lain juga akan hilang ke tangan Pembangkang. Kemungkinan besar bahawa BN akan kehilangan majoriti dua pertiga. Mengikut ramalan seorang bekas YB Umno, mungkin ada calon Umno yang akan hilang wang deposit pun. Beliau gelak secara senyap dan hanya tunggu hari pengundian.
Kita boleh nampak dengan begitu jelas (terlalu jelas) bahawa orang yang bodoh sedang dimanipulasi oleh orang yang kurang inteligen. Ini adalah bencana yang hanya menunggu masa untuk menimpa negara kita.
Saudara saudari Umno seperjuangan – sudikah kita semua duduk diam sahaja dan biarkan perkara ini berlaku? Sudikah kita – hanya kerana sedikit kontrak atau kedudukan –melihat masa depan negara kita dan masa depan waris kita digadai kerana kita takutkan puak yang tamak, yang bodoh dan yang jahat? Fikirlah baik-baik.
Umno sedang di ‘cadre’ kan
67. GLC atau Government Linked Companies adalah istilah yang dipinjam dari Singapura. Khazanah Nasional Berhad telah melantik syarikat hospital swasta Parkway Holdings dari Singapura untuk menyiapkan kajian ‘health tourism’ bagi negeri Johor. Ini satu perbuatan amat kurang bijak memandangkan Parkway adalah pesaing (‘competitor’) kepada sebarang usaha memajukan ‘health tourism’ di Johor. Cuba kita fikir. Bolehkah kita percaya Keppel Harbour Singapura membuat kajian bisnes untuk majukan Pelabuhan Tanjong Pelepas? Habis macam mana pula kita melantik pesaing kita menyediakan ‘business plan’ kita? Dr Mahathir telah berulang kali mengatakan bahawa Singapura tidak pernah sekalipun ambil peduli kebaikan atau kebajikan negara kita.
Akhbar perdana New Straits Times masih dikongkong oleh penasihat Pak Lah seperti Kalimullah yang sangat pro Singapura itu. Kalimullah bukannya ahli Umno, bukan wakil rakyat dan tidak pernah peduli nasib orang Melayu. SB tidak benarkan Kalimullah menjadi setiausaha akhbar Tun Ghafar sebab SB percaya Kalimullah adalah agen Singapura. Habis kenapa Pak Lah memilihnya menjadi penasihat terdekat? Jelas bahawa kehadiran Kalimullah dan beberapa agen Singapura yang lain sudah mula masuk Umno dan negara kita. Kanser sudah merebak.
Umno tidak terkecuali
68. Parti Umno memang tidak terkecuali. Parti Umno sekarang sedang ditukar mengikut sistem ‘cadre’ yang diamalkan oleh parti komunis PAP atau People’s Action Party Singapura. Mengikut sistem ‘cadre’ ini pemimpin dan konco terdekatnya memegang kuasa mutlak. Mereka amat berpengaruh. Sesiapapun tidak boleh menyoal kuasa pemimpin. Pemimpin dan konco-konco pula akan memilih penyokong kuat mereka menduduki Majlis Tertinggi (Central Working Committee). Kemudian MT pula akan meletakkan balik pemimpin di atas takhta. Tidak lama lagi akan tamatlah tradisi demokrasi dalam parti Umno.
Hanya mereka yang taat kepada Pak Lah dan menantunya Khairy Jamaluddin akan dibenarkan bertanding dan menang. Orang yang menentang mereka akan dipecat atau dihalang. Seperti dinasti PAP di Singapura maka akan tertubuhlah dinasti Khairy Jamaluddin di Malaysia.
Jelas Pak Lah tidak kompeten
69. Pak Lah adalah seorang Perdana Menteri yang tidak kompeten untuk terus memimpin negara. Kemampuannya yang sangat meragukan ini menjejaskan kemajuan ekonomi negara dan matalamat kita untuk mencapai wawasan 2020 juga sangat meragukan. Tetapi jauh sebelum itu musuh negara kita sudah menyelinap masuk ke dalam urusan Kerajaan dan negara secara senyap dan berani. Mereka sekarang sudah berupaya menentukan hala tuju negara kita.
Keputusan terletak dalam tangan ahli Umno
70. Masa depan negara kita terletak dalam tangan ahli Umno yang bakal bersidang. Tetapi kebebasan untuk bersidang secara terbuka dan bebas ini tidak terjamin. Mungkin ini akan menjadi kali terakhir ahli Umno dapat menyuarakan hasrat mereka secara telus dan terbuka. Selepas ini jika Pak Lah masih berkuasa, Umno akan berubah buat selamanya. Hanya ‘cadre’ yang taat kepada Khairy dan Pak Lah boleh bersuara. Yang lain boleh telan air liur saja.
Berakhir
70 dalil Pak Lah hilang kelayakan memimpin negara – Bahagian 1
70 dalil Pak Lah hilang kelayakan memimpin negara – Bahagian 2
70 dalil Pak Lah hilang kelayakan memimpin negara – Bahagian 3
70 dalil Pak Lah hilang kelayakan memimpin negara – Bahagian 4
70 dalil Pak Lah hilang kelayakan memimpin negara – Bahagian 5
70 dalil Pak Lah hilang kelayakan memimpin negara – Bahagian 6 Website – http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/reports.php?itemid=612
22/04: Get Najib by-election campaign
Category: General
Posted by: Raja Petra
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Believe it or not, Anwar Ibrahim is now anxiously waiting to be sued! And he is hoping that Najib Abdul Razak would take the initiative as this would enable him to expose more in court of what he knows about the Mongolian murder case.
Last night, the opposition icon continued his attack on Najib by ‘inviting’ the deputy premier to initiate a lawsuit against him for linking the latter to the murder case of a Mongolian national. “I prefer him (Najib) to sue me because I can go to court then and speak more about the matter,” Anwar told a crowd of about 400 at a dinner in Ijok where a by-election is being held.
His challenge was made in the wake of Najib’s statement on Thursday that the deputy premier has no plan to take Anwar to court for the time being over the allegation. Najib had said, “I don’t have to sue him. I have the option to sue him but what’s important is to let the law take its course.”
Anwar, the PKR advisor, has repeatedly drawn Najib’s name into the gruesome murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. The Mongolian national aged 28 was murdered and her body was blown to bits with a powerful plastic explosive at a secondary forest near the Subang Dam at Puncak Alam, Shah Alam last October. Two officers from a police elite unit have been charged with murder while a think-tanker closely linked to Najib has been charged with abetting them.
At the dinner last night, Anwar also claimed he knew Najib “too well”. He then asked the crowd whether they want to know more government scandals, to which the audience replied with a loud “yes”. But Anwar responded in Mandarin: “Man Man (slowly), we still have the general election to come. In Ijok, we reveal bit by bit.”
That was what Malaysiakini reported on 21 April 2007 in a news item entitled ‘Anwar increases attacks on Najib’. This is in the wake of the emergence of a Gerakan Anti-Najib (GAN) campaign that was launched late last year.
Initially, Najib did not believe that such a campaign really existed when Malaysia Today first revealed it soon after the campaign was launched. After all, who the hell believes Blogs and Websites that are run by unemployed women and liars? This is of course what the government alleges. One-time Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, however, disputes this. In a press conference at his home on the eve of Hari Raya last year, Mahathir said that the mainstream media spins lies and distorts the truth. If you want the truth then go to the Internet, argued Mahathir in a rebuttal to the government’s view on Blogs and Websites.
“Are they really out to get Najib?” Mahathir asked when we last met him at his office in the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya. And when he asked how they would do this we filled him in on the modus operandi. Mahathir appeared concerned that there is a real danger Najib would be brought down. Nevertheless, Mahathir is disappointed that Najib seems to not understand on which side his bread is buttered.
On 21 April 2007, Mahathir clarified what many have been wondering all this while but which no one dared ask. Why did he chose Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as his successor and what are his plans for Najib; meaning why did he appoint Najib as the Deputy? For those not too clear of the issue, it was not Abdullah but Mahathir who appointed Najib as the number two.
He appointed Abdullah as his successor because he thought that the man was ‘Mister Clean’, explained Mahathir, and he wanted a clean Prime Minister. He had planned for Abdullah to stay on for only one term, after which the baton would be handed over to Najib. But then Mister Clean is not really that clean after all and he never harboured any ambition to stay on for just one term and then move aside for Najib to take over. In fact, his plan is to see Najib retire as number two just like Musa Hitam, Ghafar Baba and Anwar Ibrahim before this. Najib will the fourth Deputy Prime Minister to retire as Deputy Prime Minister without making it to Prime Minister.
What made Mahathir sit up was when he noticed that the man leading the ‘Get Najib’ charge is no other than his nemesis, Anwar Ibrahim. And Mahathir strongly believes that Anwar is working with another man he detests, Khairy Jamaluddin, the Prime Minister’s son-in-law. One of the two is intolerable enough for Mahathir. Both at the same time is utterly detestable. And Mahathir would certainly not want to see the Gerakan Anti-Najib movement succeed in its plan to oust Najib, especially if Anwar and Khairy are behind it.
Mahathir is quite disappointed that Najib openly expresses his undying support for Abdullah. This is the man who is trying to cut Najib’s career short, yet he swoons at his executioner’s feet. When they won the Batu Talam by-election, Najib stated that this is proof of the peoples’ support for Mister Clean, quipped Mahathir. When they won the Machap by-election, Najib again stated that this is proof of the peoples’ support for Mister Clean, Mahathir added. I know what Najib is going to say when they win the Ijok by-election, said Mahathir — the same thing, that this is proof of the peoples’ support for Mister Clean. Mahathir then added that if the ruling party loses Ijok it is only one seat and the government will not fall. Is this a veiled message that the opposition should win Ijok just so that no one, in particular Najib, can again say that this is proof of the peoples’ support for Mister Clean?
The emphasis is not so much about the ruling party winning or losing the by-election. It is more about Najib singing Abdullah’s praises and attributing the win to an indication of the peoples’ support of and confidence in the Prime Minister. If the ruling party wins the Ijok by-election Najib may want to seriously consider his ‘victory speech’. Will he again say that the win in Ijok is an indication of the peoples’ support for the Prime Minister? Or will he take cognizance of the message Mahathir delivered on 21 April 2007?
If Najib cannot see that the move to oust him is very serious indeed and that Anwar’s ferocious attack on him in the Ijok by-election campaign, which has transformed into a ‘Get Najib’ campaign, is evidence of this, then he deserves to fall. He does not deserve to become Prime Minister or even stay on as Deputy Prime Minister. Najib should know by now that there is only one man standing between him and Abdullah — and that man is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Najib has even lost the support of his one-time strongmen from Pahang who have all swung over to Khairy. If Mahathir was to declare that Najib is no longer his choice for Prime Minister, he would fall faster than Humpty Dumpty. And all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
“What does Anwar want?” Mahathir asked me at one meeting some time back.
“To become Prime Minister,” I replied.
“And how is he going to do that?”
“By becoming the President of Umno,” I replied without looking Mahathir in the eye, which by now was piercing me like a knife through butter.
“Will Umno accept him?” This was not so much a question as it was a statement of sorts.
“If Anwar’s sacking in September 1998 can be classified illegal and unconstitutional, then Umno has no choice but to accept him back,” I explained. “It is not so much that Anwar is returning to Umno but rather he never left. If one is a victim of wrongful dismissal, then the party has to reinstate him to his last position with no loss of rank, seniority, benefits, etc.”
“But Najib is now the number two.”
“Right, so they must first remove Najib and create a vacancy before they can deliberate whether you, as the Umno President then, sacked Anwar according to the proper procedure and in compliance to the party constitution. The fact that his sacking was based on his alleged sexual misconduct, which the Federal Court has acquitted him for based on grounds that the prosecution failed to prove Anwar’s guilt, means he was wrongfully dismissed. And he was sacked from Umno even before he was arrested, charged, tried and pronounced guilty, based purely on your testimony that he is guilty. And now the court, in a way, says you were wrong.”
Mahathir was no longer in any mood to talk but what I saw in his eyes revealed all. We must defend Najib at all costs, if not for any other reason at least to deny Anwar the Prime Ministership, his face seemed to say. Mahathir does not believe the opposition will win enough seats to form the government. He does not believe Anwar will become Prime Minister on an opposition ticket. But he does believe that Anwar will become Prime Minister if allowed back into Umno and if given back his post of Deputy President of Umno. But for this to happen, Najib must first be brought down.
Mahathir knows what to do to prevent this from happening. Let us hope Najib too knows what he should do. Thus far, however, Najib seems to be buttering his bread on the wrong side. One normally gets extremely sticky fingers if one does that. I don’t know who Najib’s political adviser or strategist is. Whoever it may be Najib may want to consider sacking him because he is utterly useless. I for one always believe that one should listen to one’s wife because a woman’s intuition is infallible while men are easily taken in by kaki bodek (apple polishers). When the kaki bodek says, “Don’t worry Boss, everything is all right and working according to plan,” then that is the time to start worrying.
In a battle to the death there is only one winner, not two. Only one walks away to lick his wounds. The other must die in the arena. He never walks away. He is carried away then thrown into a hole in the ground. But a battle to the death is a game for tough and seasoned gladiators. This is not a game for pussies. And which are you Najib, gladiator or pussy? Pussies (of the feline kind of course) purr. Tigers roar. All we can hear is you purring at Abdullah’s feet. And that sickens Mahathir to his stomach. He wants to hear you roar. And until you do you can count on Mahathir allowing the wolves to encircle you. But wolves encircle only to size up their prey and to strategise how to move in for the kill. And move in they will. Will they move in this July and will you be just one more in a string of Deputy Prime Ministers who never makes Prime Minister?
That is for you to decide and I honestly hope you make it because then that would mean Abdullah is out of office.
Website – http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/corridors.php?itemid=4078
Malaysia Mahathir cracks down on reformasi
Successor Wan Azizah has her work cut out
SINCE ANWAR IBRAHIM WAS SACKED Sept. 2 as deputy prime minister and finance minister by Mahathir Mohamad, his attitude toward the PM has vacillated from conciliatory to contemptuous. The range reflects the two men’s complicated relationship – once close friends who became bitter rivals – and perhaps Anwar’s early (and forlorn) hope that if he did not overly antagonize Mahathir, the door would still be open to him to return to UMNO. A sampling of Anwar comments about his ex-boss:
SEPT. 3: “I regard him as a father figure, though not all fathers treat their children properly . . . I can’t say if the PMis directing the political conspiracy against me, but [the organizers] are rich people, businessmen and UMNO supreme councilors.”
SEPT. 4: “Dr. Mahathir has succeeded in making me a record-holder. Everything. Women, men, corruption, agent for foreign nations, traitor, selling government secrets to foreign agents. And this is the man he supposedly took and raised as his successor. What [kind of] father! What [kind of] upbringing! He has gone to the extreme of accusing me of heinous crimes against humanity, religion and the state – all in one.”
SEPT. 5: “I wish Dr. Mahathir well. I agree with him about some of his concerns on the ploys of the international financial system; he is correct at that. I really wish this experiment [of financial controls] will work, but I don’t think we should be duped into thinking this is the ultimate solution.”
SEPT. 9: “I still respect Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. If he tells me that I’m trying to antagonize the public and getting sympathy, so be it.”
SEPT. 18: “Now Anwar Ibrahim is officially calling on Dr. Mahathir to resign as the prime minister . . . He is a corrupt, senile dictator.”
SEPT. 19: “Dr. Mahathir and his close allies within UMNO are afraid of me and will find ways and means to stop me.” Website – http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/98/1002/nat2.html
Anwar Ibrahim and his associates are arrested
as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad harshly lays down the law
——————————————————————————–
Words Anwar’s vacillating views about Mahathir
Successor Wan Azizah has her work cut out
FOR A “MINOR DISTRACTION,” it certainly required some major action. For weeks, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had insisted that his onetime deputy’s reform – and increasingly anti-government – movement was a peripheral matter of little significance. But when time came for Anwar Ibrahim to be arrested, the unfolding events resembled less a detainment of an inconsequential figure than a full-blown anti-terrorist operation by a crack commando unit.
It all began on Sunday evening, Sept. 20, when the authorities stationed baton-wielding riot police outside Anwar’s residence. Two police helicopters hovered overhead, bathing the area with powerful searchlights. Then at around 9 p.m., balaclava-clad men with bulletproof vests and submachine guns broke down the front door and stormed into the house, where Anwar, 51, was conducting a press conference. The raiders, who belonged to the elite Special Action Force, manhandled some of the journalists and confiscated their notebooks and tape recorders before throwing the hacks out of the house.
The arresting officer told Anwar he was being detained under the charge of unnatural sexual acts. The police stayed in the house for an hour while they wrangled with the former deputy PM’s lawyers. Anwar told his supporters present to be calm and packed his clothes. While his faithful jostled with the police and chanted slogans, he was bundled into a police van with his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and children. Before the vehicle had traveled far, it was stopped and Anwar was transferred to an unmarked police car. Wan Azizah was told she could go home; Anwar was taken to a maximum-security prison outside Kuala Lumpur.
The dramatic arrest, if long anticipated, still came as something of a surprise. After he was sacked on Sept. 2 under a cloud of accusations ranging from sexual misconduct to sedition, Anwar charged that a political conspiracy had been behind his ouster and vowed to fight what he claimed was a corrupt, repressive government. While leaders of Mahathir’s United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and the government-controlled media lined up behind the PM, the former student firebrand took his cause to the people, traveling across the country in a bid to mobilize grassroots support. Throughout, Mahathir, 72, steadfastly ignored his erstwhile heir apparent’s agitations, maintaining he would not make a political martyr out of Anwar by arresting him. Many observers believed him, reasoning that the PM would at least wait until the country had finished hosting the Commonwealth Games.
The arrest, which came a day before the Games closed, put an end to all such predictions. Mahathir, for all his penchant for thumbing his nose at international opinion, probably did not plan to crack down on Anwar at this time, certainly not with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in town to close the Games. But his hand may have been forced by events earlier that day on Sept. 20.
That afternoon, a pro-Anwar demonstration was scheduled to be held in Merdeka (Independence) Square in downtown Kuala Lumpur. The rally was intended to coincide with Queen Elizabeth’s visit to St. Mary’s Cathedral just across the street. But the Anwar venue was switched to the National Mosque, three-quarters of a kilometer from the square – to avoid trouble with police.
By about 4:30 p.m., some 30,000 to 50,000 people had gathered in front of the mosque. Speaking from the building’s balcony, Anwar denounced the administration and called on his former mentor to step down. “Malaysians have waited long enough,” he told the cheering crowd in English. “We have given Mahathir enough time. Enough is enough. He should resign!” He then switched to Tamil – “Mahathir, go!” – using the word podah, not the politest form of the verb.
Anwar then called on the crowd to march to Merdeka Square. Chanting “Reformasi [Reform]!” and “Allah-o-Akbar [God is supreme]!”, the demonstrators made their way north, up the main thoroughfare of Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, as traffic policemen frantically tried to control the resulting gridlock. When asked why he came, a student replied: “I want to hear what Anwar says. That is the real story. We want change.” What about Anwar’s alleged sodomy and adultery as reported in the newspapers? “We don’t believe the damned papers. They all lie. They think we’re stupid.”
The protesters pushed their way into the square, trampling over police barricades erected around it. Red-helmeted riot police present at the scene withdrew, making no attempt to stem the human tide. Amid shouts for reform, Anwar was hoisted on the shoulders of some of his supporters and carried around the field to meet the people. Meanwhile, other supporters distributed yellow postcards with a large black question mark and a cheeky question to the PM (who is a physician by training): “What’s up, doc?”
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 Website – http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/98/1002/nat1.html
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Dr M: I couldn’t sack Samy Vellu
MIC president S Samy Vellu – or any other scandal-tainted leader of Barisan Nasional’s component parties – could not be removed without the ruling coalition suffering a serious internal backlash, said former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“You ask MIC what they would do if I removed Samy Vellu,” said Mahathir when queried why he did not sack his long-time works minister, who was beset by numerous allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
“MIC is scared stiff of Samy Vellu,” added Mahathir, who as leader of the dominant Umno party led the BN coalition in his 22-year tenure as prime minister.
“When it comes to the head of a component party, I don’t have that much liberty to pick who the head should be or to remove the head from being in the cabinet,” he told malaysiakini in an exclusive interview.
“You can see that all the heads of all the component parties are in the cabinet, not because I chose them, but because they were chosen by their party.”
Mahathir’s admission came after he was repeatedly pressed by malaysiakini editors on his seriousness to battle corruption during the one-hour interview at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office in Putrajaya.
The former premier also claimed that he had done everything in his powers to act against another top leader, International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz, who was also embroiled in corruption allegations during his time.
“Action was taken. They – the Attorney-General’s Chambers – dropped the charges on her. If the AG dropped charges, that is the AG’s decision,” Mahathir insisted. “But the fact is that I never stopped any investigation.”
Mahathir displayed dexterity in deflecting criticisms against his own administration by re-directing them against his handpicked successor, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
When asked why Abdullah had not sacked Rafidah, he said: “It’s a mystery.”
Mahathir claimed that under Rafidah’s ministry, “thousands” of approval permits to import cars had been issued to persons whom he alleged to have sold off the permits for a quick buck.
“Remove the minister,” he said when asked how such abuses of policies meant to develop bumiputera entrepreneurs can be stopped.
Let varsities be based on merit
Mahathir’s scathing remarks are the latest in a year-long battle with Abdullah over the policies of the new government, and allegations of corruption and nepotism.
He lamented the “climate of fear” pervading current politics and the lackluster calibre of government figures as compared to “his time”.
“During my time, if they don’t contribute, they don’t get it (government post),” said Mahathir.
On the question of the affirmative-action New Economic Policy (NEP), Mahathir said it should be done away with gradually, but only “on a case-by-case basis”, such as places reserved for bumiputeras in public universities.
“I had myself decided that the (university) quotas for bumiputeras should be done away with and we go on the basis of merit because I thought the time had come and the bumiputeras were not using it,” said Mahathir.
“But there are other things which I think you still need some special considerations. Wholesale withdrawal of the NEP, I think, is not a good idea at all,” he added.
Posted by tunku at 6:12:00 PM 0 comments
Malaysia’s Mahathir: Successor doesn’t deserve to lead based on qualifications
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad ended an unspoken truce and launched a new attack on his successor, saying he is not the most qualified person to lead the country.
Mahathir, whose enmity with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi surfaced last year, said in an interview published Wednesday that Abdullah’s deputy, Najib Razak, was “the better candidate.”
Mahathir told independent news Web site Malaysiakini.com that before he retired in 2003 after 22 years in power, he had considered handing the office to Najib instead of Abdullah.
“If it is a comparison between (Abdullah) and Najib, I would say that (Abdullah) was less qualified,” he said. “But I also thought that he (Najib) was, maybe, a little bit young, so he should give an older person a chance. That was why I decided on Abdullah.”
Asked whether he believed Najib, 53, is still the best person to lead Malaysia, Mahathir said, “I think if Najib is not so afraid of losing his (current) position if he displeases the prime minister, he would make a good prime minister.”
Mahathir’s comments appeared to be aimed at driving a wedge between the 67-year-old Abdullah and Najib, both of whom have repeatedly voiced confidence in each other and denied speculation of any friction. Malaysia’s Cabinet and ruling party leaders have also said they support Abdullah completely.
Mahathir’s main aide did not immediately answer calls on his mobile phone. Abdullah’s aides could not be reached for comment.
Mahathir began attacking Abdullah for alleged nepotism and weak governance in mid-2006, but the 71-year-old elder statesman has largely steered clear of open criticism following a mild heart attack in November.
Mahathir has not presented proof to back up his allegations, and Abdullah has refrained from retaliating against Mahathir while vehemently denying the accusations.
In his interview with Malaysiakini, Mahathir said he believed Najib, who has also served in recent years as defense minister, would not have aborted Mahathir’s vision of building a new bridge to neighboring Singapore.
“I think our world views will be slightly different, but by and large, they are more or less the same,” Mahathir said. “I wouldn’t say, for example, that Najib would drop the bridge. He was talking about building the bridge to the very last moment.”
Najib was on a visit to the United States, and his aides could not be reached for comment.
Abdullah announced the scrapping of the bridge project last year, saying Malaysians were unhappy with Singapore’s preconditions for the plan. Mahathir has accused Abdullah of compromising national interests and being too afraid to negotiate properly with Singapore. Website – http://www.tunkuaisha.blogspot.com/
Dr M: ‘Sack Rafidah!’
But…
In the second part of an exclsuove interview with Malaysiakini before the Ijok by-election, but only published today, Dr Mahathir said some bumiputras who had become reliant on the NEP “were encouraged to do the wrong things by the ministry”. Which ministry?
Quote:
DR. M’s ANSWER:… When the ministry gives thousands of APs to one person, knowing full well that person is selling the APs, that is aiding and abetting abuse of the NEP.
QUESTION: How can you stop such abuses of the NEP?
Very simple. Remove the minister (International Trade and Industry Rafidah Aziz).
How come it has not be done already?
I don’t know. That is a mystery.
[...]
Going back to the AP issue, this minister, Rafidah, was also embroiled in corruption allegations during your time. You could have taken action at that time.
Action was taken.
No.
Action was taken. They – the Attorney-General’s Chambers – dropped the charges on her.
If the AG dropped charges, that is the AG’s decision. But the fact is that I never stopped any investigation. She was complaining like mad that the ACA (Anti-Corruption Agency) people used to go into her office and demanded this, demanded that, and that they were rough on her. I didn’t say anything.
There were accusations that you actually sat on the investigation papers.
No. I didn’t. How can I sit on them? The investigation papers do not come to me. It’s the decision of the head of the ACA. The (former) head of the ACA (Shafie Yahya) was actually against me. After I stepped down, he went to court to run me down. They don’t like me. (Shafie had testified in the Anwar trial that Mahathir had ordered him to to close his investigation against ex-Economic Planning Unit director-general Ali Abul Hassan)
Legally, perhaps, you’re correct. But morally, don’t you think you had the responsibility to remove (Rafidah) simply because she has been stained (by such accusations)?
It’s not fair – to find that there is no case against (her) and (yet) to take action against that person. I have removed some people based on general complaints.
Why didn’t you do the same for her?
It depends on the case.
Fact is, Rafidah is still in safe haven till today.
Posted by Jeff Ooi on May 10, 2007 01:33 PM | Permalink Website – http://www.jeffooi.com/2007/05/dr_m_sack_rafidah.php#more
Friday, May 11, 2007
Q&A: Najib ’scared’ he wouldn’t be picked as DPM
The former premier also answered charges that his sons had bigger government contracts than Pak Lah’s son, Kamaluddin in this first of a three-part interview.
We’ll kick this off with your recent comments on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. You said that you expected him to be a one-term prime minister. Why did you say that?
Well, I thought that the better candidate was Datuk Najib (Abdul Razak, present deputy premier), because he had the highest vote (in the 2000 Umno party elections) and he has the ability. But I also thought that he was, maybe, a little bit young so he should give an older person a chance. That was why I decided on Abdullah.
You have made insinuations that Abdullah may not be qualified, that he may be a little incompetent, that he seems to sleep during meetings. Were you aware of his capabilities then?
If it is a comparison between him and Najib, I would say that he was less qualified. But I did not know about this desire (of Abdullah) to bring in his family in total disregard for the example that I tried to set – that the family has no role in the government.
(I also did not know he had) this idea that in order to prove yourself you have to disprove or demonise other people. I didn’t expect that. I expected that the things we have agreed upon would be carried out. There may be changes in approaches, or even in policies, but the general policies of the party has to be carried out. What he has done is to go completely in the opposite direction. That was not something I expected.
When you say ‘things that we agreed upon’, was there an agreement in terms of (Abdullah) being a one-term prime minister? Or carrying on for a second term? Or was there a gentleman’s agreement that…
No, I didn’t say anything about being a one-term prime minister. But I did expect him to pick on Najib as his deputy. Of course, he took a long time to make that decision, and at one time, I thought that he was not going to. But there was no specific agreement or understanding as such. I had assumed that it would be so.
The so-called peace talks with Abdullah was about six months ago. You did set out a list of things that you had wanted him to do. How do you evaluate what had happened since?
Nothing that I had stressed was implemented or accepted. Instead, he practically went in the opposite direction.
One of your criticisms was that the government was not spending enough money. That was the first two or three years of Abdullah’s administration. But you can see that in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, they are spending money.
Well, we don’t see the money being spent. When you stop something, to restart is very difficult. When we have this first, second, third, fourth (Malaysia Plans), they all merged into each other. The Eighth Plan would go into the Ninth Plan, because it takes time for the Ninth Plan to take off.
For example, if you want to develop a certain area, there will be a question of state government, there will be a question of acquisition of land, there will be a lot of protests, and all that. All those things take years, maybe three or four years. When you allocate money, it’s not going to be spent until three or four years down the line.
We don’t see the money being spent. What do you see? Even in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR in Johor), do you see anything happening? Do you see anything happening about building the (Johor-Singapore half-) bridge? Do you see anything happening about the (Penang) monorail?
We don’t see it. They’re all approved. They’re all supposed to be done, including the (Ipoh-Padang Besar) double-tracking (project). Because you stopped it. Had you continued, you would be spending the money that you say you have now
Going back to the peace plan, Abdullah said that your sons had bigger contracts than Scomi (an oil-and-gas company controlled by Abdullah’s son Kamaluddin). He was alluding as well that under your leadership these sorts of things were happening and that your family also received government projects.
No. Certainly not during my time, I never gave my children any special boosts or anything like that, but they did business on their own, largely, not with the government agencies. I think he was making reference to Mokhzani’s business.
(Mokhzani owns oil-and-gas engineering firm Kencana Petroleum. Half of Kencana’s RM437 million earnings in 2006 came from Petronas and Petronas-linked firms. Mahathir is currently advisor to Petronas.)
I can swear to you that I have never said one word in his favour. And if he requires that I go into a mosque and hold the Quran and swear that I never advised Petronas to give anything to Mokhzani, I’m prepared to do so.
Could it be that Petronas had acted on its own because he is your son and you were then the prime minister?
No, I don’t think so, I don’t think so. I think Petronas (acts) against (my advice) – if Petronas thought that it was in my favour, the likelihood is that Petronas would act against it. I find that although I am advisor to Petronas, I have never been able to influence Petronas in any way. In fact, I know very little about Petronas.
What about when you were the prime minister at the time of the Asian financial crisis and were accused of effecting the Malaysian International Shipping Corp’s 1997 bailout of Mirzan’s Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd (PKB)? (MISC financed the arrangements by issuing shares to Petronas).
Mirzan has explained very extensively over this. He went to see (Petronas chief executive officer) Hassan Merican, hoping that he could have some working relations with MISC. It was Hassan Merican who proposed to buy up his company. In a way, it would solve his (Mirzan’s) financial problems and he agreed. They had two people to evaluate and Petronas paid below the lowest evaluation.
He (Mirzan) sold it but he is still saddled with a lot of debts which he couldn’t settle. Petronas made a good deal because they bought at the lowest price possible at a time when the seller was in trouble. Then they made money operating it, and they sold it for more than twice the price. So Petronas had a good deal.
Wouldn’t you agree that this didn’t look good – the fact that you were the prime minister and your son benefitted from the state-owned petroleum company?
There was nobody (else to buy) and he wanted to sell to foreigners – I think that was not a good idea. Genting Group wanted to buy only the tankers (of KPB), and that would not solve his (Mirzan’s) problem. During that time, there was nobody who could buy. The only solution was Petronas, because Petronas had the money.
At no time you were consulted over this?
I was not involved in any way. That was his (Mirzan) negotiations with (Petronas). Of course, Anwar (Ibrahim, former deputy premier) says (in 1999) I took RM2 billion of government (money). There was no government money involved.
How about the talk that your son Mukhriz’s company, Opcom, received (during your premiership) a RM200 million contract from Telekom Malaysia to supply fibre optics materials?
Who would buy fibre optics except Telecom? Where (else) are you going to sell? He produced these things, and the price was good. Of course, immediately after I stepped down, the contract was cancelled and it was given to somebody else who was not even a bumiputera.
It looks like the other way is true, that if you are not related to the prime minister, you don’t get it. You must be related to the prime minister.
So you expect that Pak Lah would continue a few more terms?
Well, people are voting and every election they are winning. In Ijok (state by-election), of course, they will win. If they lose it, it is because of (Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd) Khir Toyo, if they win, it is because of the prime minister.
Assuming you had appointed Najib as prime minister and he stood for elections in 2004. Would the result be the same?
I think it would be the same. There was a kind of euphoria at that time when I stepped down, people were very sentimental and thought greatly of what has been done to the country, and I think that also had some influence, not just as (former information minister) Khalil Yaacob said, 99 percent (of the victory) was due to the prime minister. I think that if I left this country in shambles, you put the prime minister there, he’s not going to win.
Do you still think that Najib is the better candidate? Or have you changed your mind on that?
I think if Najib is not so afraid of losing his position if he displeases the prime minister, he would make a good prime minister.
At the moment, he is being attacked from all sides.
Everybody now is trying to secure his own position.
Given the fact that Najib is embroiled in the Altantuya (murder) case as well as the defense contracts involving the submarines and fighter jets…
It’s up him to defend himself. He says he can defend himself so…
Apart from Najib, is there anybody else?
It could have been Muhyiddin (Yassin, agriculture minister), it could have been anybody. The main thing is, you must dedicate yourself to developing the country, not to developing yourself, not to make money for yourself or your family, or things like that. Of course, you can’t prevent entirely your family from doing things for themselves. But it becomes too obvious when all members of your family has got a share in this or that. I think that is not good.
I suppose that advice goes to Najib as well.
Yes, it does. It goes to everyone, not just Najib.
What about the talk that Najib has been trying to meet you?
Najib can meet me any time, but there has been no requests whatsoever. In London, I did not meet him. He did ring me up just to say ‘how do you do?’
Have you met Najib since you stepped down?
In the mosque, yes. I met him before he was appointed (deputy prime minister). He used to come and see me.
Was he worried about that before he was appointed?
He believed that if I don’t push too hard, he would get it because he thought I might annoy Pak Lah (Abdullah).
There was talk at the time that Pak Lah had wanted Muhyiddin instead.
Yes. I think he (Najib) was scared of that.
Did you pressure Pak Lah to appoint Najib?
When I was prime minister, yes, I wrote to him. He said that he could not decide until he becomes the prime minister. Even after he became prime minister, I think he was aware that I was pushing for Najib.
What about after you stepped down?
After I stepped down, not much (pressure). I didn’t do anything.
Why do you think Najib would be a better prime minister? You think he would carry out the government policies that you have set in place?
I have watched the performance of my ministers. I know which one can do what, which one cannot do. I can decide which one is better than which one.
Is it because you owe something to Najib’s father (Tun Abdul Razak Hussain, the second prime minister who brought Mahathir back from the wilderness and suggested that he be appointed deputy premier when Hussein Onn took over)?
Oh, yes. That also. I think it would be normal to be grateful. Tun Razak has done me a good turn. Provided, of course, that Najib has the qualities. If he doesn’t have the qualities, I’m not going to select him either. But he has the right qualities. In addition to that, I became prime minister at least indirectly due to Tun Razak.
Najib has a bit different worldview than yours. He’s not as critical of the Western world as you are. Maybe his government policies would also be a bit different.
I think our worldviews will be slightly different, but by and large, they are more or less the same. I wouldn’t say, for example, that Najib would drop the (half-)bridge. He was talking about building the bridge to the very last moment.
What do you think about the allegations of the defence kickbacks in the purchase of the French submarines and Russian fighter jets? Were you aware of this when there was a buying spree towards the tail-end of your tenure? Were there talks then that outside parties were being brought in to act as go-betweens, and funds were being channeled out?
I don’t know. The problem is, we bought some things from Russia, and the Russians have appointed local agents so we have to work through local agents. There were several who claimed to be local agents. That, I wouldn’t be bothered about. That is for the Ministry (of Defence) to decide.
But the thing is, we go through a local agent, and of course, we should have gone direct and not go through local agents, but then, you will have your officers doing it, and when you have your officers doing it, then there will be the accusations that your officers are also corrupt.
Could we say this is a common procedure then – it goes on everywhere? Are we agreeing that there could be kickbacks, given all the way up to the minister himself?
It could happen, but it is a case of watching the minister.
As a prime minister, you should have done that, right?
I did. During my time, I did not hear these kinds of things.
Maybe people were afraid to bring it up during your time.
Well, that is the people’s fault if they don’t bring it out. There was no Malaysiakini.com at that time to bring up nasty things, and you know what I think about malaysiakini.
What do you think about malaysiakini?
It’s a useful medium. I never entertain hatred for people forever. There are people who tried to pull me down, I have appointed them into the cabinet and they have become prime ministers. These are the people who tried to stab me in the back. You see, I don’t harbour these things forever – (that) when I quarrel with a person, I will never talk again.
I can make up with Tengku Razaleigh (Hamzah, former finance minister) who had tried to pull me down. I have appointed Musa (Hitam, former deputy premier) to various posts. Of course, Rais Yatim (culture and heritage minister), Abdullah Badawi, all of them were re-admitted into the cabinet and who were promoted.
So malaysiakini is good when it is good. When it is bad – I will tell you when you’re bad. I don’t mince my words.
tunku : i really love this man, can’t help it, day by day he’s earning more respects/gratitudes/loves.Long live Tun Mahathir.
Posted by tunku at 1:51:00 AM Website – http://tunkuaisha.blogspot.com/2007/05/q-najib-scared-he-wouldnt-be-picked-as.html
Anwar Ibrahim is available for Media Interviews: AnwarIbrahim@MaximsNews.com
ANWAR IBRAHIM: BIO AND ARTICLES (MaximsNews.com, UN)
UNITED NATIONS – / http://www.MaximsNews.com, UN/ – 30 June 2006- MaximsNews columnist and potential U.N. Secretary-General candidate, Anwar Ibrahim is the former deputy prime minister of Malaysia.
ANWAR IBRAHIM was born on August 10, 1947 in Penang, Malaysia. He received his early education at his hometown before joining the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, a prestigious school that has produced several generations of Malaysian leaders. The college provided the environment for him to develop a keen interest in literature and public speaking.
He joined the University of Malaya at a time when Malaysia was undergoing rapid changes and that coincided with student rebellion all over the world. Anwar was active as a student leader and was elected president of several student organizations. He graduated in 1971.
After graduation, Anwar established his own school to cater for poor dropouts. He pursued his interest in social activism and was elected president of the National Youth Council in 1974 and international committee member of the World Assembly of Youth.
He founded the Malaysian Youth Movement of Malaysia in 1971 and was its president for 10 years. As Muslim youth leader he initiated a series of interfaith dialogue and forged solidarity with youth of other faiths in quest for social justice. In 1973 he was appointed as a member of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group to the United Nations Secretary General on Youth Affairs. Anwar was detained without trial for 18 months in 1974 following students’ protest in support of poor peasants.
Anwar was first elected member of Malaysian parliament in 1982 and subsequently appointed as a deputy minister. In the same year he mounted a successful challenge to take over the leadership of the Youth wing of UMNO, the anchor party of the ruling coalition.
He joined the cabinet as Minister of Youth in 1983 and later served as minister of education and finance. In 1987 Anwar was elected Vice-President of UMNO. While serving as Minister of Education Anwar was elected President of the UNESCO General Conference (1991).
Together with the late Prof. Ismail al-Faruqi (Temple University, Philadelphia) and Dr. Taha Jabir al-Awani, Anwar founded the IIIT (International Institute of Islamic Thought) in 1981 and later set up the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences in Ashburn, Virginia.
In 1993 Anwar was elected Deputy President of UMNO and appointed Deputy Prime Minister while he continued to serve as Finance Minister. In the same year he chaired the Asean-Vietnam Study Group, which prepared the report Shared Destiny: Southeast Asia in the 21st Century recommending the entry of Vietnam into Asean. In that year Euromoney magazine mentioned him to be one of the top four finance ministers of the year and in 1996 Asiamoney named him as Finance Minister of the Year. He was elected Chairman of the Development Committee of the IMF-World Bank annual meeting in 1997.
His interests in the role of culture led him to organize in 1995-1998, a series of conferences on the Asian Renaissance, aimed at crossing geo-political barriers between societies and nations and creating political structures to promote dialogue across cultures and civilizations.
Anwar jointly chaired the Pacific Dialogue (1994-1997) with Senator William Cohen. The group, comprising leaders from various disciplines across many nations in the Pacific Rim, were engaged in considering the challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region in the 21st Century and how it might attain lasting peace and prosperity. The group succeeded in formulating a “Pacific Charter” which sketched out a vision of a world in which there is not a clash of civilizations, but rather a “feast of civilizations,” a world characterized by interdependence, democracy, cooperative solutions and a rising tide of economic growth that lifts all nations.
In 1996 he was awarded the Presidential Medal by Georgetown University, Washington DC and honorary doctorate by the Ateneo de Manila University, the Philippines, for his contribution in promoting inter-religious understanding.
In 1998 Newsweek International named him Asian of the Year.
He was sacked from the government on September 2, 1998, later stripped of his party membership and incarcerated on 20 September on trumped-up charges. He regained his freedom in September 2, 2004 after acquittal by the Malaysian Federal Court.
He is currently member of the Executive Scientific Committee of the Fondazione Laboratorio Mediterraneo (FLM) in Naples. The major initiative launched recently is Mediterranean, Europe and Islam: Actors in Dialogue.
Anwar has published two books Menangani Perubahan (Managing Change), (Berita Publishing 1988) and The Asian Renaissance, Times Publications, Singapore, 1997 and more than a dozen articled including: “The Ardent Moderates,” Time magazine, August 1996;“Who Hijacked Islam?” Time magazine, October 2001; “We Muslims Must Reform Our Own Politics” The Asian Wall Street Journal October 2003; “There Is So Much to Do” Time magazine, September 2004; and most recently “The Quest for Social Justice” Global Agenda magazine (of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting) January 2005.
He is married to Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and the couple have six children.
Anwar Ibrahim is a Columnist for MaximsNews Network.
Anwar Ibrahim is available for Media Interviews: AnwarIbrahim@MaximsNews.com
MaximsNews Columns by ANWAR IBRAHIM
Website – http://www.maximsnews.com/1006maximsnewsanwaribrahimbio.htm
A Note to the Readers of MaximsNews from Anwar Ibrahim
AnwarIbrahim@MaximsNews.com
Dear MaximsNews Readers:
Thank you so much for all of your support.
There is no glory in six long years of separation from family and friends.
Nurul Hana, my youngest child, now age 12, has spent half her life without a father’s companionship.
And too many who supported me have had to endure too much slander, detention, beatings and the loss of means of livelihood.
Those who have borne these hardships include hundreds whom I have never even met.
I read a lot about culture shock, but now I’ve experienced what its all about.
Almost overnight, it seems, I’ve gone from “Inferno” to “Paradiso.”
Freedom, the taste of it, “it’s indescribable.” But moans and groans cannot help us win wars.
There is so much now to do that to dwell on what is in the past would itself be an injustice.
Due to the threat of terrorism, the world today is a much more dangerous place than it was when I was imprisoned six years ago.
Part of the frustration I always felt while in prison was my inability to contribute in a concrete way toward solutions.
At best, I have been an armchair “or, rather, wheelchair” critic.
In my 6 feet by 10 feet prison cell, I would wake up around 5 a.m. everyday and stay up until about midnight.
I occupied myself by reading, finishing the entire collection of Shakespeare and books on comparative religion, and used the time for deep reflection.
I have often wondered whether there was a mystical reason for my being put out of circulation during one of the most turbulent periods of human history, at least in my lifetime.
Given my contacts in both the Muslim and Western worlds, I would have been expected to play some diplomatic role in the so-called war against terrorism, and I would have been loath to shirk it.
I would definitely have convened the group of friends with whom I have been involved in the civilization dialogue project.
When we started the project years ago, the world was in relative peace.
And even we dismissed Harvard Professor Samuel Huntington’s theory of a clash of civilizations when it was published in the early 1990s.
I believe it is still not too late to prevent the fulfillment of that prophecy, despite the widening chasm between the Judeo-Christian world and the Muslim world.
But dialogue is urgent.
There are cynics who scoff at the idea of dialogue, pointing to the futility of decades of talks to resolve the Middle East conflict.
But dialogue among cultures is not the same as peace talks.
According to a popular song from the 1970s, “most of us will hate anything we don’t understand.”
The Quran gives a similar message in positive language, telling us that God created nations and tribes so that we will learn about one another.
And when we do, we will not only understand but, indeed, also appreciate each other’s values, for – I am certain of this – we will then realize that no single culture can claim a monopoly on morality or justice.
Anwar Ibrahim
AnwarIbrahim@MaximsNews.com
Website – http://www.maximsnews.com/anwaribrahim16sept2004.htm