Looking for Saints in the World of Politics ...

This is YL Chong writing today, at 12.39am Wednesday May 28, 2008. (I assure my Esteemed Readers there is no DDC in this write, for obvious reasons, quoting my buddy resident at mob1900.blogspot.com.) Trained as a journalist, I am moved to pen something reflective, hence subjective and may err in the detail as I traverse long periods -- and based much on my personal experience travelling the journey as writer-political activist-civil society promoter.

But let me start from the beginning:

I surfed to malaysiakini.com about 10 minutes ago, and read the following:

Should Anwar apologise?

Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh | May 26, 08 3:38pm

In a recent interview in The Star, Haris Ibrahim, the initiator behind the People's Parliament, made an intriguing observation. He said that he would like to hear PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim apologise for all his actions (and inactions) during his 16 years in government.

"My contention is very simple," he says. "Tell this nation, 'I was wrong. I am sorry and I want to work with you', and I think we can move forward."

Haris added that he had been tracking Anwar's public statements for the last few years and he has yet to see him make an unqualified apology to the nation.

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I stopped here because that was all I could access as I don't hold a subscription to malaysiakini.com. (Aside: I had planned to open one under the CPI account since I started work on a freelance basis for the Centre for Policy Initiatives soon after March 8, 2008, but procrastination is a writer's habit.)

But I don't regret not reading the remaining part of the article by "Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh" who I respect, as I think I would have been constrained writing what I am writing now if I read the full piece. Sometimes one's writing is best and free-flowing without any hampering by pre-conceived thoughts or influence from external factors out of my own mind.

I had wished to write an Essay about Sdr Anwar Ibrahim for some time now, but for some reasons or other, I hesitated. I wasn't motivated enough ... also I believe it wasn't timely. Today I am both motivated and feel it's timely.

Let me start by summarising key timelines in the subject's triumphs, trials and tribulations.

(1) Anwar during the UMNO period was much a creature influenced/powered/constrained by the UMNO politics in the main determined by RACE POLITICS, epitomised by mottos like KETUANAN MELAYU, Championing the NEP, Religion, Race and Country (Agama, Bangsa dan Negara).

(2) Anwar after September 2, 1998 was a creature of new circumstances following his sacking by then UMNO President-cum-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the Deputy UMNO President-cum-Depty Prime Minister. Thus began his fight against his former mentor-leader who had more or less snatched him about 16 years ago from the jaws of PAS to fast track his meteoric rise in race-based bastion of Barisan Nasional that is the UMNO.

(3) A journey of bitter lessons suffering through the Courts, brutality at the hands of the police, nothing less than by the person of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and subject of the basest humiliation from the Government systems he had served for 16 years; at the end of a show-trial, followed by serving six years' jail term on Corruption charges.

(4) Some six years later, post-imprisonment, Anwar is a new creature born into a party founded in his absence by his wife and family and a band of Reformists and first time politicians traumatised by the events post Anwar's fall from grace. But he had to serve out a five-year bar -- yes, Anwar was in political wilderness, like John the Baptist? Is that a good analogy?...) due to his standing conviction on corruption charges (though he fought a successful appeal against "sodomy" charges)

(5) Up till March 8, 2008 Anwar was just aboout 5 weeks shy of being eligible to contest the 12th General Elections (GE2008), but that did not stop him from playing a pivotal role, IMHO, in leading Parti Keadilan Rakyat to a great victory. Along with the party's spectacular gains of 32 Parliament seats from one set held by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail from GE2004, two other opposition parties, namely DAP and PAS, coasted along the Anwar tsunamic wave to also make tremednous strides, but not as spectacular as PKR's.

Paused @1.05AM as I hear the roar of distant thunder, and I think I smell the vapour soon to rise from the wet grass outside the garden: To be continued...

It is to be recalled that Anwar was a student leader when he had initial brushes with the infamous Internal Security Act, leading university activists under the Islamic banner protesting the BN government during his idealistic youth. It was the time of worldwide times of "anti-establishment" protests epitomised by the youthful anti-war demonstrations in the US against the American involvement the Vietnam War. The young Anwar also shone in social activism via the Muslim movement named ABIM.

PRE-UMNO POLITICAL PERIOD saw Anwar serving with religious fervour promoting the Islamic cause, prefacing a possible embrace of PAS as the political vehicle he would soon embrace. But the supreme strategist of the then PM Dr Mahathir, compelled mainly by the rising PAS tide, recruited Anwar into UMNO -- the term popularly used was that Anwar was "helicoptered" into UMNO. The rising star now considered a prize catch by the leading component party within the Barisan Nasional was singularly honoured with a Ministerial appointment without going through the ranks. This itself was a distinguishing feature which marked Anwar as a politician to watch. His rise in UMNO was best described as meteoric, holding important portfolios like the compulsory -- as for any PM prospect -- EDUCATION MINISTRY, FINANCE and DEPUTY PRIME MINSTER. One significant ministry he could have benefited from but was out of his grasp was HOME AFFAIRS, for that could have had, on hindsight, a bearing for future turning points to other political paths than that which eventually led to the Sungei Buloh prison.

Anwar as Education Minister was definitely radical as during his stewardship, Islamic studies and schools flourished, Bahasa Baku was introduced, and the slide of the English language as a teaching medium in schools and universities CONTINUED. This aspect is of "CONTINUANCE" of the Bahasa Melayu policy -- not initiation! -- was of utmost importance in that in UMNO politics, no PM-ASPIRANT could avoid playing both THE ISLAMIC and RACE, hence the MALAY LANGUAGE, CARDS TO ENSURE A STEADY RISE TO THE NATION'S CEO POST.

So it is mainly during his 16 years in UMNO Anwar chalked up the "evil" record that many of his past, present and furure critics will wield against him. And in this case, it gives rise to the inevitable call by a substantial segment of the Malaysian populace to demand their pound of flesh.

Q1. Would you think by saying "I'M SORRY" Anwar would be able to ensure an easier acceptance by his critics?

Q2. I would even ask: Do you think that even such an APOLOGY is deemed essential for the people's final accetance of Anwar as a future Prime Minister?

Before I give my answers, let me essay on why I titled my Post thus:

"LOOKING FOR SAINTS IN THE WORLD OF POLITICS".

Politics has often been defined as the "art of the possible".

Another acknowledged fact of politics is that politicians often adopt the dictum that "There are no permanent friends or foes in politics, only permanent interests"; so it follows that "The enemy of my political foe is my friend..."

So it is easy to understand why Anwar post-imprisonment was warmly embraced by the likes of DAP and PAS leaders plus Non-Governmental Organisation activists as they all deem the Barisan Nasional as their "common enemy". Any competing differences in ideology, loves and hates are sub-ordinated or subsumed by higher ideals, ncluding the commont cause of OVER-THROWING THE BN GOVERNMENT, which was the only government the Malaysian populace know since Independence in 1957.

Now that Anwar had discarded UMNO politics to lead the party his wife had led for the past decade as President -- Parti Keadialn Negara morphed into the Parti Keadilan Rakyat a few years back -- as its de facto leader the past year leading up to the 12th General Elections meant that his revious opponents in DAP and PAS had come round to accept that Anwar of the UMNO days was, has become, and is now a new political creature.

FOR THE RECORD, ANWAR WAS THE FIRST EX-UMNO LEADER WHO WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO CALL FOR THE ABOLISHMENT OF THE NEP (NEW ECONOMIC POLICY AND VARIOUSLY RENAMED A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT IN ESSENCE, SIMILAR TO THE ORGINAL NEP...).

And I would postulate -- I believe many, if not most, of my fellow Malaysians would agree -- that the NEP was the most divisive national policy that had long outlived its time and usefulness as originally envisioned, to last just 20 years. And a review, and an overhaul of this policy, is necessary and essential for Malaysia before it can truly start the building of a nation in the 21st century marked by the Globalised Village and Internet which places huge demands on the citizens to build up competitiveness in the borderless and closely ICT-connected, world market.

And Anwar had publcily stated in no uncertain terms on several occasions in public that his party PKR would replace the NEP with a NEW ECONOMIC AGENDA which discards the divisive criteria of colour, race, religion in concept and implementation. And I believe tis NEA was central to the "tsunamic" strides made by the Opposition, especially PKR, in the GE2008, as shown by the PKR raising its parilaemnt seats from 2004's soliatry ONE to 32 in March 2008.

Post March 8, 2008 after FIVE STATES fell into the joint control of PAS, DAP and PKR(under a new born coalition called the PAKATAN RAKYAT(PR), the DAP for the first time in the person of its Secretary-Genral Lim Guan Eng in his early days as Penang's Chief Minister, called for the abolishment of the NEP. To me it was an opportinistic ride the DAP took on the PKR core platform, but never mind, that's another issue.

So the main coalition partners to PKR in PR, that is the DAP and PAS, leaders have accepted that Anwar - even while not even elected as a Member of Parliament -- as de facto leader of the new Coaltion now incontrol of five key States in peninsular Malaysia. It is evident there is then this consensus of acceptance that Anwar's credentials as a "reformist" leader is beyond doubt.

The DAP and PAS laders are practical politicains. They were not, are not, will not, demand the qualities of a saint in Anwar in order for him to lead the coalition which is a probable alternative to form the federal government after UMNO-led BN. The primary reason, tomy ind, is that even the religion-based party like PAS do not use religious yardsticks to measure the worth and talent of a political leader. This demonstrates that reapolitik is far removed from the religious paths demanded by single-minded religionists who believe in the saintly virtues to fulfill in a man before this man can lead them to salvation.

But building a nation is not about seeking spiritual salvation. Nation building is a collective effort based on very human struggles to move cicil society while salvation is an just an individual's ultimate goal to book a place in that place called Heaven for those who believe.

Hencemy conclusion is that the Malaysian electorate have matured. they do ralise reapolitk is to realise the "possible" via politics in the evryday life of the average Malaysian. It is not to pander to some self-righteous voices preaching from high moral grounds.

So the time is right for Desi to give the answers to the two questions under study here.

"NO" -- to the Q1. Would you think by saying "I'M SORRY" Anwar would be able to ensure an easier acceptance by his critics?

"NO" -- to the Q2. I would even ask: Do you think that even such an APOLOGY is deemed essential for the people's final accetance of Anwar as a future Prime Minister?

Such questions are plainly redundant. We are seeking a human being -- not a saint -- to lead us in the new era for CHANGE, the very same message loudly and clearly promoted by the Oppositon parties and NGOs in the lead up to March 8, 2008.

May the Supreme One above bring us Malaysians and NegaraKu

p
e
A
c
e

and Progress Grounded on Change for the Better.

~~ Amen/Amin

UPDATEd at 10.30AM Thursday May 29, 2008:

My buddy resident at www.dinmerican.wordpress.com and dyde-ing out at Sdr Anwar's office in a nanny nook dan korner in Petaling Jaya, coincidentally wrote a piece of mind for the writers whose art was displayed at malaysiakini.com posing that question which motivated my write Yesterday, "when all our (Don's and mine) troubles seemed so far away ...".

Go read
SEPARATING PUNDITRY
from
SOBER COMMENT

thyself, I ain't gonna C&P thou expert since Pamper's doen't pay Desi!:( But one commenter day before JULES holds a candle...Do I see 20million on the far horizon? My Shangri-La to join late Nepalese King now as common as YL can be...?

However, eat this for desSerting me for DJ Din!:(


ylchong Posted May 29, 2008 at 2:28 am Permalink

"mGf Din 1/2americanICEd!

Good piece of mind.Mine of the same subject coincidently/accidentally? appeared at Desi’s Blue Heaven suffering quite a lot of blues nowadays wondering if Sdr Anwar’s plan would be the after shock oof March 8 tusnamic shake…?

I like this reflection: “No doubt, Anwar Ibrahim has done things to be apologetic about, notably his silence during the time of Salleh Abas’s judicial impeachment in 1988 and his quiescence during Operation Lallang in late 1987. Even then, any judgment of his conduct must be tempered by knowledge of the authoritarian character of the numero uno at that time, whom he subsequently defied and paid the price. No small price that!…”

AS I TOO noted in a poem I wrote aeons ago reminding Anwaristas about Tun Salleh Abas’ sacking and that Anwar was part and parcel of the Mahathir regime. As wisely noted by you, the NUMBER 1 dictated the events…

So frankly, my piece yesterday was premised on the fact that Anwar today is a changed “ceature” compared to his 16 years in UMNO for realpolitik dictates that one does the best and utmost under the previaling politcal environment.

So “NO SORRY” reuqired-lah of PKR de facto chief — the party in Selangor must “deliver” over the next 4-5 years, that’s the SUPREME test! — Desi, knottyaSsusual