And Pakatan Rakyat, despite some signs of minor differences played up by the largely UMNO- and MCA-controlled mainstream media, is well prepared to take over the mantle of governing Malaysia. That was the essence of the core message delivered by PKR de facto leader Sdr Anwar Ibrahim and quite newbie recruit from UMNO, lawyer-cumformer minister Zaid Ibrahim last night in Seremban.
Anwar stressed that it was the media who gave frontpage coverage on "minor" differences among the PR component parties but scant look at the country's national problems that gave an impression the three PR components were not working well. But as Zaid, former de factor Minister for just one year in Pak Lah's regimewho tried to reform the coalition from within but gave up in despair, said the UMNO-led BN is way beyong reair. And PR is in a position to anseer the challenge of taking over the reins of government, although there are many challenges fronting the nascent Pakatan Rakyat, Zaid added.
The occasion was a Dialogue on Malaysia-- Which Way Forward? held last night at the Sungai Ujong Club in SEREMBAN, atttended by some 300 (Peyton Placesque?) residents quite proud to celebrate the potential/future Prime Minister's 62nd birthday. Lending support and showing a united voice were PAS leader ***Zulkifli Mansor and DAP MP for Rasah Anthony Loke at the main table, hosted by NS PKR Chairman-MP for Telok Kemang Kamarul Bahrin.
Looking like in his forties, self-remarked in a rousing speech interspersed with Shakespearean quotes and Malaysian village/kampong/townish humour -- the man often referred as DSAI marked the milestone minus the usual pomp of a cake-cutting ceremony. Instead that was the usual "greAting" with the birthday song as he entered the SUC hall filled with members, supporters -- even Gerakan members! as DSAI knottily noted! -- with the attendees having paid RM100 each for a simple buffet dinner. The comers were educated into Pakatan Rakyat's truly multi-racial approach which has got the BN into an "under siege" mental mode, and entertained -- yes, the special guests were two good orators! Refering to age, DSAI referred to a famous quote (Desi thinks it's by Mark Twain...?) that "Age is a matter of mind over matter. If you don't ind, it doesn't matter!", the Opposition Leader quipped.
Anwar observed that the Najib regime ignored corruption on a big scale committed by his own people, citing the Port Klang Free Zone billion-riggit scandal and at a personal level, the over RM20million mansion owned by the ex-Menteri Besar of Selangor Khir Toyol. But the same regime found it fit to hound down PR leaders, including the tragic death under MACC custody of political aide Teoh Beng Hock, merely a witness to a RM,2380 case involving alleged misuse and charges of misppropriation of contintuency funds by Selangor DAP leaders. Anwar also recounted the other prominent case of Kugan,another death while in police custody, which the PR leadrs had championed to unravle as to the true causes of death as with Beng Hock's,with no race or etnic origin of the victims being a factor at all in their pursuit for Justice.
Anwar said under the present Najib Razak regime, it was more of the same rape and abuse of the Constitution -- which the founding Fathers had wisely incorporated into features like safeguarding the sanctity of conscience and human dignity and property - with its terrible record of thousands of deaths of Malaysians while under police detention with no accountability from the authorities, showing their total disres[ect for human life and dignity.
As Zaid recalled, he tried to do his best at reforms during his time as a member-lawyer in UMNO for more than two decades, but he came to the conclusion that the UMNO was beyong redemption, and now the challenge is for PR to take over. He further noted the country had experienced 22 years of dictortorial rule under the Mahathir regime, followed the past five years by rule without the rule of law.
Anwar called on the Seremban folks to sign up as party members and contribute in any way to help PR parties grow, and if they could not donate RM50, then contribute RM100. And Desi believed the man with a conscience who languished in prison for six years for a crime he did not commit, last night won over many converts to the agenda for Change -- above race, creed and colour. Maybe Sdr Anwar "benefited" from reading Shakespearen works, yes he read the compleat works of The Bard "four times over!" while at Sungai Buloh,gaining a deep understanding of the human race with shated "universal values" such as respect for the sanctity of life and dignity, the exercise of freedoms including the freedom of speech.
Anwar saidhe encourgaed his own children -- and he urged all Malaysians too -- to master the English language, and even Mandarin too if possible, because such mastery would equip them well in an age of growing dominance by economic powers such as China. "Speaking English well or even engaging in ceremonies out of respect for other faiths does not make me any less a Malay or Muslim," Anwar told an applaund audience. The former DPM shared some insights into great works of Nobel laureates like economist Amartya Sen, poet-philosopher Rabidranath Tagore, and Chinese sages like fu Tze (I hope I got this right! If not,blame it on the BUMmer named Desi:).
Malaysians will benefit from PR's struggle anchored on an economic agenda that transcends religious, colour and ethnic roots, as reflected by the three PR component parties working together. Among the imperatives facing Malaysia is pursuing Change from the much abusive and corrupt regimes under UMNO for the past 51 years, rooting out the "racial bias" as epitomised by the New Economic Policy which mainly enriched the rich in UMNO and a small group of their cronies. The real change and reforms for the better of a united Malaysia that looks beyond race and colour and creed, as mmanifestly longed for by Malaysians post March 8, 2008, will succeed only outside of the Barisan Nasional regime, as Zaid shared from his long labour and experience within UMNO.
DESIDERATA: Updated @12.50PM -- A reader contacted YL to draw attention of an ***ERRATA: Sdr Zukefly Mohamad Omar is the right name, and he's the NS PAS Commissioner. Minta maaf, Desi's AP--not the RM20k-generating kind! THat's reserved for ex- or current MITI minister and his/her son/daughter and son-in-law or daughter-in-law or outlaws:)
SECOND UPDATE @2.32PM -- read the following report by The Malaysian Insider that shows that UMNO is indeed suffering an "under siege mentality", and is desperately working hand-in-glove with certain MSM, especially the Utusan Malaysia, to work up a frenzy with its campaign that propagates the notion that "Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is a traitor to the Malays/Muslims".
Anwar challenges Najib to choose 1 Malaysia or racist propaganda
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani and Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
PETALING JAYA, August 11 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today challenged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to decide if he wanted the country to be based on his 1 Malaysia concept or one which promoted a racist agenda.
Calling Najib's bluff?... Anwar at an event for Indian members of PKR last month, questioning now if Najib's 1 Malaysia includes everyone. – File picture by Choo Choy May
The Opposition Leader, who has been accused by Umno of being a traitor to the Malays, said that Najib had to stop the race rhetoric being employed against him or risk 1 Malaysia becoming cheap propaganda.
“On the one hand Datuk Seri Najib talks about 1 Malaysia but at the same time Umno media and supporters were instructed to play up the issue of Malay interests and that I am a traitor to the Malays,” he said.
Umno leaders and Utusan Malaysia have become more strident in their remarks in what is a palpable attempt to shore up its position as the defender of Malay interests.
The DAP has been the subject of heavy bombardment of late, with Umno and Utusan accusing the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) party of being anti-Malay and anti-Malay rulers.
Last week, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of being a traitor of the Malays, and despite the threat of a RM100 million lawsuit, the deputy Umno president has refused to retract his remarks or apologise. Anwar said today he had no interest in participating in a personal dispute with the deputy prime minister and wanted to instead engage in terms of policies.
He said that this was not the first time that Umno had tried to target him and believes that this new attempt to discredit him is clear evidence that Umno was desperate.
“I did not surrender billions of ringgit worth of property to big gaming tycoons, mountains and hills and islands. I did not take Bumiputera shares and contracts to enrich my family. Let Umno leaders therefore explain,” he said.
Anwar stressed that the issue of his alleged betrayal would not derail him from fighting for the poor Malays and against the Malay leaders who are “exorbitantly wealthy and use racial issues to protect their interests.”
“UMNO’s continued betrayal of the people goes on with scandals of misappropriation of public funds in the name of weapons commission, abuse of contracts and licenses which were meant for Bumiputeras but subsequently usurped by Umno’s families and cronies,” he said.
Anwar explained that Pakatan Rakyat and its leaders are committed to upholding the basic principles under the Federal Constitution which includes Islam’s position as the official religion of Malaysia, as well as the rights and privileges of the Malays and other races.
“We will remain steadfast in our commitment to build a united Malaysia for Malays, Chinese and Indians. I don’t want this new wave of attacks to deflect attention which exposes the true characters of Umno leaders,” he said.
Anwar was also bewildered as to why Umno had been adamant in labelling him a traitor and wondered if Umno was trying deflect public attention from the real issues.
“What is the intention of playing this up? Was it because of my presence at Teoh Beng Hock’s funeral? Or my exposing of the massive corruption of PKFZ, land scandals, billions of shares squandered by Umno leaders. “They should have answered these questions instead of resorting to such a slanderous and racist propaganda,” he said.
Anwar also told reporters that Umno’s slanderous accusations has left his personal security in jeopardy and will hold Umno responsible if anything happened to his family.
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