Making a stand !!

They can say that Anwar is tainted. They can say that the core within PKR were all once UMNO people. That PR handling of Sabah was not correct. That there are fundamental problem within PAS leadership which, if not resolved, will lead to its break up into UMNO /PR factions. That Lim Kit Siang put his son as Chief Minister of Penang. That Khalid in Selangor is out of his depths in trying to bring some semblance of good governance to this most developed of states in Malaysia. What else? You want some more? Yes there are more! Why has Zaid taken six months sabbatical? Jeffrey Kitingan  has resigned as PKR  vice president in Sabah? PKR Sec Gen has resigned? We can go on and on – but here is the reality!

We are fighting a coalition call Barisan Nasional with UMNO as its apex – and they will not allow us to play on a level playing field. They make and break the rules as they go along. They make and interpret the rule to suit their purpose. They have a Judiciary that have time and time again by its decisions shown us that it will do the bidding of their political masters – UMNO. Of course PDRM and the Army are loyal to the Government of the day – and so they should! UMNO has untold richness stolen from the nation coffers to finance their fight against anybody they perceived to be their foe– and Pakatan Rakyat and those with Pakatan Rakyat are their foes.

They are without question a formidable lot. And at the head of this formidable lot is Najib – a Prime Minister whose morals and ethics are questionable – not in a vague manner but with clear cut links to a murder to a Mongolian Lady call Altantuya, a proven track record of working with Aduns in Perak who are under investigation for corruption – but justifies his action as a means to an end – and unashamedly dragging the Sultan of Perak into his conspiracies with money, lots of money! And again with Saiful this Najib, after denying he had done so, had to agree that he did meet with this person to plot the taking down of Anwar again on sodomy charges.   

This same Najib also has a wife Rosmah, who chose to ride on the coat tails of her husband when he was Minister of Defense and now with relish - as Prime Minister. Not as a patron of Batik like Endon or to encourage Badminton as with Toh Puan Dr Siti Hasmah – but as the bag man for projects and defense supplies – earning her the much deserved Rosmah ten percent – and now she has the whole country to work on – no longer just MINDEF! What havoc will she cause now?

So against all this that I have said – what do I do? Am I to be whiter than white in my deeds? Am I to check and double the accuracy of every information, data or ‘facts’ forwarded to me before I post it in my blog? Am I to refrain from making innuendos or accusations of ‘innocent’ UMNO political elites because they cannot reply to what I write? Do I need to ponder deeply before I refer to Hishamuddin Hussein as “DIN” when he can contemptuously allude to wanting to fill the jails to the brims with ISA detainees? 

 NO I DO NOT!

 I WILL GIVE AS GOOD AS I GET FROM THESE IDIOTS.

If they cannot stop me from writing because I am in Adelaide. Good that is to our advantage! If the Public read what is in all the blogs and are prodded by these blogs to start thinking about real change in Malaysia. Good! If the powers that be constantly harass these bloggers – even threatening legal action and physically attempts to stop them from being on air - and still cannot stop these bloggers from operating. Good! If they cannot get their grubby hands on Raja Petra – Good. We are the better for it because he can continue to work on MT2Day. Another day, another article! That will wear them down.

And yet I hear that the chatter in cyber space seems now to be doing the work of UMNO and Barisan Nasional – to kill our own! Why should we commit Hari Kiri when we have not even begun our fight against UMNO in earnest?

Do I see this in the Government Control Media? In the TV station? From within UMNO are there rumblings against Najib – against the leadership in UMNO? No I do not!

We must stop this tall poppy syndrome “a societal phenomenon in which people of genuine merit are criticized or resented because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers”. If we do not support Pakatan Rakayat – who else?

Yes the people voted Pakatan Rakyat – but do we stop to think who gave the people that alternative choice to UMNO? It took effort, determination, focus, belief, confidence and of course money to make Pakatan Rakyat a reality. I still remember that I went to visit a friend of mine in one of the small kampongs in Pahang. He told me that Anwar had asked for his help to put together a candidate to stand against UMNO somewhere in Pahang. In fact Anwar called while I was with this friend of mine to talk to him. I took the phone from this friend of mine and asked Anwar what was he doing calling this friend of mine! After that call my friend and me sat down to discuss the pro and cons of him getting himself involved with PR. I am ashamed to say that I told him to think very carefully before he committed himself to Anwar!

And then there was my cousin Yem. He wanted to stand for Keadilan in Titiwangsa. This time I kept my silence but another cousin of mine working with DBKL thought it necessary to have a word with Yem (supposedly on behalf of DBKL?) and told Yem that there are better things to do! Nevertheless Yem made his own decision on this matter  - and I am happy to say that he is still now in Keadilan doing his “National Service”.

And so my friend what I am saying is this. Yes the people voted Pakatan Rakyat in – but let us say that it was a joint effort – the people wanted change, Pakatan Rakyat provided the option.

And now because we voted them in they must be perfect? I am not perfect. I have many skeletons in my cupboards. My wife is not perfect – and yet I married her. She married me. She is 63 and I am 63 and we are still working on making our marriage right after over 40 years of being together.  But our love is strong enough to weather almost anything. Almost…but it will do for now.

For Pakatan Rakyat I believe there is enough common sense within them to make them understand what it is that they are facing in UMNO. What our expectations and aspiration of them are and more important – what they need to do to win the next General Election. In the process they have to contend within their camps with politicians who have vested interest, politicians with making money on their minds, politicians who will do what they must to attain power. As they say - in politics your enemy cannot kill you but you friends can.

Pakatan Rakyat is not perfect. Anwar or any of the leader within PR are not perfect – but each have served their time, gone through enough trials and tribulations without having to cop any more from us. In contrast what have UMNO leaders gone through? The good life, ostentatious consumption, cracking their head trying to decide how much Petronas and Proton should ‘contribute’ towards F1 Malaysia Team? Who should get what from the next wave of privatization? Who gets to use which private Jet to go where? How much money they will make from which projects? And Din is day dreaming about being DPM - so watch out Mahyuddin!

I know that we bloggers would like to give our readers the impression that ours is an impartial and fact filled blogs that will always be a champion for the oppressed and the downtrodden. That we are there to give voice to those with grievances unheard by the powers that be. That our cause is nobel. 

Well I think it is time I make myself clear. For me I am with the opposition Not with UMNO but with the opposition. If the credible opposition is Pakatan Rakyat – so be it. And I want to work towards the creation of an effective opposition that would give any Government of the day a run for its money – and that will include UMNO, when they are in opposition. I cannot be more clear then that as to where I stand. No I am not pro Anwar. If you read my earlier postings you will understand why I say this. I am for Lim Kit Siang, for Tok Guru and for all those that will stand against UMNO and Barisan Nasional. And if Anwar will stand beside me in this fight against UMNO then I am with him…or dare I say he is with me?