steadyaku47

Monday 24 August 2009

Anwar Ibrahim

Is Anwar Prime Minister material? I have always said this of Anwar. He is the best possible candidate there is in Malaysia now to be PM by default. Now whether he will be a good Prime Minister and whether he will be that someone who will lead our country to the brand new beginning that we want is another matter. Why do I say this?
 
When Anwar became DPM under Mahathir he was not the same person that I use to know nor was he the person he has now become. Whether that person he had become while he was DPM and Minister of Finance a good person or not is debatable and open to debate. But invariably in these ‘value judgement’ situation what ever we want to think would be correct when it is looked from our very own perspective. But this we know. He was a full-fledged active willing convert to UMNO and whatever it was that UMNO was then. He was into nepotism, he was into cronyism, he was into ‘jobs for the boys’, he was into awarding of contracts and tenders to ‘preferred parties’ and all the corresponding pros and cons that these acts are wont to perpetuate.
 
That he was seen to have changed and acted against Mahathir will be claimed by him to be his moment of ‘seeing the light’. I question that claim. Anwar, a Politician par extraordinaire, found himself in a situation where he would lose his status in the hierarchy of UMNO, would lose his position as DPM and worse – would lose what power he then had and subsequently the post of PM that he thought was his. He is too astute a man to not know this when Mahathir wanted him out. He could not fight from within because Mahathir had the numbers to ensure that it will not happen. Anwar did the next best thing he could – take himself out of UMNO and begun his fight against his previous master and party.
 
All the accusations against him became immaterial because they are just a means to an end. The end was to neutralize him effectively and bury him six feet underground and relocate PWTC over his grave.
 
That he is able to survive the physical and mental hardship of prison and many years in the wilderness of politics is a testimony of his ability to endure on a personal level – but for what purpose?
 
To right the wrong that he has seen perpetuated by UMNO upon the Malays and our country? Maybe. To galvanise the people against these wrongs and injustices from which he himself has suffered? Maybe. To claim back the PM post as was promised to him by Mahathir? Maybe. Revenge against those that had condemned him to many years of hell? Maybe. Only Anwar knows.
 
But the Anwar of today is what we want, what we need to lead us to the next General Elections that can see the end of UMNO as we know it. This I am confident Anwar can and will do. But it would be wise for PR to start the process of finding who will come after Anwar. I believe that Anwar will not only find the strength to take us to the next General Election but he will ensure our victory - but we should not expect much more of him after that. Let him rest. For we will have need of leaders who will take the winning of the next General Election as the beginning of our journey to a new Malaysia – not, as I think Anwar would want to think, of it as being the end of a journey for him.      

6 comments:

  1. its easy for you to wish that...anwar become the PM because you live in Australia....and have had your enjoyment in life...many times over...and all during UMNO reign....
    while the rest of us who still strugle in life...have to live with anwar, dap, pas...for the rest of our life in Malaysia.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If you read what I have written you will see that what i said was " I believe that Anwar will not only find the strength to take us to the next GE but he will ensure our victory-but we should not expect much more of him after that". At no stage did I say that he should be PM! I said after the GE "Let him rest".
    Ask yourself this -If i enjoyed life in Malaysia so much - why the hell did I want to move to Australia? Do not make assumptions that have no basis of truth. It is a physical struggle for me to earn a living in Australia but nobody - not UMNO, not PAS not DAP - can tell me what I can or cannot with my life in Australia. And that to me is more important then enjoying life in KL. So be fair - do not second guess me. You have no idea what I have been through in life and neither do I know what you have been through. I can talk about Anwar because I know him. He is my classmate and I know enough about him to form my own opinion of whether he should be PM or not - but that is my own opinion.

    But tqs for reading and taking the effort to comment. I wish more people would do what you do - tell me what they think of what I write and then I tell them what I think of what they think of me !! Regards.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello Hussein,

    I have been following your blog for a few straight days now. And I have been reading all of what you have written in the August folder and working on July. I like to read what you write, your take on the various situation in Malaysia. I also like to read your take on life, your life, although you touch on it just a bit.

    I am coming to 37, Libra, got a wife and 2 young daughters (2 and 5) and hopefully, my wife and I will have the opportunity to have a 3rd kid. The kids are keeping me alive and happy most of the time. And I took interest in how Malaysia take shape, I have to say, only since/during the recent GE (GE2008). In the past, I thought our government was not too bad in running the country, I am generally a positive guy. I try to take everything at face value, and I could not imagine why our own country-men can plunder the country's wealth and have a total disregard for their countrymen welfare. At best, crumbs are left for the countrymen. Till today, I cannot bring myself to understand that, still dumbfounded by it all. This is our country, our own people. If the objective of life is to be happy, why can't they think of helping people or their own countrymen as being happy, to put it simply. There has to be great satisfaction in it right? Service above self? Shit...I am not even asking for that in the first place. All I am asking is that, take your pay or whatever that you need, live comfortably with humility but please please don't ever forget to serve. How can the current BN government be so darn crude in their takings and not giving? Or I am being too darn naive?? I suppose I have got a bunch to learn.

    Hussein, you got a gift in writing, in putting things into perspective, in sharing your thoughts and I hope you keep on doing what you are doing. And I also hope that you and your family are in the happiest of times and great health. I look forward to your writings and always your comments.

    Jack

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jack,

    hi and tqs for your words of encouragement. Its 6.33am here in adelaide -winter and I have been awake since 5am because of you! Yes because of you! I woke up at 5am to go watch what is happening in the world on CNN - on my way to the TV I switch on my PC just to check my mails...and read what you e mailed me. After reading my mails I sat down to CNN but my mind kept going back to what you wrote...and I could not concentrate on the news...I kept telling myself that I better do some more writing so that I can put some more of what is in my head into my blog and share it with Jack and the others...so i had a hot shower (at 5am in the morning in winter!) and started writing....once I have had my shower there is no going back to sleep again...so you are to be blame if I do not have enough sleep today!

    Keep in touch. Regards.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hussein,

    Thank you for your reply. I am flattered that I made a difference. Is important, here is why.

    Is not farfetch to say that i am from a different generation from you, though born in 72, I grew up with Mahathir. Never knew, Hussein Onn, Razak and Tunku. What is happening in Malaysia today took years to form, the good and the bad. You are from the pre-Merdeka generation, so you would know. For the benefit of people like me, at least, your knowledge or whatever that you have in your mind, speaks volume, and can have the potential to educate thousands if not millions of people just like me. Ignorant for the most part of their life about how our country has become today.

    Suffice to say, that your views will have added views from other people, some pro some cons, but whatever, it is still views. that will make it better. I believe though our religion or culture is diffirent but our values and intention should be in line towards uplifting our country and its people.

    So, Hussein, your 62 (oops, you are scorpio, so you are still 61) years of information in your soul, share it, if not I think it will be a big waste.

    Jack

    ReplyDelete
  6. Seems like a friendship is blooming! I knew you'd be a hit HH! :)

    Your blog is getting noticed! Not only because it has appeard on Malaysiakini and Malaysia today but because of the content!

    :)

    ReplyDelete