steadyaku47

Saturday 12 September 2009

Anwar Ibrahim - he cannot sing he cannot dance....

Anwar Ibrahim was born in August 1947. Me in October 1947. Two months separates us at birth-enough for me to be able to say that he is older, but possibly two or three lifetimes separates us knowing what he has gone through in his life.

I remember the time when I wanted to meet up with him to find out what he was doing with his life. He was then teaching at one of the shop houses along Jalan Pantai – possible with Yayasan Anda if I am not mistaken. I did find him and he was indeed teaching and in slippers. At home that evening I casually told my father that I had met Anwar that afternoon. My father was then Director of CID. He stopped, looked at me and said sternly “Engkau tak ada kerja lain?” Whenever my father uses  “engkau” when addressing me I knew that he was not amused. And he then went on to lecture me as to why it would be in my best interest to keep away from Anwar!
  
Then I was away in Australia for a while and he became DPM.  I was at Ampang Shopping center with my Family patiently letting my kids wander around Toy R Us. As we walked up to the counter to pay there was Anwar. We hug and he smiled that smile that light up his whole face and then he was gone again out of my life for a few more years. But always the familiarity of old classmates made for easy banter every time we meet.

Then this time he was away for a while – six years I think – as the British like to say – At her Majesty’s pleasure in Sungai Buloh. I was with one of UMNO ex Ketua Bahgian  who had joined Keadilan when we heard that Anwar had been released and was at home. My friend wanted to immediately head for Anwar’s house in Damansara to pay his respect. Would I like to come along? He asked. I said ok. We arrived and there were people everywhere. We got into line and waited our turn. We were told that Anwar was not well – that he was sitting down and that anytime he might need to rest. One hour of waiting in line I eventually stood in front of him. He looked up from his chair, again with that smile of his, stood up and gave me a hug oblivious to what pain he must have felt –we talked for a few seconds and mindful of the others waiting to see him, I excused myself and walked on.


The last time I saw him was at a class get together in Bangsar – at Fauzi’s house, a school mate of ours who was the host - a few years back. As always his arrival was greeted with good nature ribbing and for the son of one of our classmates who had not seen Anwar before – that was a real treat. We sat and talked and I could see that age had caught up with all of us – Anwar included. He looked not as robust as I though he would be- after all he has always looked good whenever he was on TV and photographed well. But sitting beside me he looked vulnerable. 

Was the pressure of living constantly under public and media gaze getting to him? Was UMNO getting to him? I could not imagine what he had to go through on a daily basis in what he chose to do – POLITICS. It is one thing to be DPM where everything is laid out for you, another to be in the opposition. He constantly referred to Azizah in conversation with us and we could see that Family meant a great deal with him. As we talked I found myself thinking what more has he got to endure before his work is done. I did not envy the situation he was in.

But he had no regrets. No wanting to take his pound of flesh from those that have done him ill. A more spirited discourse came from him when we talked about Mahathir – but either he was in control of himself or that he did not think it worth his while to think to much of times gone by. The present was what mattered.


At 63 I will not run if I can walk. Stand if I can sit. Talk if I can be quiet. Anwar has chosen the path less traveled. This path requires an uncommon resolve to move relentlessly ahead no matter what. He stands in front of crowds everyday. He meets more people then he can remember everyday and all this he does with a willingness that belittle his age. He could be anywhere he wants to be in the world and be welcomed by world leaders and acquaintances. He could be in business and be rich beyond our wildest dreams. Instead he chose to serve the nation. He chose to take us to the next election because if Anwar does not do so, who will take us? I am sure sometimes in his moment of solitude he must question his capacity to physically last the distance but his commitment to our cause is great. That will see him through and he has said that Azizah has done enough while he was away.


This is a good man. As we all know he cannot sing well, neither can he dance well even if his life depended on it but he is decent man. I wish Najib and UMNO will do battle with him on a level playing field. I wish they could have enough compassion in their hearts to accept that Anwar had gone though more that a baptism of fire – a baptism that neither Najib or Muhyiddin could ever imagine or endure. But then it that would be like asking Bush to go fight Saddam one on one. No shock or awe, no overwhelming force meeting defenseless people, no doctrine of Rapid Dominance, no weapon of mass destruction on stand by just in case they are needed….none of the above. Bush would never survive.


We know that Anwar was with UMNO many years back. We do not know what he will be in the future. But this I know now. He and the other leaders in Pakatan Rakyat are the leaders we now have to lead us to the next General Election and they give us our best hope for a new beginning – without an UMNO that has already abused the trust we Malays placed in them many times over, without a corrupt PDRM, a cowered MACC, without a Government that steals from its people, without a Judiciary that does the bidding of its Political masters, without many of the injustices and unfairness that we now have. Are these not reason enough for us to give them the opportunity to do so? 

12 comments:

  1. Bro.,

    You know him close as you were classmates.
    I know him as he was my boss when I served in MOF. My unit was directly under him.

    On the day he was released from the jail,( I knew it from my wife who called me 'AY! your former boss dah di released!') it was 11 o'clock. I immediately drove to D'sara Heights. It was still a few people there and I was one in the early group. After about 30 minutes the crowd was so big that it was like uncontrollable with massive jam.

    I managed to get to him early through his driver Sani when he recognised me amongst the crowd.

    We should have met there, Bro!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The hopes of millions for a new, honest and people-uniting Govt rests on Anwar Ibrahim.

    Let' support him against those who are trying their level worst to bring him down!

    dpp
    We are all of 1 race, the Human Race

    ReplyDelete
  3. You wrote from the depth of your heart and clarity in your intelligence.

    ReplyDelete
  4. There are those people and this includes some Pakatan supporters but mostly its the UMNO types that claim these.

    Why do we trust DSAI now that he says a different thing that when he was in UMNO.

    My rejoinder is actually simple.

    You mean one can never change his mind? At least hes on the correct path now.

    Is he a worse person for having changed than one who is on the wrong path and still think they r more moral because they have not changed their paths (read all those in UMNO, MCA and MIC).

    Should DSAI not be respected more because he has changed his mind, ie people like Zaid also comes into this category!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Theres 2 other things DSAI needs to do besides leading Pakatan into the 'Battle of PRU 13'.

    1) He needs to find a leader, actually a younger DSAi if u must. He is getting on in age. The 2 single most important persons currently holding Pakatan together now is DSAI and TGNA. If either of them passes away without a clear and acceptable successor identified, I fear Pakatan will break apart in months!!

    2) Pakatan needs to identify a common charter , a so called mission statement if you will that is acceptable to all 3 parties. This will prevent the ultras from each party, the Nasharuddin Mat Isas, the Hassan Alis, the Zulkifli Nordins, the Jeff Oois who by their very utterances weaken the party.

    For me, NOTHING and I mean NO other issue matters to me more than getting rid of UMNO and BeeEnd.

    I think Pakatan people and I direct this to mainly DAP members, you lot should do well to remember what is really your No 1 Mission.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I may sound naive but from evil or bad God draws good. For all the bad done on Anwar (on malaysians too) God is drawing good by Anwar leading PR to a better Malaysia. sam@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Was it Adabi? I thought it was Yayasan Anda. And it is Muhyiddin not Mahyuddin. Just pointing out in case the No. 2 man whack you for not being able to spell his name correctly and therefore not fit to comment! You never know with this people.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kala Jengking...tqs mate...have done the correction. Better for you to whack me then the No 2 man !! Anytime you need to correct me ...please do so.

    ReplyDelete
  9. if u want to know a man well, look at the woman beside him. kak wan azizah is a perfect role model for all women! DSAI is anak bangsa msia's best hope after 52 long yrs!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bro,

    Check this one out:

    http://www.nurulizzah.com/site/2009/09/13/nurul-izzah-sings/

    I think she can sing and dance well. Such a breeze of fresh air!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Let's unite behind this need our nation has - to be free of the corrupted government that has brought this wonderful country to its knees!
    Wake up, let's wake every citizen - even more the Malays, in who's name this govt has been robbing these last 40 years! Let's wake every kampung person, every villager, every Sabahan, every Sarawakian-every Anak Bangsa Malaysia - time to save our nation!

    - CT

    ReplyDelete