With thanks to Iskandar
Friday, 24 October 2014
As If We Never Said Goodbye
Once upon a time in
beautiful Malaysia, a political star reached his peak, fell from grace in
Sodomy I and II but rose again albeit a pale shadow past glories. Standing in
the sunset boulevard of his political career, Anwar Ibrahim’s fate will be made
known next week when the Federal Court will hear his appeal against the
five-year prison sentence he received in March this year on charges of
sodomizing a male aide after the appeals court overturned an earlier acquittal.
A sharp contrast from the
Sodomy I years, Anwar Ibrahim now faces waning support because the crowds at
his gatherings to drum support have diminished not just numerically, but also
in the faint decibels of ‘Reformasi’ cries. The plain and painful truth is the
Reformasi he promised decades ago, is still in the shadows, just like his
shadow cabinet. His face, wrinkled with deep lines of worry on his forehead,
speak volumes about the harsh reality he faces not just from the judgement next
week but also the fact that he stands to lose everything he had hoped for and
had been strategizing not just for PKR or PR, but for his own elusive dreams.
But then again, he has
himself to blame, erring not just in his ways but also the choices he made,
some of which he had to pay a heavy price – years in prison. A lesson he never
learnt, the grim prospects of a déjà vous stands before him for he not
only faces a sodomy charge, but also sedition charges.
Most shamefully, instead
of summoning local support, Anwar Ibrahim has openly criticized Australia for silence over his case when
meeting Australian Senator Nick Xenophon in Jakarta. According to Sydney
Morning Herald, Anwar Ibrahim said that no Australian leader since John Howard
in 1998 had spoken up on his behalf.
Why would any
international leader risk overstepping boundaries and decorum by interfering in
legal matters of another country’s court? Wise and experienced as he professes
to be, Anwar Ibrahim should take the cue from the fact that for 16 years no
Australian leader has voiced support for him.
To exacerbate matters, it
is ironical and disgraceful that Anwar Ibrahim bypassed his Pakatan Rakyat
partners – DAP and PAS – and chose to hobnob with Nick Xenophon ‘to discuss an
international support campaign if, as expected, he goes to prison later this
month’.
Is this the real Anwar
Ibrahim at his lowest point and at his worst akin to a desperate drowning man
clutching at any straw for any glimmer of political survival?
Instead of globetrotting
to various leaders of media, an act which clearly seems to be his current hobby
as he did the same for the MH370 tragedy, should he not be liaising with DAP
and PAS leaders as to what will happen to the echelons of leadership in the
worst case scenario?
A responsible, dedicated,
and people-centric leader would be meeting his voters to assure them of
contingency plans for the constituency that elected him.
Sorry, that is not in
Anwar Ibrahim’s interests. The role of the rakyat is just to clap for him,
attend demonstrations, cry and wail, carry placards with anti-government
messages and disgrace themselves by not behaving within decorum and of course ,
not forgetting the most important – they have to vote for him. After that, they
are clearly forgotten.
You see, dear Malaysians,
it never was, never is and never ever will be about the rakyat or Malaysia.
It is always about Anwar
Ibrahim, his wonderful glorious self must be promoted, elevated, pitied,
sympathized and whatever his high and mighty self desires.
Without sounding mean or
wicked, I doubt many would be affected or concerned if the worst-case scenario
happens next week. His record of failed achievements has shed a dark and
menacing shadow over his name. Like him, we are all tired. His has been
postponed sixty-six (66) times – the longest in Malaysian history!
Who can forget September
16 that never was? Will the shadow cabinet ever see the light of day or forever
remain shadowy like in the vampire flick ‘Twilight’? How can we forget
the ludicrous allegation of 40k foreign voters flown in to vote in 2013? Then
there was the overhyped manipulated Kajang by-election and the so-predictable
and boring Menteri Besar debacle.
If Anwar is indeed such a
righteous leader, there would be no need to slam Australia or to appeal via
foreign media to support him. The rakyat would be behind him. However, are
they?
Nope. Here is the evidence:
PKR has summoned its
branches nationwide to mobilize hundreds of busload of supporters to the Palace
of Justice in Putrajaya next week to demand freedom for their leader Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim.
PKR secretary-general
Rafizi Ramli directed the party's more than 200 branch leaders to show support
for their cause to free Anwar from sodomy conviction.
The truth of the matter
is this. Anwar Ibrahim turned his back to the rakyat and treacherously turned
to foreign support. The rakyat and the nation have been betrayed, and
many do not even know it, including PR leaders.
Suffice to say come
October 28, Anwar’s destiny will be signed, sealed, and delivered. In the
worst-case scenario, it will be “As if we never said goodbye” like the famous song from Sunset Boulevard. With all his empty and broken
promises, Anwar is a fading and fallen star sans all the respect and
support he enjoyed.
When curtain call comes
for Anwar Ibrahim, he will stand alone in his Sunset Boulevard in the Palace of
Justice where justice must indeed be served on one man who fooled Malaysians,
for far too long.
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