PKR new Vice President shows his political skills

Apang

PKR Sarawak is hot on the trial to do the unthinkable – capture Sarawak from the BN after almost five decades. After its historical direct election that is now inked on Malaysian political history, PKR has moved forward to fill the many positions by appointments. Sarawak PKR has seen a few of that.

Those receiving publicity centers around the re-appointed State Liaison Chairman and renowned native land rights lawyer, Baru Bian. But it is the appointment of an unknown,
John Tenewi Nuek ( Photo Right ) as Vice President that caught many by surprise – it is more appropriate to say “confirmation” that Anwar Ibrahim still has lots of UMNO/BN in him. It is obvious that leaders do not have to have a track record of serving the people to be appointed to top posts, as the PKR appointment of the new Vice President confirms. It may as well be a BN appointment. After all, the UMNO/BN is famous for even perfecting such practice.

But beyond the appointment of people without track record to high position, it leaves to speculation that Anwar is still playing the racial card in Sarawak, just as he did in Sabah. How else to explain that of all the four Sarawakian appointees – Vice President (John), Sarawak Liaison Chief (Baru), MPP (Chee How and Zulrusdi Mohamad Hol) – only two have public records (just Google) of serving the rakyat in Sarawak irrespective of race, religion and gender and beyond party/electoral mean – Baru Bian and See Chee How ( Photo below ).

As the saying goes, you can take Anwar out of UMNO/BN but it is another thing to take UMNO/BN out of that person!

Questions for the new VP John Tenewi Nuek

Unless I am being lumped into the factions within the PKR Sarawak for such categorizing of the new Vice President, a rather typical reaction from those who rely solely on political cronyism and nepotism to rise (and fall), l should place on record the new Vice President’s “BN-Government-serving” record as Malaysia’s ambassador to too many countries and too irrelevant to be named here. There is none which points to Sarawak’s marginalized and oppressed people being represented. The new VP even said he “served the BN government” during his time in the civil service!

As such, he joins the countless former BN-rewarded civil servants who ‘is critical of Taib.’ “Being normal lah for disgruntled retirees who criticize after they are out of service” was how an activist academician puts it. “After all, even UMNO can be critical of Taib, so no big deal lah!”

The new VP is emerging from retiring now, it seems. With his new appointment, he needs to. So in probably the first since his appointment, see what the new VP said, as is quoted:

“As an ambassador, I served the BN government, and at one stage it was with full conviction and I was proud of it.

“But I have observed that the BN government has deteriorated.”

So the new VP had no problem with the BN government when he was serving under Mahathir? So it is only after Mahathir that the BN Government had deteriorated? Mahathir must be so very pleased with his loyalist in the new PKR VP!

John goes on, “For example, you must defend government policies, especially on ISA, explain to other diplomats Anwar Ibrahim’s ‘black eyes’, Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks on ‘shoot on sight’ rather than the word ‘shoo’ against the Vietnamese refugees, Bruno Mansur’s presence in Malaysia and on environment and so on.”

Can the former ambassador and new PKR VP share with all, especially Anwar, how he explained to others of Anwar’s ‘black eyes’? Did the then ambassador echoed Mahathir’s stance and the extent to which the Royal Commission had concluded showed the then PM lied? Did the then ambassador ‘lied’ in trying to defend the Mahathir BN administration’s cover-up and the extent in which public officers, like him supposedly serving the BN Government, doctored reports, and manufactured evidence just to try to convict Anwar? Surely the then ambassador can’t be holding on to any differing explanation other than that of the almighty Mahathir and his BN Government when “explaining” to other countries. To explain any differently to what Mahathir’s BN Government was trying to hide would be going against the very BN Governement that the then ambassador was serving. Certainly that can’t be the case?

Sarawakains’ questions to the new VP

The new PKR VP must be thanked for his openness in revealing what he had to do to be Malaysia’s ambassador. While there is no detail, he needs to furnish them to show to Sarawakians what he did to defend Malaysia in regard to Bruno Manser’s presence in Malaysia and on the environment.

Sarawakians have the right to know whether the then ambassador saw the issue as land rights matter or as how the Malaysian Government propagate Manser to be the evil man out to instigate the Penans to defend their land rights. So did the then ambassador defend Malaysia on NCR lands as how the Malaysian government and Sarawak government did?

Sarawakians know too well what the BN Government has been doing to NCR lands – grab – so being the new PKR VP, Sarawakians demand the retired ambassador reveals his stance on NCR lands. After all, if he didn’t already know, his “Bidayuh” communities could testify to him how little NCR lands are left dangling by thin thread as the same BN Government he had served continue to grab from the people. Hopefully, the new PKR VP can identify with the fact that it is the kampong folks who are holding onto those thin thread by being upfront in defending their rights, and in so doing with other Dayak communities, are defending all NCR lands throughout Sarawak.

Yes, the BN was not so bad before and in Sarawak, the same BN has deteriorated, ah, ah, ah, since Taib Mahmud became Chief Minister some 30 years ago.

Last message for Anwar

The PKR de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim must be congratulated for appointing a character such as John to be the new VP. After all, John Nuek says he is honoured by the appointment. In their first party meeting with all presence, it is expected that Anwar will have the new VP sitting near if not next to the PKR supremo to introduce the new VP as someone who had followed the Mahathir BN Government’s stance in saying that Anwar had self-inflicted his black eye.

The whole PKR must then congratulate Anwar for his forgiveness to the new VP for having defended Mahathir! The new VP should then be congratulated for being a ‘reformed’ man now, thanks to reformasi, no less!

For those in the PKR and outside who had been and are still ISA detainees, please forward your query to the new PKR VP on his stance in defending the need of ISA!