I was saying to some friends the other day- you have to tip your hat to Ibrahim Ali. Sure I hantam him here and there. But there is no one like Ibrahim Ali in this world. Only Ibrahim Ali can secure a permit and get people riled up shouting profanities of all kind, burnt portraits of comrade Ambiga and all that- as a counter demo to another demo that has not taken place!
How can you demonstrate against something that has not taken place and yet the Malaysian police gave him a permit? We have been watching too many ghost stories including our men and women in blue!
My friends were gawking at the photos of the beauties displaying cardboards condemning Ambiga. And my friend Jali who is a permanent fixture at Cengkih restaurant in Taman Tun says he wants to get to know the photogenic beauties cornered by Ibrahim Ali. He reckons if Ibrahim Ali can get these girls to demo, he has a chance to score.
This Ibrahim Ali is a tireless operator. He went through a heart bypass a few months ago. Today he is up and about directing street demos. He hasn't lost it since the ITM days. Perhaps he has received a blood transfusion with super-budu formulations. He hasn't lost his flair of mobilizing crowds to any cause he chose- laughable or not.
On a serious note, the stand taken by our police is puzzling. It's not consistent at all. Demonstrations carried out by organizations supporting the government were and are often given permission. Condoleezza Rice visited Malaysia the last time, was given a loud reception by the UMNO ketua Pemuda. Demonstrations in support of anti-Israel and pro Palestine causes are easily allowed. Other organizers not supporting the government get arrested.
Either you give everyone permission or you don't give at all. If demonstrations are not allowed, and the law also works retrospectively arrest all those involved a few days ago, who protested aggressively against Bersih and Ambiga.
Otherwise, give permission for all to hold demonstrations in big stadiums. Then we term that as guided demonstrasi.
UMNO is at sixes and sevens as to how to deal with Ibrahim Ali. He is now bigger than UMNO becoming the de facto voice of the Malays.
But it's also an indictment on the current UMNO leadership. It has lost its Malayness and is seen as no longer capable of speaking for the Malay. The more important UMNO leaders simply don't have the personal experience of what it means to be Malay. Hence they can't really empathize with the real Malay.
If Ibrahim is able to tap into the fears and anxieties, imagined or real of the Malays, it means the UMNO leadership has failed to address them. by default, that makes Ibrahim relevant and UMNO, reduced to being a spectator.
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