Vilification & Veneration or Issues and Influence?

Anwar has been acquitted and freed.  Najib, Rais, Muhyiddin and others point glowingly to the outcome of the trial; Anwar and “the opposition” point bitterly to the fact of the trial.

The top job is at stake.  The office of Prime Minister is so powerful, many want it.  Najib has it, Anwar wants it – as do Muhyiddin and others. 

My friend Chris asked whether Anwar, like Neo, is “the one?”  Najib tells us he’s the one.  UMNO-BN tells us Muhyiddin’s the one.  Pakatan tells us Anwar’s the one.

We all want saviours, people who set things right.  Americans thought it was Obama (after Bush).  Iraqis thought it was Saddam.  Some Koreans think it’s Kim III.

We want leaders who ‘get’ what the problem is, who know what to do, who can do it.  We want leaders who can see clearly, act wisely and bring real change.

Some want careful study before action: they want the infinite number of possibilities to be weighed, and “the right decision” made.  Others want speed – China executes perpetrators rapidly: a man poisons people; the state kills him.  Rapidly.

Not everyone will be happy all the time.  Decisions must be made.  Fairly.  Najib’s track record is part of the public record.

Teoh Beng Hock died during Najib’s watch; no one has been held responsible.  BERSIH 2.0 and Ambiga were attacked, vilified.  Perkasa gained traction.  Pak Lah’s decision not to form a Police Commission was upheld.  The E06 were mistreated.  Two honey pots (Saiful & a callgirl) were used to vilify Anwar.  Najib’s in charge.

Sex, cow and pig heads, racist principals and history-as-propaganda gained prominence under Najib’s watch.  The MFC/Wanita UMNO scandal is condoned.  The civil service was bypassed through Pemandu.  A Senior police officer’s career was ruined through a staged trial (thankfully a judge acted uprightly).  Najib’s in charge.

Najib used the resources of the state against Anwar.  Anwar should never have been charged for Sodomy II, let alone vilified by the apparatus of the state and of UMNO-BN.  Utusan runs riot and vilifies non Malays and Christians.  Najib’s in charge.

Mahathir has re-surfaced under Najib’s watch.  Muhyiddin runs riot.  Hishammuddin re-writes the peaceful assembly bill into a no-assembly bill.  Khir Toyo enriches himself, makes false allegations: an elected rep. and a journalist are detained.  Cronies are appointed to PETRONAS, whose accounts remain state secrets.  Najib’s in charge.

Perak was re-taken by Barisan through the machinations of Najib.  Some would say he exercised the same skills in the case of Saiful/Anwar.

That’s the problem.  We think it’s all about Najib, and we look for someone to compare him with; someone on ‘the other side’; Anwar.  We forget the other UMNO-BN elected reps. who condone all these things by their silence.

It’s really about UMNO-BN; Najib was only doing what was good for the leaders of UMNO-BN.  It’s really about the power struggles within UMNO.  It’s really about UMNO leaders losing patronage benefits in Selangor, Perak and Penang.

It’s about the collapse of MIC, MCA, Gerakan.  It’s about the rape of Sarawak under Taib.  It’s about the whole country recognizing the leaders enriched themselves, and have to continue enriching their cronies in order to remain in power.

We have good things to say about PAS and DAP.  There are leaders of the calibre of Tok Guru, Khalid, Karpal, Kit Siang and Guan Eng.  Men who’ve been to prison for the cause, just like Anwar.  There are also results.

The DAP has turned Penang around: even Malay contractors in Penang approve of the DAP.  Selangor has stood it’s ground against the Federal government, re. water treatment and supply.  Both Selangor andPenang have Freedom of Information Acts.  There is actual proof of acting upon beliefs not exclusive to any race or religion.

Anwar has been acquitted and freed.  Now that the attempted perversion of justice has failed, let’s get real about Anwar.

Anwar was groomed by Mahathir to be his successor.  The only reason Anwar is not Prime Minister today is because he was impatient: he wanted to oust Mahathir, he didn’t want to wait for Mahathir to hand over the reins.

Anwar was Prime Minister in waiting while multiculturalism was eroded through state-sponsored racism via Biro Tata Negara, citizenship-in-exchange-for-votes, falsification of history, favouritism for Malays, etc.

Anwar played a part in all these.  PAS and DAP contended with him before.  Now they’re with him because they know he has insights which can help topple UMNO-BN.  And he has the leadership and political skills to keep disparate parties together.

I believe in repentance: a turning away from previous ways.  An alcoholic can only reform if he admits he’s done wrong, needs help.  It’s no different in politics.

Some say after his incarceration, Anwar changed.  What wrongs has he admitted?    Has he confessed?  Has he admitted guilt?  Has he said what paths he will no longer follow? Is he transparent?

I am sharing these thoughts not because I’m against Anwar.  I have great admiration for him.

Anwar has stood against the greatest odds, he deserves a place in history.  His family has stood by him; his wife and daughter have entered politics – and given a good account of themselves.  He has many friends who stand by him.

I am sharing these thoughts because I sense we’re so desperate to be rid of Najib and his cronies, we’re at risk of failing to look at Anwar critically.  It’s just a matter of time before unpleasant truths about Anwar are revealed.  [This is what MCLM has been saying.  This is what RPK has been saying.]

Both Najib and Anwar are fighting for the top job.  They are very focused.  Najib will make deals: remember Sibu?.  Anwar will make deals: remember the kisses in Taiwan to turn princes into frogs?  Najib has the power of the state to show Anwar’s foibles.  Anwar has the power of the ABU sentiment to find and show the cracks in Najib’s façade.

We need to stop focusing on individuals.  We know we are focusing on individuals when our responses swing between vilification and veneration: we either defame and abuse or we exalt and applaud.  That's an indicator of our political maturity.  The great good that has happened in the post-Mahathir era is the emergence of strong civil society groups: BERSIH, GMI, SABM, Tenaganita.

Anwar has been acquitted and freed.  We need to continue to think in terms of issues and influence.  We as individuals and groups need to set aside time and resources to influence our leaders, through activism.  It’s not about Najib and Anwar.  It’s not about saviours.  It's about us.  It's about how serious we are about change.  We deserve the nation we get.

Posted by Ramanathan