Dismal TIBAI launch: Ibrahim Ali now offers to stand against Anwar in Permatang Pauh

In a bid to offset the dismal reception to the launching of 'TIBAI' against Malay leader Anwar Ibrahim, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali vowed fresh campaigns to “expose” the Opposition chief.

According to Bernama, Ibrahim Ali - the Pasir Mas MP said he was even willing to stand against Anwar in the latter's Permatang Pauh stronghold in the coming 13th general election, if he was given the opportunity to do so.

His comments sparked immediate return fire from Anwar's PKR party.

"This shows Ibrahim Ali is desperate. He knows he cannot win as an Independent candidate. Even in Pasir Mas, he will lose now that PAS won't let him run on their ticket anymore. Even Umno doesn't want him as their candidate. This is why he has to go begging for 'opportunity' and is even willing to stand in Permatang where he will surely be annihilated," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Embarrassment

Indeed, the rotund Ibrahim Ali has become a source of huge embarrassment to Prime Minister Najib Razak's party with his uncouth ways and out-of-control racist comments under the guise of being a 'champion for the Malays'.

By now, even the Malays are shunning him. Ibrahim had won the Pasir Mas seat in Kelantan on a PAS ticket, immediately jumping ship after the 2008 election. His current status is that of an Independent but it is clear he is hoping that Umno will re-admit him.

Ibrahim, nicknamed 'frog' for his party-hopping ways, was sacked from Umno before, although he is now running ultra Malay rights movement Perkasa under the patronage of the right-wing members in Umno led by former Mahathir Mohamad.

“We have known him for a long time. He is most annoying, even irritating but he is just a tin kosong (empty vessel) although people nowadays see him as dangerous to society because of his racist remarks,” Wan Rahim Wan Abdullah, PAS MP for Kota Bahru, had told Harakahdaily.

King 'parasite'

According to the Wan Rahim, PAS will not field Ibrahim in GE-13, which many expect to be held this year. The PAS leader added that Ibrahim had shown his ultra-Malay rights persona was due more to political expediency rather than any real or deep-rooted belief that the community was still being marginalized and backwards.

“Ibrahim is like a parasite, hopping from tree to tree to cari makan (make a living). Whichever tree he is on will somehow die and then he will flutter on to the next,” said Wan Rahim.

However, that has not stopped Ibrahim from blaming Anwar for causing disunity amongst the Malays. In the rhetoric often repeated by BN leaders, Ibrahim Ali said Anwar's 'antics' were damaging to PAS, but benefited the DAP.

The Perkasa chief was speaking to reporters at the launch of the Tolak Individu Bernama Anwar Ibrahim’ or TIBAI roadshow in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night. TIBAI is made up of 28 small NGO groups.

TIBAI

Critics have slammed Ibrahim Ali for punning on a foul Hokkien word that rhymes with TIBAI.

They pointed to his other uncouth anti-Chinese actions such as wanting May 13, 1969 to be made a special holiday in remembrance of Malay heroism, and for distributing white 'ang-pows' to elderly Chinese during the Lunar New Year celebrations in January.

In the May 13 tragedy, scores of Chinese were slaughtered by Umno Youth members wielding machetes, who also burned rows of shop-houses to the ground. As for the white ang-pows, money given in white envelopes are meant only for funerals while during Chinese New Year, which is a joyous occasion, a bright color such as red is used.

"The only person causing unity amongst the Malays is Ibrahim Ali and Umno. They will do anything to cling to power even destroying the Malay community. They will say one thing but in realty, they will do the opposite," Kuala Krai MP Hatta Ramli told Malaysia Chronicle.

Malaysia Chronicle