Questions have popped up following Anwar Ibrahim's responses during a live chat 'Borak Bersama Anwar' on Google Hangout on Friday.
KOTA KINABALU: What is the point of putting in place policies to check political saboteurs from within the Barisan Nasional “defectors”?
Why is PKR vis-à-vis Pakatan Rakyat even entertaining these defectors who have a history of being Trojan horses?
How can these defecting leaders who are the very reason Sabah politics is in its current state be Pakatan’s solution to wresting Putrajaya in the 13th general election?
“It makes no sense… how can the problem [of defectors] be the solution for Sabah ” was the immediate response of a political analyst in reaction to Anwar Ibrahim’s live chat on “Borak Bersama Anwar” [Chat with Anwar ] on Google Hangout on Friday night.
During the interview, Anwar attempted to allay prevailing fears that his strategy of accepting Umno-BN defectors would make Pakatan vis-à-vis PKR no different from Umno-BN when it wrests Putrajaya.
He said: “To me, whether you are ex-Umno, ex-NGO, ex-MCA… it is immaterial.
“You must come in to accept a new culture in our political life, you must accept the new agenda… You must accept the Buku Jingga.
“These are clear policies which require transparency, a very powerful anti-corruption commission and independent judiciary.
“With these institutions in place, I frankly do not worry about individuals who may have the pension and venture to embark on policies that would be deemed to be dangerous or would sabotage the reform programme.”
(The value of the recent defections of Barisan Nasional MPs Lajim Ukin [Beaufort], Wilfred Bumburing [Tuaran] and former Upko senator Majpol Majpai has been hotly debated and has put under scrutiny PKR, DAP and PAS’ stand on party-hopping. DAP and PAS have in the past said that they would not sanction such defections.)
Meanwhile, the analyst, who declined to be named, was unimpressed by Anwar’s responses and asked exactly what “new culture” Anwar was talking about.
‘I assume he is referring to the defections… that’s how Umno brought down PBS in 1984 and Perak after 2008.
“He [Anwar] thinks Sabahans are stupid… reform had a meaning in 1999, now it’s just Putrajaya by any means… he’s admitted it.
‘He said Umno had severely embarrassed… he wants vengeance… it’s not reform or Sabah rights” the analyst said.
History retold
Sabahans, the analyst said, remembered the role Anwar played in the 1980s and 1990s in “destroying” Sabah.
He said while the history books may not have recorded the political subterfuge that eventually saw Sabah’s Christian population being nuetralised and its leadership ousted, the scar was deep and “twisted-tongue Anwar must not be trusted”.
He believed that Anwar backed by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad – who authored the once banned book Malay Dilemma and who coined Ketuanan Melayu – was responsible for PBS’s downfall in 1994 and the mass legalising of Muslim immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia.
According to the analyst, Mahathir was extremely sore with his then deputy Musa Hitam for sanctioning Joseph Pairin Kitingan’s ascent as chief minister after PBS was democratically elected in 1984.
The strategy to bring down PBS and neutralise the majority Christians electorate began at that point.
“Anwar worked on the local Muslim leaders… Lajim was one of them. He defected with his group and convinced others to do the same.
“In the end, PBS fell because of these traitors… what kind of policies can you put in place to deal with perpetual traitors like Lajim and Bumburing?
“PKR is an Umno-BN clone… the bulk of members and leaders are ex-Umno… what new culture, new agenda is he [Anwar] talking about?” he asked.
The past months have seen rumours and reports of defections. Last week, both Lajim and Majpol claimed that BN would lose more defectors to Pakatan after the Hari Raya celebrations.
But BN sources claim that this may not happen now that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has announced a time frame for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the exponential population growth of legalised illegals in Sabah.
We wait and see whether defections will happen after Raya as claim by Lajim.
ReplyDeleteAnwar is not reliable enough to make him as a leader.
DeleteTerpulanglah pada rakyat untuk membuat pilihan nanti.
ReplyDeleteThe people will choose wisely.
DeleteKita tunggu sajalah apa yang akan berlaku seterusnya.
ReplyDeletememang sudah strategi dia.. setiap kali pilihanraya, dia akan datang ke Sabah bukan untuk mendengar masalah2 rakyat, sebaliknya untuk mengintai mana2 pemimpin BN yang lemah semangat dan boleh dihasut untuk menyertai Pakatan..
ReplyDeleteI don't buy his words. He loves to play games and he is well at it. Anwar really Anwar.
Deleteketika PRU12, Anwar umumkan 31 MP BN di Sabah akan menyertai Pakatan.. nampak sangat, inilah misi dia setiap kali datang ke Sabah.. sekadar bergantung dengan sokongan sedia ada mana2 MP yang berjaya dihasutnya..
ReplyDeletePerjuang Anwar bukan untuk rakyat Sabah..Ini perjuang beliau sendiri.
Deleteparti keadilan ditubuhkan pun kerana nak perjuangkan Anwar, bukan rakyat.
Deletekalau tidak silap, Yong Teck Lee juga pernah ditawarkan jawatan TPM oleh Anwar sekiranya berjaya rampas kerajaan..
ReplyDeleteBut what happened now? YTL is still YTL, nothing extraordinary.
DeleteAnwar is really not making sense though.
ReplyDeleteAnwar sanggup janji apa-apa sahaja dengan rakyat Sabah..harap rakyat tidak mudah percaya. Undi dengan bijak.
DeletePakatan Rakyat also like to Promise Ridiculously as long as it can take them to Putrajaya. They will promise the public with almost everything and anything on earth but after 4 years of of being in power for 4 states they fail to deliver most of their promises in the last general election.
ReplyDeleteThe opposition’s ambitious promises, which include reduction of tax and fuel prices, abolition of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) and provision of free higher education, could well cost almost RM200 billion to fulfill, and bankrupt the nation.
ReplyDeleteSince the 2008 general election, it has also promised to take over the highway concessions and abolish tolls, increase Sabah and Sarawak’s oil royalty by 20 per cent, reduce import tax on cars and provide cash assistance to ensure a minimum household income of RM4,000.
ReplyDeleteMany may still recall the pre-2008 general election debate between the then Information Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, where the latter promised a reduction in fuel price immediately should the opposition form the federal government.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the current government continues with its various initiatives to ease the people’s burden without jeopardising the country’s finances. Since Sept 1, 2009, the sale of RON92 petrol was discontinued and the price of RON97 was streamlined to the market rate of RM2.70 per litre, while RON95 was subsidised to be RM1.90 per litre.
ReplyDeleteThis year, the government is also expected to spend RM18.92 billion in petroleum and related fuel subsidies, an increase of RM1.92 billion from last year. The opposition has also asked Khazanah Berhad, the Employees Provident Fund and other government-linked companies to acquire highway concessions in order to abolish toll.
ReplyDeleteQuoting Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Anwar was reported to have promised to increase Sabah and Sarawak’s oil royalty from five per cent to 20 per cent, and not to be outdone, others such as Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan have promised up to 50 per cent.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the sweetest opposition promise of all is the minimum pay of RM4,000 for both the public and private sectors. This would surely involve a huge amount of funds to implement considering just the civil service staff of 1.2 million. And would the private sector be able to afford such a sum considering their profit margins?
ReplyDelete“The government would be burdened with as much as RM43 billion if the loans are not repaid. There are three governments, including Norway’s, which provide free education but the taxes imposed on the people are high. Do we really want to burden the people by abolishing PTPTN loans? Surely, we don’t want that,” said Najib at a function in Johor.
ReplyDeleteThe Head of Research and Economics and Finance Cluster of the National Council of Professors (MPN) Prof Dr Shazali Abu Mansor was reported as saying such opposition moves were estimated at RM200 billion per annum and would only lead to an increase in taxes and external loans.
ReplyDeleteThe same goes for the opposition’s proposal to reduce excise duties on cars, which would only reduce the nation’s coffers by about RM7 billion and detract from government facilities to the people.
ReplyDelete