#KL112: Res Ipsa Loquitur!

I fear if Pakatan were to be as free and restraint-free as these UMNO goons as to what would happen to Najib Razak in Permatang Pauh, Marang or Ipoh Timur?

To be very, very honest I was quite gobsmacked and was in confusion when I heard from one of my favourite maestre Tukar Tiub Hishamuddin Rais that there was a sequel to the already massive BERSIH 3.0 to be held this Saturday, 12 January 2012, namely for a mega-rally dubbed #KL112.

Coupled with his obvious disdain for apocalypse that makes the Mayan Grand-Witch doctor fume with rage, Tukar Tiub went on the offensive against his arch-nemesis the United Malays National Organisation (of which he stubbornly refuse to dub otherwise) by enlisting the NGO, opposition parties, the punks and skinheads; to be honest everything under the unfalling sky that is 'Anything But UMNO' or more affectionately known as ABU; in joining forces (again) to pressure Najib Razak into a position that would make the late Bobby Fischer, Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov blush with admiration.

For here are the facts: (1) Najib Razak has now been drawn into a corner (yet again) in his pussy-footing over calling for the 13th Malaysian General Elections. If Najib Razak deals with this rally with force as was what had happened in BERSIH 3.0, he would face another big, big backlash among the young voters, of whom believe that freedom of assembly should not be curtailed. On the other hand, if he gives in and allows the demo to proceed, he would obviously be regarded as a reformer, though would be at loggerheads with the far-rightist in his right wing organisation including (but not limited to) PERKASA, who is UMNO's step-sister on his stepdad's side twice removed.

(2) All these very tall tales of UMNO and BN's 'transformation' would again be rendered bland if heavy-handedness were to prevail. All BRIMs, KRIMs and stuff would be effectively neutralised and Najib would be left trying to salvage his efforts through ANOTHER round of an mandatory but improved BRIM etc with maybe a RM3000 payout financed by IMF loans this time around and blaming it to Anwar Ibrahim.

(3) Malaysia has high domestic and extra-terrestrial debts for which is well documented which runs to more than a couple of hundred billion Ringgits - nothing much. But Najib Razak knows that corruption of the citizenry has a very high price - that is the Rakyat will feel that they deserve it and that the next handout MUST be more than the previous. At the rate he is going by labelling everything under the sun as being 1Malaysia, we will have a very difficult time finding out what is NOT 1Malaysia. Desperation has seen that even recycled bread is now fielding that name, no matter how ingenius the idea was.

(4)  UMNO has felt the pressure and this has even cascaded down into UMNO supporters resorting to thugs and criminality the nature and viciousness of which was hitherto unknown. Their support for such outrage via tacit approval is easily seen by statements that blame Anwar Ibrahim's "Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat" (for example) as "carik pasal" or "asking for trouble" even "provoking the locals".


(5) Pakatan Rakyat offers the Rakyat a different brand of politics. The type of which is alien to UMNO and Barisan Nasional. A creed that allows critical thinking, allow freedom of expression and working together as one without differentiation among race or faith. For far too long have we fought vainly for internal and local power when the only winners are the taukeys and UMNOPutras. Pakatan Rakyat fights for the state to help the deserving, no matter of which creed, of whatever faith and race, and to focus Malaysia as a coherent and united nation in addressing global challenges, which would be critical when PETRONAS suddenly could not afford to be the PM's sugar daddy.

PAS and DAP has their own sets of beliefs, of which both are well aware of, especially in their conradictions. However it is the realisation that unification based on undisputed premises that augur well for Pakatan Rakyat. The realisation that the nation must be navigated through the waters of freedom from corruption, from religious persecution, from undemocratic and despotic desperados, and those who sees the other as less a human being than themselves.

All these and more, I personally will make a stand on January 12, 2013. Come what may I will stand resolute. Together with my brothers and sisters from all races, be they Indians, Chinese, Malays, Ibans, Kadazans, Bajaus, I will be proud to stand beside them for our better future.

ALL RISE! A NEW DAY IS DAWNING!

SALAM REFORMASI! HIDUP RAKYAT!

Posted by Amir Hamzah