FROM HERO TO ZERO AND VICE VERSA

Today, Ku Li is a hero. However, 23 years ago, he was a pariah. But what he said 23 years ago is what he is still saying today. Hmm….the Malaysian mind, in particular the Chinese mind, is most difficult to comprehend.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

However, Ku Li continued: “Let me make it clear, these developments (the decrease of the number of Malays holding key positions in the corporate sector) are not related to racial issues or the special rights of Malays being ignored.”

He pointed out that Malays should not blame others for monopolising economic wealth as they have been given numerous opportunities. The problem actually lies in the lack of necessary knowledge among Malays and thus, they are unable to succeed in the highly competitive business environment.

If they still refuse to make progress and instead continue to rely on the government, then they are bound to be drowned in the wave of globalisation.

Concisely, he raised the key issues while hitting the vital point of Perkasa.

Ku Li also did not forget to give Perkasa his advice: Perkasa should take a good look at itself and ask why it has been mocked and ignored even by the Malay community, whose rights it professes to struggle for. Perkasa is also perceived by many as the cause of splits between the various ethnic communities in the country.

Lastly, he advised Perkasa members to think carefully the rationale and purpose of the party’s existence. They must not act recklessly based on emotions but in accordance with reasons and common sense.

I’m feeling sorry for not being there to see how Perkasa members reacted to the speech, particularly Ibrahim Ali, who might ask himself: “Am I mad? Why did I invite Ku Li to officiate the general assembly?”

Honestly, I don’t think Perkasa members would think more openly, or have their standards improved after listening to Ku Li’s speech.

However, I could imagine how they felt when their fantasy was actually exposed, and I really enjoyed it. The dramatic effects when Ku Li met Ibrahim Ali were even greater than those when Harry met Sally.

Ku Li, thank you for expressing the true feelings of many Malaysians. It was really the best speech of the year, as well as a special Christmas and New Year gift.

READ MORE HERE

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It appears like the non-Malays are delighted that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) attended Perkasa’s AGM and told the Malays off, those in Perkasa in particular. Now the non-Malays are singing his praises and are calling Ku Li a great man.

It was not too long ago that Ku Li became a hero when he opposed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and then turned from hero to zero when he disbanded his opposition party, Semangat 46, and rejoined Umno. Now that he has given the Malays and Perkasa a piece of his mind, he is a hero, yet again (at least to the non-Malays).

Going from zero to hero in the eyes of the non-Malays is not too difficult. All you need to do is to say something they like to hear. They do not really care about who you really are. They just want to hear what their ears like to hear. And then you become their hero overnight.

For example, today, the Chinese and Indians will say that they have no problems voting for PAS. And they did do that, in fact, in March 2008 and in May this year. That is a good thing, of course, at least for Pakatan Rakyat. But not too long ago in 1999 the Chinese punished DAP for teaming up with PAS under the banner of Barisan Alternatif.

And to show their displeasure regarding DAP’s friendship with PAS, they even kicked out Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh from Penang (Tanjong and Jelutong respectively) after which Kit Siang went to Ipoh and Karpal to Gelugor.

Basically, Kit Siang and Karpal were the two strongest advocates of the multi-racial Barisan Alternatif opposition coalition and the Chinese were extremely unhappy about this and they demonstrated their displeasure with their votes.

Hence PAS, too, has gone from zero to hero from one election to another. And there is nothing to stop PAS from going from hero to zero (again) if they do not support the Christians’ right to use the Allah word.

Currently, of course, some PAS leaders support the Christians on this issue while some do not — so the Christians are giving PAS the benefit of the doubt (until the party issues its official statement in not supporting the Christians the right to use the Allah word, after which they will go to zero again).

I remember back in 1990 when DAP refused to be friends with PAS for this very reason — the Chinese considered PAS a pariah party. And that was why Ku Li was forced to create two separate coalitions — one with DAP on the west coast called Gagasan Rakyat and another on the east coast with PAS called Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah.

It was practically impossible to get DAP to join a common coalition together with Semangat 46 and PAS. If DAP did that then the Chinese would wipe out the party and that would be the end of DAP forever. Hence, in 1990, the need for two separate coalitions. And when DAP joined a common coalition with PAS in 1999 what DAP feared most did happen.

What is most puzzling about Ku Li’s failure in gaining Chinese support in 1990 and 1995 was that Ku Li was opposed to Tun Dr Mahathir and Umno Baru in particular regarding corruption, abuse of power, racism, religious extremism, cronyism, nepotism, lack of freedom of speech, violation of civil liberties, and a host of other issues that Ku Li regarded as detrimental to the future of the country. Yet the non-Malays would not support him to fight for a better Malaysia as he had envisioned.

Finally, Ku Li realised that these were not the values and ideals that most Malaysians shared so he made the decision to disband Semangat 46 and he plus many of his supporters rejoined Umno. Malaysia was not ready for reforms and the Chinese would only support either DAP or MCA/Gerakan, the Indians MIC or PPP, and the Malays Umno or PAS.

Hence if you are a Malay politician you need to be in either Umno or PAS and for sure not in DAP, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, PPP, and so on. If you can’t beat them then you join them. And Ku Li could not beat them so he joined them, or rather rejoined them.

The 1990 fight for reforms plus the fight to oppose Umno (Baru) was actually led by members of the Royal Family plus some ‘elite’ Malays. Ku Li, head of Semangat 46, was the cousin to the Tengku Ampuan (Raja Perempuan) of Kelantan. The head of Semangat 46 Terengganu was the brother of the Sultan of Terengganu. The head of Semangat 46 Pahang was the brother of the Sultan of Pahang.

In the other states the movers and shakers of Semangat 46 were ex-Prime Ministers (all who died without rejoining Umno) plus the children of many of the previous top leaders of the country and Umno. It was a most impressive line-up, a Who’s-Who of Malaysia, but still Malaysians would not join them in the fight for reforms.

Today, Ku Li is a hero. However, 23 years ago, he was a pariah. But what he said 23 years ago is what he is still saying today. Hmm….the Malaysian mind, in particular the Chinese mind, is most difficult to comprehend.

Hero to zero, zero to hero, you can transform from one to another depending on the mood of the non-Malays and subject to what comes out of your mouth and enters the ears of the non-Malays.

I suppose this is what we would call mature politics à la Malaysia.