MORE THAN A LOVE STORY! When Ku Li met Ibrahim Ali

The people were shocked when they heard that Umno veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, fondly known as Ku Li, would be officiating the Perkasa general assembly.

What kind of chemical reaction would it be when Ku Li met Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali?

It reminded me of Hollywood comedy When Harry met Sally. Harry, played by Billy Crystal, was cunning; while Sally, played by Meg Ryan, was silly. It was really funny to see their interaction.

Great dramatic effects were created thanks to their differences.

Ku Li the liberal Perkasa warns about

Ku Li enjoys a high status in the country. In the Malay community, he is a liberal representative and although the Malay conservatives cannot accept his modern and pragmatic ideologies, they are very much recognised among liberal Malays and non-Malays.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Ali is stubborn and conservative. In the name of protecting Malay interests, he advocates racism. Conservative Malays see him as a master while liberal Malays and non-Malays either hate him or disdain him.

After Perkasa invited Ku Li to officiate its general assembly and Ku Li accepted the invitation, everyone started to wonder what have changed Ku Li's stand. Or, did Ku Li plan to use it as a platform to express his thought?

If Ku Li had really changed his stand, he would then have betrayed his political beliefs and his reputation would be tarnished; if he actually meant to convey some messages, then how could he convince Perkasa members? It would definitely be an interesting show.

Malays behind because they are uncompetitive, not because of other races

In his address at the opening ceremony, Ku Li agreed for the first time that Malays have failed to keep up with the pace of social and economic development, falling behind other races in various fields.

This is in line with the premise of Perkasa, as it advocates status enhancement for Malays through privileges, since they lack competitiveness. It was also the case in the book The Malay Dilemma written by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad a few decades ago.

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, they are then bound to be drown in the wave of globalisation.

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

Look in the mirror

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. - mysinchew