Kadir: Things are brewing behind Ku Li’s moves

Former editor tells of anonymous tips giving the background behind Tengku Razaleigh's latest move and one saying 'something' is about to happen.

KUALA LUMPUR: Let’s wait and see what will happen in the immediate future, ventures a veteran newsman in his latest blog posting. “Let’s hope Allah will award us something good. We have suffered enough as a result of what (Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak has done.”

The latest, said former New Straits Times Group Editor in Chief Kadir Jasin, comes from a reader who sent an anonymous “For Your Eyes Only” message.

“He has credible information, more or less the same as from other sources, that there’s more to it than meets the eye in Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s recent moves. The real story will emerge in the near future when his intention becomes reality.”

Kadir added that he can’t really say more than what he has revealed so far. “I have to respect and adhere to the wishes and requests of those who have come forward.”

“Hopefully, they are sincere in coming forward while doing their best to convince that they indeed have inside information.”

The veteran newsman wanted to share his thoughts on developments that had been troubling him of late. “Before Razaleigh pledged support for Najib on March 24, and after that, I have in fact received many anonymous messages through the blog and text messages.”

“All of them were secret and confidential and meant for my eyes only.”

One anonymous message in particular, said Kadir, was very “precise” and claimed that something will happen in the near future. “He gave the number of days in the run-up to the expected development.”

“The message was sent before Razaleigh pledged support for Najib.”

Kadir conceded that as a journalist, he appreciated insider information but at the same time he finds himself in a dilemma of sorts. “I have to respect the trust placed in me.”

“I cannot disclose such information. I cannot be looking for short-cuts with such information i.e. disclosing them.”

In at least one case, admitted the veteran newsman, he knows the identity of a person who sent a confidential message. “He’s close to Razaleigh even up to him signing the Kelantan Declaration. We have known each other for 40 years.”

The friend said that after what Razaleigh has done, continued Kadir, he no longer respects the former Cabinet Minister and reiterated his support for former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad despite his differences with him sometimes.

There are message senders the veteran newsman doesn’t know although they don’t use other names. “Perhaps, they comment in the blog using other names.”

The bottomline, said Kadir, is that Razaleigh may not be on the take. “This is a view I hold.”

“There are expressed and implied versions on Razaleigh’s sudden about-turn. Of course, there are those who beg to differ with my take.”