REFORM IS FOR THE 'ELITES'.

 This is a quick one.

Did you know that reform (reformasi in Malay) has now been declared elitist? Reform (reformasi in Malay) is no more for the rakyat marhaen or the ordinary people.

A few days back I attended the launch of a new book (about institutional reforms). I was invited by some long time acquaintances. I will not embarass them by identifying them here. In our rather "controlled" environment it may not be beneficial for people to be known as being chummy with OutSyed The Box.

The event was also attended by some of anugerah tuhan's  camp followers. Which is fine, this is a free country. You can associate with and dissociate from whoever you like. As long as I am alive and I can write I will defend your right to your freedom of expression and your freedom of association. I said hi to one of them who was an eloquent young woman who also happened to be one of the speakers at the event.

It was she who played a video showing anugerah tuhan declaring that 'reform is for the elite'. 

I could not believe my ears. It was also a tad embarrasing for the organisers of the event who were indeed launching their book about institutional reforms. And coincidentally or not the organisers were from the Malay "elite". 

Anyway my thoughts immediately flashed back to this fellow in the picture here. This is Hishamuddin Rais.

 

In the early 2000s Hisham and his friends would run helter skelter shouting reformasi along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Dataran Merdeka and the Masjid India area. (Well Hisham would walk, with his water bottle and little towel - for the tear gas). The Police would soon arrive and fire tear gas and all of us businesses in the area would have to close shop.  We suffered losses. Hello Brader Hisham, boleh claim compensation kah?

In those Saturdays there would be hundreds of these reformasi fellows running here and there and I can assure you none of them was from the elite. They were the regular 'hoi polloi'. Or as Dr Mahathir so eloquently put it the "haprak" people. Well haprak people, your status has now been elevated to 'elite'. Your reformasi struggle has now been declared 'elite'.  I hope you will all feel foolish now. Because most certainly you have been fooled by your anugerah tuhan.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.