Kadir Jasin: I don’t have to deny or feel ashamed about my long acquaintance with TunM

 

“GO ahead to condemn and insult Atok (twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) with any kind of condemnation or insult but remember that Atok has never been charged in a court of law or imprisoned.”

Such is the challenge posed by veteran journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin to Madani keyboard warriors in light of his perceived “close association” with the centenarian statesman-turned-adviser to the four opposition-controlled states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu a.k.a. SG4 (State Government 4).

“On the other hand, Atok repeatedly challenged that if there’s a case, he’s ready to be charged and imprisoned,” penned the national journalism laureate in a Facebook post.

As it is, Anwar (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) and (Malaysia’s top graft buster Tan Sri) Azam Baki are still investigating him till abroad. It has been more than two years yet there has been no prosecution.

“However, when Atok sued Anwar in civil court for defamation, the trial was delayed with the respondent (Anwar) making various excuses to delay the trial.

Earlier, the former group editor-in-chief of mainstream New Straits Times said he was well-aware of many Madani backes, cybertroopers and ceplos (loose cannon keyboard warriors) who are verbally attacking him at the slightest opportunity because of his close acquaintance with Dr Mahathir.

“There’re those who truly believe in the promise of reform, hate past and present leaders as well as those who’re active because they are getting paid,” snubbed Kadir.

I don’t have to deny or feel ashamed about my long acquaintance with Dr Mahathir. In the days of mainstream media, I was once called his apologist. In today’s age of social media, I’m called “Penjilat Atok” (Dr Mahathir’s bootlicker).

By the will of fate, I ‘ve known Atok since 1964. Alhamdulillah, during those 61 years, I (too) have never been charged with a crime or issued a civil suit for bootlicking him.

On the same note, Kadir revealed that he, too, has known PMX “for a long time (from 1982) and the late Tun Daim Zainuddin (from 1983)” while acknowledging that “indeed I’m old compared to the mainstream media journalists who are there now” in response to the “old journo” label levelled by Madani backers on him.

“Indeed, I’m old. I’m 78 years old now and have been a journalist for 56 years,” jibed Kadir whose last official association with Dr Mahathir being his appointment as the media and communications advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office in August 2018 (during Dr Mahathir’s second premiership stint of 22 months).

“It doesn’t matter if I’m an ‘old journo’ for on that basis, Anwar, too is an ‘old PM’. In fact, he’s older than me by 13 days – he was born on Aug 10, 1947 while I was born on Aug 23, 1947.” –  Focus Malaysia