The nose of Anwar Ibrahim

Yesterday was a quiet day, as it should be, being a lovely Saturday. It signalled the beginning of the weekend and the near completion of the working week that has gone by - the week being the time period by which working people plan their immediate cycle of activities. Yes, people, especially (most of) those who work in organizations, start to wind down mentally.

I did likewise, putting my feet (virtually) on the table and a stubbie in my left hand, with cashew nuts by my right, to read Malaysiakini at leisure, and was delighted to find it telling us glad tidings, that Anwar hits the road again.

Malaysiakini reported that “… Barely 48 hours after being released from police custody, Anwar Ibrahim is back on the road again to continue his whirlwind tour throughout the country.”

It’s wonderful to know that his ‘hurt’ back is no longer troubling him after a horrendous night in police custody. My faith in the surgical skills of that one-only German surgeon, who operated on Anwar’s back, has been restored.

But of course, in his ‘man man lai’ regaling of the crowd at Cheng, Malacca, we learn from Malaysiakini that Anwar repeatedly stressed on his ‘ordeal’ during the arrest such as sleeping on the concrete floor and how he was stripped naked during a medical examination and almost photographed in the nude.

As I said earlier, I am glad his back has improved, almost miraculously as to enable him to travel not only to just Malacca, but as Malaysiakini described it, “…his whirlwind tour throughout the country.”

But on the other hand, maybe he might still be experiencing some pain even as he continues his nationwide campaign. What a brave man!

But then in another Malaysiakini news article Hospital: He was not stripped naked, Dr Zaininah Mohd Zain, the director of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), confirmed that Anwar Ibrahim was not made to strip naked.

She stated: “At no time throughout the examination was his decency violated.”

This was what Malaysiakini published:

Zaininah said that prior to the examination, two specialists had explained in detail the examination procedures to Anwar in the presence of his lawyer.

“Only after having obtained his written consent did they proceed with the examination,” she said.

After signing the necessary documents, Anwar was examined by two specialists whom Zaininah described had “adhered to proper clinical procedures during the whole course of the examination”.

But after he was released from overnight police custody and again at Malacca, Anwar told a different story, that he was stripped naked during the medical examination.

Only one of them can be telling the truth!

Anyway, while you undoubtedly will decide who has been fibbing, let's get back to the 'man man lai' speech.

Anwar promised the audience: “When I refused to be photographed, they said I was not cooperative. Well, when we take over and arrest Najib, let's see if he is willing to be photographed.”

Wow - “… when we take over …”! But when?

Malaysiakini also commented that in his 'man man lai' speech, Anwar has very little new material to his repertoire (what an apt word!), but he focused on casting doubts on the investigation of the sodomy allegations, which kaytee acknowledges is his basic right.

However, he also stoked public anger at the government's decision to raise fuel prices, which kaytee believes is mere political sh*t-stirring, admittedly the role of the opposition in a democracy, but considered as cheap and at times economically-irresponsible shots. A responsible opposition has to draw the ethical line somewhere.

I read that in 1974 when Anwar was in Abim, he was arrested and incarcerated under the ISA for political activism in support of farmers for their poverty (and hunger) in Baling. I admire such commendable stand for justice.

But when he was in government, even when in charge of Agriculture (1984), and then Finance (1991) and as DPM (1993), I wonder what happened to his outside-the-government stand for the Baling farmers?

Did he use his high & mighty UMNO-government offices to translate his Abim championship of the farmers into something solid for those petani petani? Or, did he forget completey about them?

Aiyah, it’s easy (and cheap) to make all sorts of promises or to act charitable and compassionate when one does not have the responsibility of accounting for the cost, affordability and economic management.

As an example., when Anwar was Finance Minister, the Sarawak State government begged him for a bigger slice of the 5% oil/gas royalties, BUT he said no. Now, outside the UMNO-led government, he says he would give 20%.

As I has blogged in The Haunting of Anwar Ibrahim more than 2 years ago:

… in the recent [2006] campaign in the Sarawak elections, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah put herself and her husband, Anwar Ibrahim, in a highly vulnerable position when she raised the issue of petroleum royalty given to Sarawak in its campaign to the run-up of the May 20 state elections.

Wan Azizah said the people of Sarawak should not be paying more for petroleum products because the state produced the commodity. She claimed that since Sarawak was a large petroleum-producing state, it should be paid more than the five percent royalty it is now receiving.

But her remarks ricocheted adversely on Anwar Ibrahim, who was former deputy premier and finance minister.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister George Chan Hong Nam seized on her statements to sarcastically say (words to the effect) it was rich of Wan Azizah to grandstand on the issue when it was Anwar as finance minister who had rejected a request for a bigger petroleum royalty for Sarawak - see Malaysiakini Deputy CM: 'Why didn't Anwar give us more?'.

Chan revealed: "When he (Anwar) was the finance minister, I myself asked for an increment in the petroleum royalty but he didn't give. Why is his party talking about it now?”

"I asked for more development for Sarawak because we don't have enough (development) and he also did not want to give (allocations). Why is PKR talking about it now? Why didn't he give us more when he was in power? Now he is no more in power, he can talk." […]

Chan said PKR had no right to manipulate and misrepresent the issue to the people as it was Anwar who had rejected Sarawak's request for the oil royalty increment.

Yes. … Former Bar president Zainur Zakaria said this of Anwar, when the ex-deputy premier had claimed to have been helpless to make changes while in government. He asked (of Anwar):

“But look, you were there (in government) for 16 years. Then, what were you doing all those years? What did you actually do when you claimed you couldn’t do anything?”

As I blogged in Zainur Zakaria Zapped AAB & Anwar Ibrahim, Zainur then showed Anwar the honourable example.

“(Former deputy premier) Musa Hitam resigned on a matter of principle because he couldn’t agree with Mahathir. If Anwar doesn’t agree with Mahathir, why didn't he resign?”

He stated that the option to quit the cabinet could be taken by any member of the cabinet if they disagree with a decision. Therefore Anwar Ibrahim cannot simply shrug off his participation and responsibility in the old Mahathir cabinet.

I had blogged that every time Anwar condemns Mahathir, he cuts off a slice of his own nose.

OK, be all these as they may be, I can't do much about his nose but at least I can wish him well that his back won’t trouble him too much.