Dr Syed Husin, the Socialist who lost his way

Tell me why I’m not at all surprised by the relevation of Ezam Mohd Noor that former PKR Deputy Chairman Dr Syed Husin had condemned Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali in a private conversation with Ezam (when the latter was still in PKR).

Malaysiakini reported in its Syed Husin: Ezam's throwing up a smokescreen that (BN-appointed) Senator Ezam Mohd Noor, once the right hand man of Anwar Ibrahim (Azmin Ali being the left hand man wakakaka) claimed that … Dr Syed Husin had in frequent chats with him (Ezam) at a favourite restaurant in Petaling Jaya criticized Anwar and Azmin for what he (Syed) perceived as their lavish lifestyles.

Dr Syed defended his snide comments about The Great One and Blue-eyed Boy to MKIN as: “In general, I criticize any and everybody who offends against the unspoken rule against ostentation in their lifestyles. We are fighting for the have-nots in Malaysian society; it requires we be modest in our lifestyles.”

Dr Syed Husin explained that Ezam’s tattling was an attempt to distract from the motive behind Ezam’s departure from PKR, namely good old fashion ‘money’, by positing that he (Ezam) did so because of his dim view of the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim.

MKINI stated that Syed Husin expanded: “I know this is coming down to a ‘I said, he said’ sort of thing but if you look at page 157 of my book, you will find that Hishamuddin Rais says in a letter that he wouldn’t be surprised if Ezam leaves PKR. That letter was written in 2002.”

Whether Hishamuddin Rais was proven to be prophetic is besides the point, because it’s interesting to note Dr Syed hasn’t denied that he had criticized Anwar and Azmin for their lavish lifestyles.

Indeed, Dr Syed has been wise not to as it’s an open secret about the lifestyles of Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali. As they say, “Once UMNO, always UMNO”.

In fact I would say Dr Syed rather than Ezam in attacking the latter for deserting PKR for money would be the one attempting to distract from the fact he held (maybe still does) a very dim view of the lifestyle and leadership of Anwar Ibrahim and his darling boy. Mind, this is not to say Ezam is an angel, but he is no better or worse than Azmin Ali, both being at one time or still, political praetorian guards of The Great One.

Dr Syed Husin was the leader of PRM, once a wonderful socialist like Dr Jeya of PSM until he (Dr Syed) wandered into a wrong camp, a camp with people used to opulent lifestyles totally in contrast to his socialist ways.

I used to respect Dr Syed, even after he led the PRM foolishly into PKR (when fellow socialist DAP would have been the natural choice). Maybe he was like Zaid Ibrahim, believing he could ‘save’ PKR? Who knows?

I admired Dr Syed even more when he graciously declined to accept the PKR’s candidature for the Kota Bahru parliamentary seat, following strong objections from PAS in the person of Pak Haji Nik Aziz. Probably Pak Haji objected to what he saw as a syaitan-ish pinko standing as Pakatan candidate in KB.

But alas, I shed a tear and lost my respect for Dr Syed immediately after his racially-oriented remarks/demands about the composition of the Perak exco following the Pakatan victory in March 2008.

That’s what mixing with the wrong crowd could do to a former socialist.