Tuesday, January 03, 2012

The RPK-Haris Ibrahim saga

RPK & Haris Ibrahim - a great partnership in the newly formed MCLM but which future now holds a big question mark!

The Malaysian Insider (TMI) article MCLM president quits, says undermined by RPK reported that Haris Ibrahim tendered his resignation as president of the MCLM, after citing as reasons for his decision two of RPK’s recent and very damning interviews – see my previous post RPK amputates 'gangrenous' Anwar Ibrahim from Pakatan?


Brother Haris resigned as MCLM’s president because he has been terribly upset by RPK’s:

(1) unilateral assertion (meaning minus prior consultation & agreement with Haris & other MCLM office holders) that The Rights group (MCLM) is not a 3rd force and therefore would not contest the next general election, and

(2) remarks that ‘the Egypt-style people’s revolution was not an answer for Malaysia due to the delicate racial balance’ because according to RPK, “they (Chinese voters) don’t want Tahrir Square type of change”, saddening Haris because according to him “... my friend (Raja Petra) should continue to see us as Malays, Chinese, Indians, dll (others).”

The overall effect, according to Haris, has basically put a spanner in his (Haris’) ABU campaign.


I lament the end of a great RPK-Haris Ibrahim partnership in MCLM, a movement to promote good parliamentarians and parliamentary practice of first class Westminster-type democracy.

But is there any hope of salvaging the relationship and the impetus of MCLM?

Before I comment on that, let me provide my personal take on the two protagonists.

Let me start with RPK.

I came to know of (rather than ‘know’ per se) RPK in 2005 when I, influenced very much by Jeff Ooi's blogging, started blogging under the mentorship of my erstwhile partner, Mr X, at the BolehTalk blog.

Then, after I posted a piece critical of Anwar Ibrahim, much to the consternation of my partner and friends wakakaka, RPK contacted me by email with a brief message which I replied with courtesy and kept its contents confidential for the last 7 years. Thereafter we have had no further person-to-person contact.

Out of respect for confidentiality, as should be observed in any private correspondence, I have no intention of ever revealing that message.

As I had written before, cynical kaytee hasn’t been and isn’t exactly a bloke known to be particularly fond of RPK personally (I treat him with clinical neutrality), though of course I do admire, respect and am a wee envious of his creativity and ability to influence many politically.

But I do not always agree with his arguments, for example, those relating to his inflammatory Stat Dec and his take on Ombudsman. I’ve written several posts to disagree with the former – see my post RPK a willing captive in his statutory declaration and ...

... shot him down on the latter when sometime immediately after the March 2008 GE, he wrote about instituting an ombudsman (or committee) for the then 5 States under the DAP-PKR-PAS governments. But what took my breath away was his over-the-top proposal when he stated (for some obscure reasons):

“The Ombudsman must be above the Chief Minister and Menteri Besar. It must have the power and authority to summon even the highest man in the state to come before the committee for questioning on anything at all that may be perceived as wrongdoing, transgressions, deviations, etc. And the Ombudsman must have the power and authority to recommend the removal of any public servant or politician who may have committed a breach of discipline, even if he is the Chief Minister/Menteri Besar.”

I was totally flabbergasted by his remarks of "... above the Chief Minister and Menteri Besar ..." and the accompanying power-this and power-that for the proposed ombudsman.

I then wrote: This is going too far, putting an unelected person above the elected representatives of the people!

Mind, this seems to be a common problem suffered occasionally by very learned people, both in BN and Pakatan, where I'm more critical of the latter who promoted and supported frog-ology, yes, even a DAP sweetie like Hannah Yeo who broke my heart when she wrote in defence of Mr man man lai’s 916 attempted but failed coup d’état.

I wrote that having an Ombudsman establishment a la RPK’s proposal would not be unlike instituting the structure of the Iranian government, where the unelected clerical Supreme Leader and the Assembly of Elders in Iran can overrule decisions and policies of the elected President and the Majles (Parliament).

In my post I left a message for RPK to ‘keep my ombudsman steak medium rare please’ so as not to overcook the new (Ombudsman) meal by making him/her into a pseudo-Ayatollah with supra-constitutional powers over the people's democratically elected representatives – for more read my post Post election snippets (1).

Now you know why Karpal Singh is my spiritual leader in politics.

To summarize on RPK, I respect and admire him, but would accept his arguments only after I have personally analyzed their merits, unlike those who gushingly called him ‘The Great RPK’ or even fawningly ‘yang sangat mulia’ wakakaka when he sang songs they loved to hear, but alas, denigrated him as a ‘turncoat, traitor, UMNO paid bum, etc’ when he didn't.

As for Brother Haris Ibrahim, what can I say about this wonderful man, other than he is a sincere socio-political activist who’s brave, dedicated, self-sacrificing and straight talking – so straight that people could use his character to calibrate rulers.

Do you realize that I once disliked him wakakaka, much to the distress of my blogging matey, Lucia Lai of Mental Jog blog. Then one day, Haris wrote a piece titled Jambuism, and in that process, indirectly revealed to me his intrinsic character, as epitomised by his perception of God.

As I wrote in my response Omnia Vincit Jambuism:

Strangely (or should it be) for an atheist I find God’s judgement as presented by Haris very touching. If there is a God ;-), surely Haris’ version has to be the true one - One who is kind, just, loving, compassionate, humorous, and definitely One confidently above silly (human projected) petty nonsensical jealousy.

I am reminded of a quote by one of the Hindu Trinity, Krishna who said “Whoever you pray to, it is I who will answer”.

But the story of
Jambuism also tells me a little about the author, and I now look at him differently. Yes, I now like him ;-)

Okay, now you know how my dice (for those two) would fall, but having said all these, my opinion on Brother Haris' complaints against RPK turns out to be a 50:50 split, as follows:

I support Haris in that RPK should not have arbitrarily decided on MCLM’s behalf (that it won’t contest in the coming GE) without prior consultation with Haris and other MCLM office bearers. In this, RPK has been arrogant and insensitive in ignoring that the president of MCLM possesses the right and courtesy to be consulted prior to such important public announcement.

However, on the second point vis-à-vis RPK’s remarks that ‘the Egypt-style people’s revolution was not an answer for Malaysia due to the delicate racial balance’ and that “... (Chinese voters) don’t want Tahrir Square type of change”, I support RPK.

Much as Brother Haris may be striving for the idealistic non-ethnic approach. and I truly admire him for this, I reckon RPK has been realistic in stating an important truth, that (reading beyond his straightforward statement of our ‘delicate racial balance’) the Malays, and not just UMNO Malays, are unlikely to accept any Tahrir Square type of revolutionary protests, regardless of the worthiness of the cause or even if PAS or Anwar Ibrahim organizes them, if they believe or are made to believe the Chinese are behind the revolt against the BN government.

And we know UMNO will present it as a violent Chinese (throw in the communist for good measure) coup d’état to overthrow and remove the Malays' sacred cow (removed a la NFC's management? wakakaka), namely their agama, raja dan bangsa.

Haven’t various UMNO people (including big names) already and repetitively primed the heartland on this 'threat', of the Chinese potential and aim to take over the country (and instal a Christian PM), preposterous as its likelihood may be?

Recalling my question: But is there any hope to salvage the RPK-Haris Ibrahim relationship?

The ball lies in RPK’s court, to apologize to Haris for not consulting him on saying MCLM will not field a candidate in GE-13.

37 comments:

  1. Kaytee,
    RPK got lotsa apologizing to do to Harris on man issues....Not just this one
    Plus what about RPK has done on Din Merican? I rest my case

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ktemoc,
    RPK also owe Din an apology

    http://dinmerican.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/statement-from-din-merican-on-rpk-tv3-interview/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Malaysia needs a Tahrir-Square revolution, in a figurative sense, not literary, like occupying Dataran Merdeka, for example.

    Do it at the ballot box, but it must be in sufficient numbers to swamp all the votes from Ghosts, the Posties, the Banglas, the Indons, the Pinoys who have all been given the vote by Dacing.

    Many Chinese, for example, for too long we scared to even cast a non-BN vote.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hahaha, serves you all right for supporting RPK or Haris or MCLM or Din.
    These people are nobodys. Only Syok sendiri.
    They think they are smart, but they are not.
    Who on earth will think of voting any one of them.
    The victor is still Najib and BN.
    P.S. Have you all tried going to Haris or Din or RPK's blog.
    They will censor comments condemning them or their favorite party or leaders.
    And old fogey Din is slowly supporting BN. Just got Datukship. So now angling for Tan Sri before he dies.
    Din and new wife are opportunists.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't see any relevancy in bitching about who is right or who is wrong re the recent fallout between RPK and Haris and a few others. Bringing down BN/GE13 is a far, far larger and pertinent issue in front of us. "RPK vs Others" should be a "case closed" matter and we should move on. Personally, I think all Malaysians should start visualizing a Malaysia without BN so as not to be overly "shell-shocked" by a resounding Pakatan victory. at the next GE, which, to me, is actually iminent.

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  6. What is RPKs motif for the TV3 inteview.???
    1)To kill off Anwar.???
    2)To rock Pakatan Rakyats boat.???
    3)To shoot himself in the ars.???
    3)To get some money from TV3 suku.???

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  7. Never forget public enemy no:1.The bums of moronic Umnoputras.Instead of focusing on RPK/Harris spat.No more distractions,it is all about 'ABU',nothing else but 'ABU'.

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  8. Buttercup put out better shit comment than RPK.
    RPK focus on Anwar.
    For saying Najib and BN is the victor....I wonder what victory is he talking about.
    Being paid salary and bonus...he speaks more like a drunkard than a normal person.

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  9. Useless to talk of people like RPK..and Haris.
    I prefer to tell all about them at Anwar's blog.
    These two characters are always after opportunities for personal glory...hoping and hoping..ONE political party will pull them in.
    No party interested?..."THIRD FORCE" they became...like Laural & Hardy...performing.
    The problem with Buttercup...he does not know...no one trust PRK at all.

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  10. Haris Ibrahim chose to be influenced by RPK...and that so call straight as an arrow freedom fighter became crooked and cunning.
    Now he distanced himself away from RPK...lets hope Haris stick to his NGO label...working closely with Ambiga.

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  11. ah! ,chinky being chinky as usually!

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  12. Hated this half-breed, fat slob from day one. Never trusted him. The recent interview was nothing new. We already know Anwar is irrelevent. Don't have to tell us that. He has just realized it after his drunken stupor.
    It's only Bontoti and supporters who regard him as God.
    Now they are disillussioned. Padan muka.
    This fatso wants to please Najib after making wild accusations against him and Rosmah.
    Najib is not stupid like Anwar to believe in this Guy.
    Let him rot in hell. He and his Chinese wife are now enjoying life on other people's money.
    Now they are penniless and he's forced to say nice things about Najib. This kind of skunk will even kill his mum to get money.
    Like the ass-lover, this guy is Trouble with a capital T and should never even be born.
    When he talks, its that beer vapor with a stench that speaking and you all took it hook, line and sinker.
    So stupid of you all. No wonder you want Mat Sabun leather King to be PM.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So ABU will become abu as in ashes after this. Kakakah.
    Goodbye RPK, Harris, Bontot, Din, Zorro and the godfathers and warlords in PKR.
    Made impotent even before going to battle.
    Best piece of news for 2012. GE, roll on, please.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You all seem to choose the wrong heroes.
    RPK, haha, Zaid Ibrahim, Haha, Tony Phua, haha. LGE Haha, Kapal Sunk haha and Nurul Izzah, hahaha. Soon Sakmongkol, Haha.
    All fell by the roadside.
    Better if you choose Parpukari or Papagomo. At least they show convincing videos and don't change their tune all the time.
    Stick to your mum and dad as hero since you are not discerning people.

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  15. //Stick to your mum and dad as hero since you are not discerning people.//

    History records that Hitler was aproduct of an incestuous relationship, hence his fried-up brains.

    Sad to know that buttercup's mum and dad, during one stormy night of rain and clouds, produced such a F.U.B.A.R....

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  16. Buttercup: You're doing great! - four comments from you so far in a spirited response to this thread. As a frequent visitor to this blog I've noticed that you comment infrequently, certainly not like today!

    As yours is practically the lone voice pulling for BN/UMNO I'd say your input is most welcome as it is always interesting to get a dissenting opinion. I'm sure Kaytee agrees with me on this. If everyone agrees with everyone else it would be utterly boring, and soon the conversation would peter out into silence. Looking forward to reading more of your comments.

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  17. The moment when I saw that he has put up the names of Karpal Singh and Lim Guan Eng, urul, Sakmongkol, Tony Pua as the "wrong" heroes, I immediately knew that he has mis-spelt his name...it's not Buttercup. It should be Buttercunt.

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  18. Buttercup,you are surely an Umno diehard.Perhaps you did not do your homework.Or just don't want to face reality and call a spade a spade.All you have to do is stand on the streets and ask any strangers walking by how they are doing on their bread and butter issues.

    See what playtoys the Umnoputras have,compared to the hardworking ordinary Malays.A lambo(lembu)or BMW suv compared to a broken down bicycle for the kampong folks. Just go over and pay a visit to the kampongs in the rural areas and see for yourself.

    Maybe you are the few lucky priviledged to have huge crumbs falling by every now and then.No wonder Monsterball is always going after your hide.

    All the names you mentioned above are anytime better than all the canibet ministers combined together.This is the year of ABU.

    ReplyDelete
  19. //he has mis-spelt his name...it's not Buttercup. It should be Buttercunt.//

    You mean to say that he smears butter all inside that place? But... but... but then all the ants and flies would be crawling all over it! Uuurgh!! What a cheapskate when he should be using petrojelly. No wonder saifool bukhari wouldn't stick his dongkoi up there!

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  20. It's no wonder ABU is turning to ashes. The People here spend so much time sweating over my gender and my sexual inclination.
    Like the song say: Hoist me up, Buttercup.
    Hey guys, Apol is my cousin once removed. We grow up together. That is why I am so incensed with that back-side player.
    If I am Apol's dad, I will give a him a tight slap and walk coolly out of court on Jan.9. I will be satisfied even if I am jail for a day for that.

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  21. Haris has my support when he says that “It also saddens me that even as initiatives like SABM (Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia) and so many others continue daily to undo the ill-effects of Umno/BN’s 40 over years of race-based, divide-and-rule, my friend should continue to see us as Malays, Chinese, Indians, dll.

    “I remain committed to all efforts to see this a nation of a single people, all equal. And I am fully committed to the cause of ABU, ” he said.

    Although he is a malay yet he wants to see all equal. This is a rear kind of malay and a principle one.

    Formerly, RPK was my hero but no more. Haris is more to my liking.

    RPK even tried to debase the chinese by saying that the chinese are children of prostitutes. Even though Yap Ah Loy bring in 50 prostitutes, it does not mean all are children of prostitutes. My mother is not. She works very hard and tap rubber and so are all my relatives. Prostitutes cannot get married and have children. No man will want them to be wives. RPK trying to use history to justify his stand which is very despicable. I do not know that RPK can stood to so low. Dr. M may call him during ISA, but Dr. M will never give him a single cent to help him. It is the chinese who helps him even though some are not as rich as Dr. M. Even the chinese are willing to post bail for his son and during his ISA, the chinese went to see him. Now he is also staying with some chinese who offer him the use of their apartments. Why can't RPK sees the rakyat as a single people, all equal as Haris said. I salute Haris.

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  22. Buttercup's cup must not be empty.
    When it is...he needs immediate attention...and so he gets it.
    Haris Ibrahim?....why he is a lone mysterious person..mixing with the wrong people all the time.
    Alone...he fights for freedom.
    Together..he is confused.
    I will not trust his weak mind...even though he is
    "straight as an arrow"...like KT said..for his arrow is made of plastic material.
    He is not firm and strong.
    His flexibilities is made out of cunning and selfish stuffs.
    Alone...he is harmless.
    Mix with wrong friends ...especially like Raja Petra.....shows his lack of smartness and good grey matters.
    Now he pulled out..lets hope he learn to be smarter.

    ReplyDelete
  23. You don't change hero like changing clothes.
    You learn to sharpen your mind and master the art to observe characters from their comments.
    RPK has always advertise his skills for a price by any political party or a political filthy man..like Mahathir..to use him.
    He can be bought...all along.
    He is daring and so his last act...against Najib...the result ..we all know....but he has been living a comfortable like in London...all along and so Malaysians are happy...he is not suffering at all.
    His "Third Force"..group of people...helped vigorously by Haris Ibrahim... ..is the start of his nonsense again....to disrupt and confuse.

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  24. Haris and putrid Petra are not real Malays. Original Malays are never like them. This people can live with Malay one day and Chinese the next for their convenience. They are animals which live in two worlds. That is why Muslim Malays declare haram eating animals which live in sea and land. Two worlds like Haris and Petra. These pseudo liberals are cheats. Not worth to even think about.

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  25. The Pied Piper playing songs
    Finally some truths emerge in the New Year

    There is the frog singing a song
    Every one listens trying to know

    in the bushes; in the drain
    What else is new in politics?

    The arrogance of breed
    The substance flaws indeed

    Ameeno will reel in relief
    They leaders think they catch the fish

    What they see
    The dream is lost

    We don't need an Arab Spring
    We need to change our minds

    Do we need to be grilled?
    Well done or medium rare?

    And yet we never learn
    The pain in the mind and body?

    The Pied Piper plays his final songs
    Are we stupid to be caged once more?

    ReplyDelete
  26. "Haris and putrid Petra are not real Malays. Original Malays are never like them".

    Oh Yeah ~ hurray to the real malays/ori malays like Mamak Kutty, Cowgirl Sharizat, Khairy, Najib, Anwar Ibrahim, Sleepy Abdullah, and not forgetting the (quote)"metallic black" hordes....and 90% of the cabinet members.

    Scratch the surface and see how 'pure' we all are ! John Doe, where are you ? We need you here to sort this out....sieve out the impure so that the real/pure/original will claim their birthrights. Malaysia Boleh.

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  27. "Muslim Malays declare haram eating animals which live in sea and land" Anon 12.o7 PM.
    Depend on which part of the country the Malays live in.
    Chinese will eat anything that moves....hahahahahahaha
    But Malaysians Chinese are smart buggers....eat to live and not live to eat.
    UMNO b crooks..keep eating and eating best food...grow fat with easy money...and guys like Samy will say...."It's God's will"...that crooks can steal and live like Kings and Queens.
    Soon many will enjoy the taste of nice roti chanai and nasi lemak....day and night..as his Majesty's guests in prison.

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  28. Soon many will enjoy the taste of roti canai and nasi lemak in prison-- Monsterball
    Emm, you mean Anuwar. No, they just giving him a piece of bread and water.

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  29. Buttercup is an idiot.
    He knows the word many means few and he knows I mean the BN corrupted crooks....and out come..he pin point Anwar.
    Anwar sure go to jail.
    Are you happy...Buttercup?
    Feed him nothing or with bread and water...or he may die in jail...you better get ready to sell your cup only. Day time job for you is finished.
    You are an idiotic marked man....fit to toilets and sweep the floor.
    You think you are smart and cute with your comment?
    SOME or ONE...also cannot differentiate.
    What kind of tong samaph school you are educated from?

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  30. A person who spells "Anwar" as "Anuwar" cannot be a Malay.
    He is a civil servant from the minority group...whose face is as black as charcoal...I TEEEEENK.....hahahahahahahs

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  31. Kapal Sink imagines himself as the Ayatollah of DAP.

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  32. QD or quite despair from sak's blog
    only spelt Anuwar as Anwar.Buttercup is definitely QD.

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  33. Anon 6.11PM is a classic BN supporter that is wiser ans smarter than Karpal Singh....he TEEENKS....hahahahaha
    QD...quite despair...feeling no hope...for hopelessly incorrigible..idiotic.. Buttercup.

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  34. ssssshhhhhhh.....Buttercup is quite despair... passing time quietly...somewhere over the rainbow.
    QED.

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  35. Let's do more Spot The Quiet Despairing Man.....methinks Buttercup = QD = Bedul (in Rocky's Bru). Hahaha, he leaves a trial of Anuwar, Bontoti and Fat Slob and Half Breed all over the place. No one could fail to spot this despairing man, albeit not that quiet though, inspite of the different nicks.

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  36. He is a hyena disguised as a dog.
    Quiet...my foot.
    Quite irritating ..but KT finds delightfully cute..companion.
    Blighter have proposed me to be banned ....I shiverlingam now.

    ReplyDelete