The Rise & Fall & Fall of ........

The Rise
He parachuted into Mount Olympus. Maybe, after reviewing his activist records, the Grand Ole Man saw him as a potentially dangerous trouble-maker to be controlled, where indoctrinating with 'Olympic ideals’ would be the best approach.

His ministerial stint as Education Minister was the most stressful period for non-Muslim parents. Many to this day haven’t yet forgiven him.

He has a way about him, a charismatic personality gifted with oratorical prowess unmatched by others, with perhaps the exception of the late Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia. But he was far superior to Soekarno for he has the ability to change his apparel to suit the circumstances and reinvent himself as the situation requires. There’s no denying his intelligence.

He worked his way from parachute to pinnacle, shedding most of his earlier identity along the way – from an image of fierce rebelliousness to fine ‘Renaissance’.

He demolished many along his way upwards to the No 2 position, including a very senior member of the generasi pertama, who on the day of the ascendancy of the New Renaissance Man, was reported to be abandoned completely in the Great Hall of the UMNO building, wandering pitifully alone in lost confusion while clutching a plastic shopping bag. In that sorry tale, it was sad stark example of 'when you’re no longer in power, you’re useless'.

At the end of it, one asks: what has been his achievement when in power? What was his contribution to society? Where was he when the judiciary was raped?

Be that as it may, in life, as they say, there’s many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.

The Fall
What was the true reason, we may never know. That he was fixed real good has never been in doubt. But why was he fixed real good?

Many especially him blame the Grand Ole Man, but I ask why. He gave reason that Ole Man wanted to protect his son – maybe. But I have difficulty believing him because he hasn’t demonstrated he has accepted his draconian past nor shown remorse – always there is a reason and it would be someone else’s fault. And that's why I don't believe him.

That his faction frightened the other factions was known. Who knows – maybe the other factions, for their own survival, fixed him, and presented ‘evidence’ to the Grand Ole Man? The conspiracy permutations are limitless but require the navigational guidance of an insider to enlighten us, the affected outsiders with no say.

The Second Fall
It’s all becoming unstuck now.

Criticised by even the younger set of the Chosen for meddling in party polls, where once this would have been unimaginable and blasphemous, the reported internal schism of the inner core of his praetorian guards by malaysiakini presages the end of a hope for a viable party, an alternative choice for the public. Perhaps it may survive but I reckon in the mode of the pathetic pitiful PPP - which, incidentally it is already in right now, despite all the bravado, boast and braggadocio.

And talking about meddling in party polls, why was the man with the second highest number of nominations for a top echelon post told to withdraw. Requiring the person to withdraw from a virtually guaranteed win into that position could mean only one thing – the high post has already been pre-determined/allocated for another. Democracy at work?

Is it a multiethnic party as it claims? Well, his once-close friend, now disappointed, disenchanted and disgusted, doesn’t think so. The track record of by-elections, not the empty verbosity of declarations, assertions and promises, doesn’t say so too.

Talking about track record, another aspect showed a dismal campaign performance – perhaps the public think that the magic has diminished into mere David Copperfield-ish illusions? Mind you, there’s still entertainment value in both, except the ‘holy’ aspects has now become ‘ha ha’ items.

What about his dynastic ambitions? Has there been a careful building up of a cult personality for a progeny? Examples abound in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, North Korea. Also, in another area, the mix of candidates for the top position suggests that dynastic intention.

And we can even speculate as to why the most respected personality in the party has been requested not to retire.

Oh, malaysiakini has reported that he who is highly respected has warned the party of, what I would describe as, its atavistic* characteristics. He (the most respected one) warned: remember, this is not like your father’s house where monkey tricks abound.

* Characteristics pertaining to an ancestor – then ask: who was or has been the ancestor?

There is a saying that a leopard never changes its spots – a predatory carnivorous cat is always that, a meat eater. It would be sheer fantasy to imagine it can become a vegetarian.

Related:
PKR needs to think outside Anwar-centric box - my letter to malaysiakini