Ezam anti Dr M, Jeff Ooi pro Dr M?

Josh Hong, one of the most readable columnists at Malaysiakini wrote a basically anti-Mahathir article in his Jump, 'ubah'

He actually sees light in Ezam Mohd Nor rejoining UMNO. Ezam was once the right hand man and reputed (but erstwhile) protégé of Anwar Ibrahim, and left the party together with his idol when the latter was expelled from UMNO.

Since then, Ezam has split up with his former mentor. He became so disgusted with Anwar that he publicly supported Nallakarupan, another former Anwar supporter and close friend similarly disenchanted with Anwar Ibrahim, when Nalla angrily left PKR. Both have publicly condemned Anwar for his less than democratic conduct in PKR.

Hong remembered how Ezam (like Nalla) was incarcerated for his association an friendship with Anwar Ibrahim, and blamed that not on the home minister then, a bloke by the name of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, but on “… the calculative and insidious Mahathir who decided that some key instigators behind the frequent street protests be nabbed.”

Hong believed it’s time for Ezam “… to reconcile with the party that he once fought against.” Hong went as far as to speculate that Ezam’s return to UMNO could well be a long standing plan by AAB and Ezam. Hong expects (or rather hopes) Ezam will play a more prominent role in digging up dirt on or attacking the Big ‘M’.

His article reminded us that "In June last year, Ezam, as chairperson of the Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption (Gerak), handed a memorandum to the prime minister demanding an investigation into allegations of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation involving a ‘senior cabinet minister’."

"No action has been taken so far, and Ezam, for some reasons only known to Abdullah and himself, has ceased pursuing the case."

"Last month, Ezam echoed the calls for a probe into Mahathir’s alleged interference in the governance system, and blamed the former prime minister for the rot in our judiciary."

Was Hong implying that ‘senior cabinet minister’ alleged by Ezam of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation, meriting investigation, was none other than the Big ‘M’ himself?

Wow and double wows!

Has AAB been squirreling such political titbits for a rainy day … which could be now. But of course we are reading too much between the lines into Hong’s Malaysiakini column.

Anyway, Hong asked: “… will Ezam be assuming some significant role if such process (investigating into …) is initiated by the government?” In fact he would love to see Ezam “…land more blows to Mahathir.”

Hong commented on something which many people, including bloggers, have ignored, that “… by the standards of a mature democracy, winning 140 seats out of 222 in Parliament is already quite an achievement."

Despite this, both (some of) UMNO insiders and (most) PKR members have been piling the pressure on a daily basis on AAB as if he had just lost the election for UMNO.

So AAB is in a pseudo-crisis, as the propaganda tells us daily. Hong believes AAB obviously and badly needs someone with a clean image and integrity (by BN standards – what does Hong mean by this ;-) ?) to prop him up.

Hong dismissed the current leadership UMNO mob, and pinpointed Ezam as a relatively ‘clean, credible and competent’ (some are my words) to be the ideal running mate for KJ when the SIL makes a stab at the top UMNO post in December.

Aiyoyo, so it’s not for the national or party benefit but still for AAB’s family interests?

So, on the basis that Ezam is anti-Mahathir, he has Josh Hong’s ‘vote’ even if he returns to UMNO. On that same perception, Hong has insinuated Jeff Ooi (DAP) is either on Mahathir’s payroll or serving his agenda.

Wow and triple wows!

Hong asserted he hasn’t been kidding in making that allegation, because he has (and so have many thousands of us) read Jeff Ooi declaring his admiration for Dr M, whom Hong described as the most authoritarian prime minister in Malaysian history!

Hong has been annoyed with Jeff Ooi for joining “… the chorus to call on Abdullah to come up with a retirement plan!” just as my blogging mate Susan Loone has so posted in Jeff Ooi, Umno politics and Penang investors. Susan wrote:

“Now, Jeff joins Mahathir & Co. to ask Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign as prime minister, asking the latter to set a date (malaysiakini).”

“Many economists and financial analysts have predicted a downturn in foreign investments and an economic slump in the long run if the crisis continues unchecked. So Pak Lah must act by announcing his retirement plan. It will restore investors’ confidence in the long run,” the MP said, adding that investors would not want to invest in a politically unstable country. Since all investors come in for the long haul, they would not want to put their money in a country mired in political uncertainties”.

Then Susan went on to show that both a top Japanese investor, manufacturing company Ibiden (through its the company manager Yutaka Torimaru), and the (DAP) CM of Penang, Lim Guan Eng made statements which discredited Jeff Ooi’s take on the effect of UMNO intra party drama on foreign investments.

Susan quoted Ibiden that the invester has been unperturbed by the current political crisis in Malaysia because our country is far more secure and stable than many other countries in the region. Lim GE said the same thing.

… which begs the question as to why Jeff has taken up the cudgel together with the anti AAB camp, namely Dr M.

Hong lambasted Jeff Ooi for failing to recognize that AAB’s untimely departure would only bring about an UMNO government led by the Mahathir clique.

But does Josh Hong’s title for his article imply he advocates froggies?

The answer is indeed a ‘yes’ though Hong puts a caveat on his support, that Anwar and his allies must prove to us that they deserve the fruits of froggies, and are serious about the job.

Hong made several conditions for the Pakatan to achieve this, though he should have directed them to PKR rather than the Pakatan as the DAP has not shown any proclivity for such an undemocratic backdoor to power. I will list three as follows:

(i) Make transparent the entire lobbying of BN lawmakers, including all the new deals with Sabah and Sarawak,

(ii) Ensure that no money changed hands and be proactive in countering such allegation by the BN or other parties,

(iii) Sort out the differences within Pakatan, especially the Islamic state issue and the role of the Malay rulers.

I wonder how Josh Hong will be able to verify (i) and especially the first part of (ii), namely 'ensuring that no money changes hands' in enticing frogs, unless he possesses super-sleuth or supernatural facilities, or is super-naïve.

I have always like Josh Hong for his fine caring articles, but I have to ask whether Hong been so stricken by his dislike for Mahathir that to him, any other devil surely can’t be worse? In fact, that’s what he said, or words to the effect.

I have often remarked that extreme emotions, like those frequently demonstrated by Anwaristas and UMNO-istas (birds of …!), don’t provide stable platforms on which to formulate sound judgements.