We can’t build a nation on lies, says Haris Ibrahim

We can’t build a nation on lies, says Haris Ibrahim

Martin Vengadesan


For activist Haris Ibrahim, the toppling of the Umno/BN government in May 2018 was the fulfilment of a lifetime’s ambition to see a less corrupt and racist administration.

However, it wasn’t long before the miracle win started to turn sour.

“First, with the Pakatan Harapan government - I love these guys, and by and large, a majority of them wanted to do the right thing. I think the problem was that in GE14, the job was to get rid of the rubbish in Putrajaya, but in that process, we unwittingly put some rubbish back and it was proven.

“Certainly, the likes of Azmin Ali, Zuraida Kamaruddin and Saifuddin Abdullah as leaders of PKR - these people betrayed the rakyat.

“I was also very disappointed when the then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, ‘we didn’t think we were going to win and promised heaven and earth and now can’t deliver’. I expected many in Harapan to speak up and say that’s not true, but so many just kept quiet at the time.

“Many things could have been done. The Sedition Act was still in use. Yes, they could have blocked it in Dewan Negara but at least pass it in the Dewan Rakyat.

“I think what happened along the way was that people got so caught up with politicking to preserve their newfound positions. They were easily manipulated because of this,” he told Malaysiakini in an interview.

According to Haris, the best way to ensure that Harapan won the GE15 would have been to deliver reforms and keep its promises.

“Despite that, I have to be optimistic. But it has to be tied to the willingness of the people to rise as a united force as they did in GE14. When push comes to shove, when Malaysians decide enough is enough and come together … we are an unstoppable force,” he added.

Haris, who is currently fighting a battle against Stage 4 cancer and may only have three months to live, lamented the impact of the party and coalition systems that easily swallows up well-intentioned individuals.

“Last election, I voted for Maria Chin Abdullah. I worked with her in Bersih, and when she announced she was coming in as an independent but under a PKR ticket, I was excited.

“But unbeknownst to us, she then joined the party, and unbeknownst to us, she got close to the Azmin faction. Why get involved with party politics if your promise was to come in and enact reforms?” he asked.

“I really feel the voting public should be looking not at symbols but to evaluate the candidate. That’s what I want to push.

“Enough of political parties coming with manifestos. We should give them the manifesto. Don’t forget to ask difficult questions. Where in the constitution does it say special rights, for example? Let’s stop playing populist politics.

“Let’s establish that we are a secular state even as efforts are underway to undermine that secular state, taking us to an Islamic state that is detrimental to the whole population.

“We need to embrace the truth because a nation cannot be built on lies,” he said.

Culture of fear still present

One of the key roles Haris played was to help Malaysians see that it was alright to speak up against corruption and injustice, but he feels that after the Sheraton Move, many are now back in their shell.

“I don’t think the culture of fear has ever left us. People were emboldened by what they saw in the elections, but the Sheraton Move shook a lot of people to the core. To think that having kicked these robbers and thieves out of power, they were able to find their way back.

“So you have government servants who are petrified of being punished for voting for change. The only message I have is that you can use fear as a force of energy. If thieves break into your house and you have a bat, you can stand and defend or hide and pretend you don’t hear your wife screaming.

“I think fear is something that grips all of us without exception. It’s how you respond to it,” he said.

According to Haris, Malaysia is being held back by soul-less politicians holding high office ad infinitum and cowardly leaders, opposition or otherwise, afraid to raise controversial issues, all of which is compounded by a bullied rakyat that is fearful and silenced.

To that end, he lauded Malaysiakini for also coming along at the right time. “With Premesh Chandran, Steven Gan and the whole team - we owe so much to the brave reporting over the years. I’m pretty sure they have had offers to sell out, but they stuck to their guns. So these are the heroes.

“Malaysiakini had great coverage of the Bersih and Hindraf rallies, and I was very proud to be associated with them then. Hopefully, they can remain independent and keep the political parties at bay,” he said.

He recalled how when he was convicted in a sedition trial and sentenced to eight months in jail (eventually reduced to a fine), a reporter came up to him and said, “Haris, you are very brave to give up your freedom.”

“I said you are wrong. I haven’t given up (my) freedom, you have! I refuse to be silenced. They warned me, but I spoke – so who is free?

“In circumstances when efforts are made to deprive you of that freedom, you have essentially two choices - yield that freedom or fight to hold on to it.

“If you choose the latter, there is usually a price to pay. The prison sentence was, to me, the price I had to pay in refusing to be silenced,” he said.

Haris is always Malaysian first, no thought of selling out