Saints galore in PKR

It seems Tian Chua is not the only martyr Malaysia has. We have been blessed with another and more prominent one- dear Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Wonderful Anwar informed the BBC that he has no choice but to return to politics where he had once ruled at the apex of the UMNO juggernaut.

He said Malaysia was ready for a change (and presumably he represents that 'change'), because Malaysia has lost its competitiveness, corruption is endemic and racial tension is far worse than before (presumably 'than before' referred to a time when he was the anointed heir to Dr Mahathir).

“…racial tension is far worse than before …”?

Well, I won’t deny that overt racism had been prominently displayed during the recent UMNO general assembly, but as for the “… worse than before …” part, I do wonder, because I am reminded of what Saifulbahri Kamaruddin, a malaysiakini reader, and self-confessed former Malaysian journalist wrote regarding the ethnic credentials of Anwar Ibrahim.

Saifulbahri wrote that letter after a malaysiakini reporter Luk interviewed Anwar Ibrahim, where the world's greatest political reformer and acclaimed mediator of inter-ethnic problems, accused Dr Mahathir Mohamad of using subtle racist tactics when the latter was in power. According to Saifulbahri, Anwar was less subtle.

This was an extract of his letter which I posted last year in Anwar: "Wei, Cina balek Tiong Sun lah"?

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I was a journalist in the mainstream media for over 20 years, and very often I covered Anwar's functions, especially involving Umno, its youth wing and Abim (Islamic Youth Movement of Malaysia). I had never heard of one speak with so much disdain of the Chinese before. We, the journalists, knew that Anwar was trying to be all things to all people, so when he addressed ‘kampung’ people with a skewed view of inter-communal affairs, he would tell them what they wanted to hear.

The reporters would duly file their stories to the editors, who then would mangle the reports to make Anwar look good, even if that meant less accuracy. Yes, indeed - Anwar appointed most of the editors in the mainstream media, and he certainly did not mince his words when it came to relations with Singapore or the ethnic Chinese. At one Umno youth rally in 1987, he ranted and raved, urging Chinese Malaysians to ‘go back to China’ if they were not happy in Malaysia. But, of course, that was not published for fear of damaging his image.

So, now the former deputy prime minister is trying to be an angel, supposedly innocent of everything that occurred when he was in power. It was the same with his accusations of the government being corrupt, the very institution of which he had been part of for 15 years and had enjoyed its largesse and dispensed patronage in a way typical of Umno even now.

It insults my intelligence to read of him accusing his former compatriots and colleagues of being what he himself was wholeheartedly.

all above underlining are mine

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Hmmm, maybe I better not grouped Anwar Ibrahim with Tian Chua, much as they both belong to the same political party.

One is an absent-minded saint, and the other an admirable-masochistic saint - you decide who is which!

Related:
ST Tian Chua or S&M Tian Chua

Anwar Ibrahim - between Syaitan DAP & the deep Green sea

Dear Anwar Ibrahim - for a man not even permitted by law to stand as a candidate in Malaysian elections until the end of April 2008 – is under political siege, nay, not from UMNO or the Barisan Nasional (BN), but from the DAP and PAS, his main allies in the sometimes-on sometimes-off so-called Barisan Alternatif.

PAS has now dangled the Kota Baru carrot in front of Anwar, asking him to contest in Kelantan in the next general election while allowing his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to defend her Permatang Pauh seat.

Either PAS or the Star Online referred to his wife’s Permatang Pauh constituency as his stronghold, which may be misleading as the last election had shown.

Yes, one could argue that the narrow escape by Dr Wan Azizah had been due to the BN’s naughty whatever, but that’s exactly what will happen again especially if Anwar were to front up as a candidate for Permatang Pauh.

Tengku Razaleigh had also advised Anwar that he will lose Permatang Pauh the next time he contests there.

So will Anwar take up PAS’ offer?

Kelantan Legislative Assembly speaker Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah said of Anwar contesting in KB: “He has a good chance of winning in Kota Baru because the three state seats under the parliamentary area are held by PAS assemblymen.”

The Kota Baru incumbent is Zaid Ibrahim (BN). So we may ask Wan Abdul Rahim why the KB seat is held by BN if the three state seats under the parliamentary area are held by PAS assemblymen.

On Anwar’s call for PAS and DAP to cooperate with PKR in the polls, Wan Abdul Rahim, who is known as a party strategist, said: “Our relationship with PKR is very clear. It is our sole partner in the Barisan Alternatif.”

“… sole partner …” – guess that makes it plain.

... hardly surprising when DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said DAP would not work with PAS “under any circumstances” unless it dropped its Islamic state ideology.

"... under any circumstances unless ..." - well Lim, bloody make up your mind, because your “under any circumstances” excludes "unless".

Lim said: “I confirm that DAP is working with PKR but maintain the stand that we are not working with PAS.”

DAP chairman Karpal Singh drove a stake into the heart of Anwar’s call for a united front when he chided Anwar, saying the PKR could not have the “best of both worlds” and must choose either the DAP or PAS as its ally.

“…could not have the best of both worlds …” – but that’s Anwar Ibrahim’s speciality!

The Lion of Gelugor warned that DAP would not collaborate with PKR as long as PAS was in the picture, though he did affirm his party’s willingness to work with PKR.

Now, firm commitment has not been a noted feature in Anwar Ibrahim’s pronouncements thus far (unless it’s for or against UMNO).

So now, we await with abated breath for his decision or more likely, his renown Houdini-ish elegant evasive escape from the PAS & Parti-tindakan-demokratik political Panzer-like pincer attack.