Umar Tan menanyakan melalui emel:

Assalamualaikum,

Pertama sekali, saya ucapkan selamat kembali ke tanahair kepada saudara Anwar setelah sekian lama berada di negeri orang. Hujan emas di luar sana, hujan batu di sini pula. Saya amat berbesar hati kerana diberi peluang bersama saudara membawa agenda yang sekian lama haus di tekak rakyat.

Saya lihat keadilan masih lemah dari segi perolehan maklumat. Sepanjang pembacaan saya akan artikel atau sebarang paparan dokumen, pengisian data masih agak kurang menyerlah. Mungkin ada yang silap pada pandangan saya, mungkin juga ada yang berkongsi pendapat dengan saya. Walauapapun, kita sedia maklum, tanpa suluh bagaimana mungkin boleh meneroka jalan yang gelap.

Atau mungkin yang dipaparkan kepada awam tidak selengkap apa yang dibentangkan didalam mesyuarat, wallahualam.

Walauapapun, saya amati capaian maklumat agak terhad. Saya berasa tidak puas dengan pembacaan saya. Sebagai contoh, isu FTA atau WTO, yang dikatakan akan mengancam kehidupan ribuan petani kecil di Malaysia. Persoalannya, berapa ribu? Dengan hanya berkata banyak tidak mencukupi, persoalannya berapa banyak?

Saya juga risau, kebergantungan kepada sumber-sumber ‘asing’, akhirnya akan membawa mudarat. Pengisian data yang kurang teliti, pembutiran yang terhad, mungkin saudara pernah mengalami senario dimana saudara dimaklumkan dengan maklumat yang tidak konsisten.

All these small details, though it may not be grasp by the masses, but at least it can be appreciated by the few who im sure will make good use of such privilege.

I understand the predicament the opposition going through, especially when we are denied the rights to information. We turn left, we turn right, dazzled over the right button to press and push our opponent down its knees, or at least put fire under their seats.

Then again not only we are denied access, at times we dont even know who to turn to. Who is the right person to enquire? The right person to meet? Who knows what? And where or how can we gain any information that can be of benefit to us?

I always wonder the contents of them files lock neatly behind the safe. I always wonder why are we not allowed to see whats underneath the records, them poeple-in-power try so hard to keep it out of our reach. I yearn to see, the skeleton behind the closet. And instead of waiting for doubtful information from ’sources’ that he/she itself can be put to doubt of his/her intention, or waiting for some squeler to bongkarkan whatever kept hidden, wouldn’t it be great if we have the capability, the capacity, the means, to stretch our arm to all that is…secret?

It is true that each of us have our informants, or sympathizers if you may, in certain quarters. But I believe it wil benefit you more if there is a specific machinery, designed to conduct data acquisition and all that I mention above. There is to no doubt, that a form intelligence is required, for the more we know of our foe, the easier we lay grounds for their fall. A designated ‘wing’ not only do that, but perhaps it can also ensure consistent acquisition, and data that is valid even.

Dont get me wrong, im not asking for a quasi-military organization. Francis Bacon once said, knowledge is power right?

Wassalam.

Umar Tan

Sidi menanyakan :

Ingin tahu Dato’ seri telah memperolehi ijazah kedoktoran kerana saya ada terbaca yang dato telah bergelar Doktor. Kalau benar, boleh hebahkan sedikit di university mana dato’ seri menjalani pengajian di peringkat ijazah kedoktoran.