Tribute to Senator Edward Kennedy
September 1, 2009
The notion of civic duty in a democratic polity must have taken its promptings from Pericles who held that the man who claims that politics is not his business in reality has no business.
The life of Senator Edward Kennedy embodied the truth of this Periclean notion. Three deaths in his family, suffered in the course of public duty, would have been sufficient inhibition to take a pass on destiny’s call to serve.
Instead Edward Kennedy derived strength from Hemingway’s view that life breaks everybody but afterwards, “many are strong at the broken places”. Edward Kennedy mined strength from the broken places, and despite human failings, proved resilient in answering the call of public service.
His record in the upper legislature of national politics in the United States was powerful testimony that the presidency of the nation was not the only vehicle for influencing the course of national history.
While Senator Kennedy will be remembered most for his decades long fight for social justice issues in the United States, Malaysians will not forget his equally fierce defense of marginalized and oppressed peoples around the world.
His opposition to the Vietnam War after witnessing, among other things the cruelty heaped upon civilian populations was admirable as was his opposition to the war in Iraq and ardent calls for the withdrawal of American troops.
I was personally touched by his vocal advocacy of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and castigation of those who hid behind the veil of constructive engagement to justify their continued involvement with an unjust regime.
Not only America but the world has lost a statesman of exceptional valour and commitment to the cause of peace and freedom. Senator Edward M. Kennedy was undoubtedly a great democrat, a true servant dedicated valiantly to the values of fairness and justice, and one of the most ardent advocates of human rights and democracy.
ANWAR IBRAHIM
Malaysian Opposition Leader
WE ARE THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I think good thing about America is, they respect people from both party no matter they are opposition or not, not like us here…Those in power is “human”…Those opposition is “hantu/ghost”…So indirectly they insult us people as we are the one that elected those :(
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ulam batar Reply:
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:03 am
talker!! di US tiada parti pembangkang. tiada parti pemerintah, mereka semua pembangkang. sebab kedudukan dewan senat mereka seinbang tidak jauh beza. dibelah mana sekali pun boleh menegur tidak di malaysia jika MP pemerintah menegur Menteri mereka maka mereka di kata menhina komponen kena sumpah derhaka lalu di gantung sebagai MP. inilah beza US dan Malaysia kita amat jauh dalam sistem berpolitik. begitu juga Presiden Negera mereka di pilih oleh Rakyat bukan Parti . jadi rakyat yang di beri hak mereka sepenuhnya tidak di malaysia. Keroni atau Parti sahaja berhak memilih PM maka tangan rakyat tidak bermakna. sebenarnya UMNO lah yang melaksanakan Hudud bukan PAS. UMNO kudungkan tangan rakyat setiap kali mengundi PAS cuma kudungkan tangan jika seseorang itu mencuri dengan 4 saksi yang tulin. Siapa yang lebih Islam di malaysia UMNO atau PAS??????
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memanglah ini IDOLA DSAI…….tidak syak lg betulkan tuan guru nik aziz…Ulam batar pun memang tak lama lg dapat kewarganegaraan USA……memang sistem di Malaysia tak sesuai la ulam batar…..mgkin ulam batar hidup susah di malaysia…banyak gangguan,kene rompak,kene tindas,….ulam batar ni seorang yang amat2 GENIUS la.
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