Malaysiakini.com
by Terence Netto
Pausing on a two-week tour of the lecture circuit in the United States earlier this week, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim told a crowd of Malaysian businessmen and professionals in Milpitas, a trendy suburb in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley, that while Pakatan Rakyat may fray around the edges, it is resolute at the centre.
“Things may fray around the edges but the centre will hold,” opined the opposition leader to a crowd of about 150 at the Penang Garden Restaurant on the eve of a lecture he was scheduled to deliver at the University of California in Berkeley.
Anwar told a crowd obviously eager to know the reason behind what is seen in some quarters as his blithe indifference to skirmishing among Pakatan’s lesser lights:
“The leadership council in Pakatan is committed to seeing the coalition hold firm against fraying tendencies at the edges. I believe the centre will hold, that things will not fall apart.”
Anwar added that the entire weight of the mainstream media is being used to paint the opposition as fractious and unable to govern.
“It is conveniently forgotten,” asserted Anwar, “that there is not only wide disarray in the ruling coalition’s ranks, there is reason to believe it could also split asunder.”
He iterated there was firm agreement that all major policy decisions be made in the Pakatan leadership council comprising top leaders of the three component parties – PKR, DAP and PAS.
“This is the solder, this is the glue that holds the coalition together,” he emphasised.
“There’s no wavering on this cardinal principle, which is why I’m confident that the centre will hold despite outbursts and skirmishes now and then by individual operatives on the periphery of this coalition,” explained Anwar.
He claimed the ruling BN was governing by the “momentum of the past”.
“But governments not only subsist by momentum of the past, but also by mastery of the present and by projection of credible hope for the future,” observed Anwar.
“The BN is floundering in the face of its current challenges and it cannot project hope for the future,” he remarked.
Riding the wave of change
He said the forces of history were in favour of change in Malaysia and he believed Pakatan was riding that wave of change.
He referred to Japan where the political status quo was long regarded as immutable only for the long reigning Liberal Democratic Party to be swept from power in August after 54 years.
“Why should Malaysia be the exception to a worldwide democratic order of change?” asked Anwar rhetorically of an audience that rose to cheer him at the end of his speech.
The event’s organisers were pleased with the turnout.
William Devabalan, who had worked with Sim Tze Tzin, the PKR assemblyman for Pantai Jerejak (Penang) when the latter worked in recent years as an engineer in the Bay Area, said:
“There has been a lot of excitement since the elections last year among Malaysians living in California. We want to find more ways to be involved in the efforts to bring about change and this is our small way of contributing.”
After dinner, it was agreed that a Keadilan Chapter for Bay Area would be established to corral support from expatriate Malaysians.
Earlier, Anwar spoke after prayers at Muslim Community Association mosque in Santa Clara where he dwelt on themes he has often explored in his travels – that Muslims must engage with the forces of modernity or risk being fossilised by an irrevocable past.
A number of Malaysians also attended the event, including some former students of the International Islamic University in Gombak who had attended lectures given by Anwar when he was president of that institution during a senior stint in the cabinet.
Bergerak Melintasi Arus Perubahan Malaysia
Saya percaya Pakatan tidak akan berpecah sekiranya Dato’ Seri Anwar terus dan tetap meneruskan usaha menghujahkan pemikiran ekonomi beliau. Kepetahan Dato’ Seri dalam menghuraikan struktur ekonomi telah membuka mata saya tentang ekonomi Malaysia di masa kini. Seperti mana di dalam keluarga saya, emak dan ayah mengagumi beliau kerana kepetahan dalam ucapan serta struktur bahasa beliau yang menggambarkan ketokohan sewaktu beliau memegang jawatan Menteri Kewangan serta Timbalan Perdana Menteri.
Dato’ Seri hanyalah belajar dalam bahagian Sastera tetapi dapat menguasai pemahaman ekonomi malah telah menyumbangkan idea yang bernas di mana salah satunya adalah pemberian bonus pada kakitangan awam. Perkara ini seharusnya difikirkan oleh mana-mana individu yang bergelar pemimpin kerana keceriaan wajah pekerja hanyalah bergantung kepada kemurnian serta kearifan seorang pemimpin. Alangkah seronoknya hati sekiranya Dato’ Seri dapat memegang tampuk pemerintahan tatkala ini. Malaysia pasti akan jadi sebuah syurga sekiranya pemikiran ekonomi beliau tercapai.
Betul kata abang saya, seorang pemimpin tidak seharusnya berpendidikan tinggi malah yang mempunyai kelayakan dalam sesuatu bidang, seperti siapa yang belajar Sains Politik sewajarnya dialah ahli politik, siapa yang ada kelayakan dalam bidang ekonomi, sewajarnya dialah Menteri Kewangan. Seharusnya seseorang pemimpin adalah orang yang amat memahami akan kesusahan orang bawah (rakyat). Itulah pemimpin. Tetapi, di Malaysia pasti sukar untuk kita fahami yang manakah pemimpin yang berhati rakyat. Ini kerana minda rakyat kita masih kekampungan.
Reply
Noh Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:15 pm
SAMA2 KITA DOAKAN ALLAH PANJANGKAN UMUR DSAI, DIBERIKAN KESIHATAN DAN KEKUATAN AGAR MALAYSIA DIPIMPINNYA KEMERCU YANG DICITA-CITA OLEH RAKYAT DENGAN MENONGKAH DAN MELENYAPKAN KEBEJATAN YANG BERMAHARAJALELA SEKARANG.
Reply
ulam batar Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Tahniah dan terima kasih diatas usaha saudara menkibarkan dan khabarkan hasrat Rakyat malaysia untuk merubah telunjuk negara yang dikira kian menbazirkan wang rakyat walau pun bertentang dengan arus kelembapan ekonomi. saudara telah merentas benua redindian dari timur us ke barat us semoga usaha saudara yang bukan kepalang jaraknya akan mendekati hati rakyat kita di luar sana.
Jika dilihat usaha saudara jelas saudara telah menbelakangi usia saudara serta telah berpegang bahawa hidup ini satu pengorbanan, pentas dunia saudara cagarkan demi menenpah perubahan mutlak di Negara tercinta ini.
Saya selaku perdagang bicara di blog saudara saya berasa kempunan , untuk melihat siapakah kedet muda palapes untuk menerus kesinanbungan untuk memastikan habuan rakyat yang laparkan ketulusan oleh ‘penguasa’ dan hak bersuara ‘demokerasi tulin’ dapat di santap oleh Rakyat. acap kali rakyat menuntut kebebasan media dirongakan supaya ada ruang Rakyat meluahkan pandangan dan keritikan. apa jaguhnya UMNO sekiranya hanya berani mengunakan media sehala!!, dalam masa yang sama cuba kambuskan pandangan Rakyat!!!
Reply
comment mengenai kepetahan Dato’ Seri Anwar dalam menyampaikan pidato dan ceramah,memandangkan bahasa melayu kian dipinggirkan dan telah menjadi isu kritikal pd masa sekarang,maka sewajarnya kita mengangkat Dato’ Seri Anwar sebagai pemimpin negara.Saya masih percaya bahawa pemimpin menjadi teladan kepada rakyatnya…Saya begitu kagum mendengar ceramah dn pidato Dato’ Seri Anwar kerana pengunaan bahasanya cukup indah dh segar utk didengar…saya yakin apabila Dato’ Seri Anwar diangkat menjadi PM nanti,beliau boleh menjdy contoh sekali gus memartabatkn kembali bm kita yang kian luntur kedaulatanya….teruskan perjuangan Dato’ Seri Anwar!!!!!
Reply
Syabas Anwar. Gelombang perubahan sedang berlaku. Tiba akan masanya PAKATAN memerintah Malaysia.
HIDUP ANWAR…HIDUP PAKATAN
Reply