By Raja Petra Kamarudin
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s landslide victory in the Permatang Pauh by-election on August 26 strongly suggests that Malaysians remain in a mood for change five months after a political tsunami swept the country. The writer examines five key questions that may determine the country’s future.
Is Anwar Ibrahim unstoppable?*
With the big margin he attained in the by-election, it does look as if Barisan Nasional (BN) will have a hard time stopping him. But then, as Anwar himself said, a week is a long time in politics, meaning that nothing is definite.
He is stoppable as a person, but I think what has happened to him is that he has become the focus of a lot of hope for Malaysians disillusioned with the BN system. Because he is a wily politician — or a chameleon, as critics like to say — he has been able to remake himself in the image of the reform movement that his arrest 10 years ago inspired and that developed more intensely than he could have expected. That movement has aligned itself with other oppositional forces and that new combined force now places him as its front man. In turn, he has become indispensable to that force.
Continue reading ‘Is Anwar Unstoppable?’
(Laporan wartawan Kompas.com, Inggried Dwi Wedhaswary | 6 September 2008)
JAKARTA, SABTU — Pemimpin oposisi Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, tetap pada target awalnya untuk menggulingkan pemerintahan Perdana Menteri Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Anwar menetapkan batas 16 September sebagai batas akhir baginya untuk “mengistirahatkan” Badawi.
“Saya tetap pada target saya, 16 September menjadi waktu untuk mengistirahatkan Badawi. Untuk itu, saya rileks sebentar sehari lompat ke Jakarta, berdiskusi dan bertemu dengan sahabat-sahabat saya di Indonesia,” kata Anwar mengawali pidatonya dalam silaturahmi dengan ICMI di Menara Bank Mega, Jakarta, Sabtu (6/9). Continue reading ‘Anwar Ibrahim “Gulingkan” Badawi Tanggal 16 September’
(Laporan wartawan Kompas.com Inggried Dwi Wedhaswary | 6 September 2008)
JAKARTA, SABTU — Pemimpin oposisi Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, berjanji akan menarik UU yang menerapkan hukuman cambuk bagi TKI ilegal jika ia berhasil menggulingkan pemerintahan Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Anwar menetapkan batas waktu 16 September untuk bisa merebut kursi perdana menteri.
Sebab, menurutnya, hukuman cambuk tidak manusiawi dan melanggar perikemanusiaan. Isu TKI, menurut Anwar, merupakan isu mendesak untuk disikapi. Hal itu dikatakan Anwar dalam jumpa pers seusai silaturahmi dengan ICMI di Menara Bank Mega, Jakarta Selatan, Sabtu (6/9). “TKI itu isu yang mendesak. UU hukuman cambuk akan kita tarik, kita hapuskan karena bagi saya itu tidak berperikemanusiaan,” kata Anwar. Continue reading ‘Kalau Jadi PM, Anwar Janji Tarik Hukum Cambuk bagi TKI’
By YB Khalid Samad, Member of Parliament for Shah Alam
I received an sms yesterday with questions which I think are worth answering/discussing. The sms had 7 or 8 concerns if you will and is repeated below:-
Please seriously consider the following in the future Pakatan:
1. The implication of Anwar’s over promised populist approach to the non-Malays, which may carry negative implications to PAS Malays thresholds.
2. DAP and PKR extremists, liberalists within the administration that might create social insecurity among the Malay PAS supporters.
3. The mass defection of UMNO MPs with their corrupt culture into PKR that takes lead in Pakatan direction.
4. The Islamic social welfare policies versus drastic fiscal policies that piggy back on budget deficits that subsidies populists at the expanse of future generation
5. Where is PAS in the whole process? Where are we heading? We may have destroyed the evil UMNO, but invited the Satan that bow to US and foreign super power.
6. Malay unity is very crucial to the Malaysian social, economic stability. Please mirror Indonesian’s reformasi. The people still struggle since 1998, while national economic resources are gang raped by super power.
7. Why not PAS take the leading role in forming the next government and unite Malays?
Don’t know what is best? The survival of PAS is at stake. It’s definitely sure US is behind Anwar to destroy NEP which is our social engineering insurance for stability. Now our country is heading towards anarchy situations!
Continue reading ‘Confronting The Fear of Change’
Malaysiakini | 4 September 2008
Dr Mohd Osman Abdul Hamid dari Hospital Pusrawi yang memeriksa Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, muncul hari ini untuk mempertahankan hasil pemeriksaannya yang tidak menemui sebarang bukti yang menunjukkan Mohd Saiful telah diliwat.
Dr Osman telah mengambil cuti lebih sebulan lalu selepas kebocoran laporan perubatannya ke atas Saiful itu, pada 28 Julai lalu.
Doktor tersebut, yang ditemani peguamnya - M Puravelan dan Yusri Kamaruddin - mengadakan sidang akhbar di Majlis Peguam pada jam 12 tengahari ini.
Beliau mengesahkan bahawa akuan berkanunnya, yang disiarkan oleh Malaysia Today memang ditandatanganinya.
“Saya tidak terbabit dalam politik, saya akan sentiasa bercakap benar,” kata Dr Osman yang kelihatan agak gementar. Continue reading ‘Dr. Osman tampil pertahan laporan kes liwat Anwar’
[kemaskini jam 8.00 malam]
Al Fatihah.
Pak Samad telah kembali ke rahmatullah pada jam 5.58 petang tadi di Hospital Pantai Kuala Lumpur. Jenazah Allahyarham akan dibawa pulang ke rumahnya di No 2 Jalan 16/7C, Petaling Jaya dan akan dikebumikan pada hari esok, selepas solat Jumaat.
Semoga Allah SWT mencucuri rahmat ke atas roh Allahyarham.
—————————————————————————————
Perkhabaran diterima memaklumkan Tan Sri A. Samad Ismail kini sedang tenat.
Ahad lalu, saya, Azizah, Izzah dan Shahrir sempat menziarahi beliau yang kini sedang terlantar di Hospital Pantai. Sabelum daripada itu, sahabat beliau, Dr. Syed Husin Ali turut meluangkan masa melawatnya.
Jika disorot kembali sejarah era penjajahan, tidak boleh dinafikan sama sekali perjuangan beliau menentang penjajahan Jepun dan British melalui Kesatuan Melayu Muda, disusuli peranan beliau mendrafkan Perlembagaan Rakyat bersama-sama Pak Sako dan Ahmad Boestamam.
Saya mendoakan agar beliau terus dikurniakan kekuatan oleh Allah SWT untuk melawan penyakit. Buat keluarga Pak Samad, diharapkan terus cekal memanjatkan doa ke hadrat Ilahi. Semoga barakah Ramadhan ini membuahkan kerahmatan buat semua.
ANWAR IBRAHIM
Malaysiakini | Aug 29, 2008
The Budget 2009 unveiled by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today has failed to address‘fundamental flaws’, according to new Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“There are some sweeteners here and there but it fails to address some fundamental flaws in the economic policy, issues of efficiency, governance and endemic corruption,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby after the PM’s budget speech this afternoon.
He said these sweeteners do not commensurate with the vast increases in inflation and living cost. Hence, he added, the largely disappointing budget will not alleviate the problems and suffering of the poor.
The Budget 2009 was the first time for Anwar - who was newly sworn in as the Permatang Pauh MP yesterday - to be present in the House since 1997.
In 1997, Anwar who was then the deputy premier tabled Budget 1998 in his capacity as the finance minister. He was sacked from government the following year after an acrimonious fallout with then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Continue reading ‘Anwar: Fundamental flaws remain’
By John Lee, The Malaysian Indsider
AUG 29 — As the Permatang Pauh by-election fades into the recesses of our memories, there is talk of it being a turning point in our country’s history. Unfortunately, this talk habitually and routinely focuses on the possibility of changing the government by Sept 16.
It ignores a simple reality: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already made history by being the first Malay politician to ever actually win more political support through an explicitly non-racial platform. It is practically impossible to underestimate how Anwar bucked the trend; he has completely turned our understanding of politics in this country on its head.
History has already made it crystal-clear; Malay politicians who try to unite the country by appealing to a common sense of Malaysian-ness inevitably wind up heading into political oblivion. Dato Onn Ja’afar’s political career went up in flames the moment he founded the first
multiracial political party in the country, in spite of it having every conceivable advantage — it was literally the incumbent party of the time because of Onn’s towering status in Malayan politics. And it, of course, foundered completely.
Continue reading ‘Anwar our best and only chance for justice and equality for everyone’
By Tan Yi Liang and Karen Arukesamy (theSun)
PETALING JAYA (Aug 28, 2008) : Tuesday’s thumping win by Parti Keadilan Rakyat de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was due to his party’s ability to win over the fence-sitters, political analysts say.
Wong Chin Huat, a journalism lecturer of Monash University Malaysia who is doing a PhD thesis on electoral systems and party politics, told theSun that Anwar had “solidly captured the middle ground” to win in Permatang Pauh.
Continue reading ‘Analysts: Plus-points that hailed victory for Anwar’
Malaysiakini | Aug 28, 08
Newly sworn-in Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim wasted no time getting down to business in parliament today.
No mushy hellos to former Barisan Nasional colleagues or sentimental thank-yous in his first speech after a 10-year absence, but instead, the 61-year straightaway hit the attack button, firing the first shot for his Pakatan Rakayat alliance against the ruling coalition.
“What is in question right now is the credibility of the BN-led government for tabling the DNA Identification bill for second reading without any proper consultation with experts of the subject,” he asked.
“Everyone except the BN members is questioning the bill. The bill can only be agreed upon in the context of malevolent politics and differed by all the experts out there,” Anwar said.
The former deputy prime minister was reponding to questions raised by Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak).
The Barisan MP had questioned the Bar Council’s recently issued and strongly-worded statement against the tabling of the controversial bill.
Continue reading ‘Anwar attacks bill in parliamentary debut’
Malaysiakini, 26 Ogos 2008
9.47 malam: Keputusan rasmi, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mendapat majoriti 15,671 undi.
Penasihat PKR itu mendapat 31,195 undi, manakala calon BN Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah meraih 15,524 undi.
Sementara calon Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim) Hanafi Hamat memperolehi 92 undi sahaja dan hilang wang pertaruhan.
Yang menariknya, majoriti undi yang diperolehi mantan timbalan perdana menteri itu, lebih tinggi daripada undi yang diperolehi oleh calon BN.
Seramai 81.1 peratus daripada 58,49 pengundi di Parlimen Permatang Pauh keluar mengundi hari ini.
Continue reading ‘Anwar menang besar: Majoriti 15,671′
Dalam tempoh terdekat ini, kita akan mengetahui keputusan rasmi pengundian bagi pilihanraya kecil hari ini. Pertamanya, saya ucap terima kasih atas kesudian dan kepercayaan rakyat di Permatang Pauh yang memberikan undi kepada saya. Di sebalik pelbagai bentuk intimidasi yang dilaksanakan oleh Umno-BN, keberanian rakyat untuk menerobos halangan ini sangat dihargai.
Insya Allah, seandainya diizinkan dan jika tiada aral, saya akan melangkah masuk ke Parlimen seawal hari esok dengan menggalas harapan rakyat keseluruhannya.
Tatkala menyorot kenangan dan nostalgia berjuang memartabatkan harakat bangsa, saya sering mengingatkan diri dan teman-teman akan firman Allah swt dalam Surah Hud, ayat ke-88 yang bermaksud:
…Aku hanya bertujuan hendak memperbaiki sedaya upayaku; dan tiadalah aku akan beroleh taufiq untuk menjayakannya melainkan dengan pertolongan Allah. Kepada Allah jualah aku berserah diri dan kepadaNyalah aku kembali.
Insha-Allah, mudah-mudahan saya mampu memikul amanah dan kepercayaan yang dipertanggungjawabkan bukan semata-mata ke atas saya, tetapi juga kepada Pakatan Rakyat ke arah merealisasikan harapan baru buat Malaysia.
ANWAR IBRAHIM
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