Antares Maitreya commented on freemalaysiatoday.com.
"From apathy, distrust & suspicion of Anwar Ibrahim when he decided to join Umno, my admiration began to grow when he had the guts to openly challenge Mahathir in 1997 & 1998. Over the years, watching how Anwar maintained his dignity and integrity despite the intense humiliation and suffering he was subjected to by the heavy-handed tyrant Dr M, admiration blossomed into amazement & profound respect. I began to view Anwar Ibrahim as my political proxy - the part of me who might have dreamed of a career in politics (the rest of me is unwilling to sacrifice my personal freedom to serve the nation, which is why I'm very glad somebody who shares my essential views of what this nation could be is now leading the charge against the corrupt & crumbling Umno/BN bastion). Thank you from the whole of my heart for taking on this Herculean effort, Anwar. It is my fervent desire to see you fulfill your destiny as Malaysia's 7th prime minister. I'm sure you will prove to be the best PM we've ever had."
To show his support he has this in his blog...
From FreeMalaysiaToday:
Why do you support Najib?
April 24, 2013
FMT LETTER: From Teh Chi-Chang, via e-mail
"I have been asking BN supporters this question in recent days. Their consistent answer has been, “What is the alternative?”. This goes all the way from lay supporters to the BN candidates themselves.
While doing my weekly marketing in SS2 on Sunday, I bumped into the BN candidate on her campaign rounds and asked her this very same, simple question. “Why do you support Najib?” I asked. “What is the alternative?” replied Ms Chew Hoong Ling, BN-MCA candidate for P106 PJ Utara.
Firstly, notice how negative the answer is. When we choose to follow a leader, it should be because of positive traits that we admire. But the BN supporters that I have met appear too sheepish to attach positive qualities to their leader, (caretaker) prime minister Najib. For example, they have never said, “I support Najib as my leader because he is charismatic, energetic, fair, visionary, honest, capable, transformative ….”
Indeed, Najib is a leader who condones political violence and, perhaps worst of all, practises divisive, communal politics and deliberately manipulates economic figures to deceive Malaysians. Consider just three points:
1 Firstly, Najib has never denounced vicious attacks on Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and workers, which have left PR supporters bloodied and hospitalised. Neither did he chasten BN supporters who chanted death threats to PR leader Tian Chua.
2 Secondly, Najib ordered that ‘Tanda Putera’, a film that his own Cabinet has said can “cause conflict”, be screened to exclusive Malay audiences such as Felda settlers and university students. His slate of ‘winnable’ candidates includes characters like Zulkifli Nordin, Zulkifli has been hailed as a “transformation candidate” despite just last month belittling Hindu beliefs and calling our Malaysian-Indian compatriots by a pejorative term.
3 “Live” on national television last month, Najib falsely declared that the economy grew by 49% from 2009-11. The reality is that, in real ringgit terms, the economy has grown by less than 5% in each of the last two years. The so-called transformation led by Pemandu is really a façade of Perception Manipulation and Deception, as REFSA has analysed and revealed.
Why do you support a leader who does not denounce political violence? Why do you support a leader who does not have the confidence to expel the extremist, thuggish members of his party? Why do you support a leader who rewards chauvinists like Zulkifli Nordin? Can you trust a leader who lies on something as basic as economic growth numbers?
It is true that Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim is a political chameleon who has changed political allegiances often in his colourful career. But Anwar at least chooses one colour at a time, unlike Najib who preaches 1Malaysia on one hand and picks ‘winnable candidates’ like Zulkifli Nordin with the other. Anwar is scrutinised by the mainstream media everyday, unlike Najib, who has not admitted that he misled Malaysians on economic growth numbers.
So, dear BN supporters, the alternative, Anwar Ibrahim, is a leader who has his flaws. But he is a leader who leads with words and ideas, not violence; and a leader who leads with hope, not money, fears and lies. And most importantly, for all his flaws, real, perceived and manufactured, Anwar has never waved the keris around at political events during politically charged times, unlike Umno leaders such as Hishamuddin Hussein, and, allegedly, Najib himself."
The writer is executive director of REFSA (Research for Social Advancement)
No comments:
Post a Comment