One of my terms for agreeing to head the Free Anwar Campaign and manage its website was that I would be free to express my views whether they be favourable or unfavourable towards Anwar, his party, or the opposition coalition, then called Barisan Alternatif.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Blogger YL Chong wrote a piece called, “Why RPK is Acting Out of Character”, which you can read here.
One reader going by the ID of ‘kahsinaw’ commented in Malaysia Today “you seemed to outgrow the size of your head.” Others allege that I have changed. Nik Nazmi insinuates that my actions appear to be aimed at allowing Barisan Nasional to rule forever. And so on and so forth.
Maybe these people do not know me well enough or have never read what I had written since back in the 1990s. I have never minced my words and have always called a spade a spade. What I write today is no different from how I have always written since the 1990s.
As an example, read the two articles below, which I wrote on 1st November and 26th November 2001. That was nine years ago. And do you know where these articles were published? They were published in the Free Anwar Campaign website.
For the newcomers, the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC) was a movement that I ran and I was the webmaster for the website (www.freeanwar.com and www.freeanwar.net). The website still exists until today. And because of my work in the Free Anwar Campaign I was detained under the Internal Security Act in April 2001.
Note one important point. That was an Anwar Ibrahim website. And yet I wrote and published articles that whacked Anwar and his party, Parti Keadilan Nasional (now called Parti Keadilan Rakyat).
So, no, I have not changed. My stand has not shifted one bit. What I wrote back then I still write today. One of my terms for agreeing to head the Free Anwar Campaign and manage its website was that I would be free to express my views whether they be favourable or unfavourable towards Anwar, his party, or the opposition coalition, then called Barisan Alternatif.
Now read what I wrote nine years ago and tell me whether what I write today is any different from what I wrote then.
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Welcome to the Real World
Raja Petra Kamarudin (1st November 2001)
From the 8th to 11th November 2001, the National Justice Party (keADILan), which was two and a half years old on 4 October, will be facing its first party election. As anticipated, as soon as the Sarawak State Elections ended – and with less than desired results, may I add – the campaigning heated up.
Deputy President Dr Chandra Muzaffar’s decision not to seek re-election, followed by Hamdan Tahar’s resignation from the party under unhappy circumstances, cast a glum scenario indeed. Earlier, one of the party’s three Vice Presidents, Zainur Zakaria, who is also one of Anwar Ibrahim’s solicitors, announced his withdrawal as well. Zainur had, in fact, filled that post when another Vice President, Marina Yusoff, resigned in a huff a year or so earlier.
Less publicised was Johari Abdul’s resignation from the Supreme Council, a personality strongly linked to the Reformasi movement and regarded as one of its masterminds. This further widened the gap between the party and the Reformasi movement that claims it is being sidelined though the party would not have existed if not for the movement.
Rumours are rife that further resignations are in the cards and time will testify to this speculation. But people come and people go and, at the end of the day, one has to subscribe to the philosophy that no one is indispensable. If keADILan falls apart because of the exit of a few key figures, then it is no party to start of with, as a political party cannot revolve around a handful of people.
At first glance it looks bad. KeADILan appears to be breaking apart. And, from the feedback received, this is certainly the perception of those on the outside looking in.
The party supporters out there are extremely disappointed. Some are even angry and speak about the present goings-on with a bitter tone in their voice. They ask, were they wrong about the party and have they wasted the last three years supporting Reformasi and the party just to see its demise even before it can make inroads into Malaysian politics?
This is understandable. They had heralded keADILan’s birth as the coming of new politics for Malaysia. They saw this new party, mothered by Reformasi and made possible due to the Anwar Ibrahim political crisis, as the future. They saw change and reformation on the horizon and the end to corrupt and racial politics - where nothing is regarded as immoral - that has been the accepted norm for Malaysia these last three generations.
Also understandable is the fact that keADILan’s supporters are idealists. They had always shunned politics and politicians. But when they saw what they thought was the purity of the new party, they rallied forth. Some never voted in their life and now, for the first time, they actually registered as voters to play their role in ensuring the new party garnered enough votes to make a difference – maybe even enough votes to form the next government.
Now they realise that keADILan is…well, just another political party, and they are disappointed. They do not want just another political party. They want a different kind of party, and they stood up to be counted because they thought it would be a different kind of party.
Well, welcome to the real world! KeADILan is just another political party, but with a slight twist. To be realistic, keADILan needs to be another political party to last the distance. If it was that ideal, straight-laced, and an almost virtuous party that many thought it was and wish it would be, then it would be doomed from the word go.
Let’s face reality. KeADILan is up against UMNO. UMNO is no saintly organisation. UMNO fights dirty. Anything goes as far as UMNO is concerned. UMNO will stoop to anything to win the elections and, given half a chance, will wipe the still-wet-behind-the-ears keADILan from the face of this earth.
Can keADILan withstand UMNO’s onslaught if it fought with kid gloves? KeADILan too needs to be devious, street-wise, and blood thirsty to beat UMNO at its own game. So, keADILan too needs to be another political party to do this.
We are presently seeing what we believe is turmoil in the party. We are seeing factionalism and groupings formed - each trying to outmaneuver the other. We are seeing battle lines being drawn. We are finally seeing the aspiring candidates behaving just like any normal politician would.
But what is so wrong with this? What’s wrong if keADILan’s leaders and aspiring leaders act like politicians? This is, after all, what politics is all about. Politics is about contesting, and winning. It is about maneuvers and strategies. It is about outdoing and outsmarting your opponents.
KeADILan has so far never held any internal party elections. Seven months after it was formed, it faced its first general election, followed by a few by-elections and, most recently, the Sarawak State Election. There was nothing clean about these elections. As Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad promised in November 1999, the Tenth General Election was the dirtiest in the history of this country. And keADILan was ill prepared for all this.
KeADILan needs to learn how to fight, and how to fight dirty. If it cannot even get through an internal party election, how does it face UMNO in the next general election? Contests are good. That’s what politics is all about. How one prepares for this contest is also very important. Slogans alone are not enough. Idealism does not cut any ice with the voters. One needs to do more than that to make any headway in Malaysian politics.
We should not look at the impending party contest as something negative. KeADILan needs to go through this and the faster the better. As it is, the contest is already too long overdue. The present crop of leaders was never elected, they were all appointed - the President included. They now need to legitimise their positions by getting elected into office.
So, the fighting is intense. Well, as they say, if the fire is too hot get out of the kitchen. If you think it is hot now, just wait until the next general election comes around. It’s going to be worse than this and worse too than the last general election in 1999.
So, there are groups and camps. So what? Politics is about allies. Show me one political party that does not work on the principle of allying yourself. Some members and aspiring leaders feel that it should be a “clean” fight. What do they mean by clean? Do they mean everyone should be an “independent” candidate and not belong to any team?
Politics does not work that way. If every soldier were to do battle as Lone Rangers, without being part of an army, he would die the first day into battle. Have you even seen a football game won by a bunch of Prima Donas? If there were no team and no teamwork they would never win the match.
On whether the candidates badmouth each other and use money to win, I suppose the members will have to decide on this one. Fighting is one thing and slandering is another. The members will have to demonstrate their maturity by rejecting uncouth aspirants. And if they still get elected into office nevertheless…well, then probably those that left before this knew what they were doing.
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KeADILan’s true colours revealed - which is a shade of UMNO
Raja Petra Kamarudin (26th November 2001)
The media had predicted fireworks in Kemaman. Many had hoped that keADILan would fall apart due to the intense infighting. Most people had expected nothing less than the worst when Parti Keadilan Nasional held its first party election last weekend in Kemaman, Terengganu. However, what came out of it instead was a delightful surprise. The members, in a demonstration of their maturity, elected a whole new team of leaders whom they felt would strengthen the party.
The media had played up the ABIM versus ex-UMNO issue to the hilt. They made it seem like there was a power struggle between two major groups in keADILan to wrest control of the party. If this were so, then how come Irene Fernandez got in as the Women’s Deputy Leader and Tian Chua as one of the three Vice Presidents when both are neither ABIM nor ex-UMNO members?
The keADILan contest was just a normal contest for party posts. All political parties in Malaysia go through it. But when the other parties see a contest it is not a big deal. For keADILan, however, it is front-page news with doomsday predictions thrown in. Maybe, as this was the party's first internal contest, all eyes were on it to see how it manages its elections with the backdrop of a fierce fight.
It was quite apparent that the contest was between groups and not individuals as nearly every delegate was armed with a complete list of who to vote for. There may have been about three or four variations of this list but the main players would be what were perceived as the ex-UMNO group of Abdul Rahman Othman, Saifuddin Nasution, Azmin Ali and the ABIM group of Dr Mohd Nur Manuty, Mustaffa Kamil, Anuar Tahir and Ruslan Kassim.
As in any block voting, an entire team would be voted in and the other sidelined. In this case, the perceived ex-UMNO group came in as the winner. How unhappy the “other side” was at losing was demonstrated when most who lost did not attend the closing session of the AGM. It was estimated that only about 300 of the 1,004 delegates turned up which puts to question whether there was any quorum for the closing session.
Party President Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail tried to justify the high absentee rate by explaining that many had to return to their hometowns or go back to work. But no amount of explaining could dispel the impression that these were sore losers who would rather boycott the remaining session of the AGM because they did not get voted in.
If this is the attitude of the losers then maybe, in the first place, it was best that they did not win. Everybody knows how to manage victory. Only the matured know how to manage defeat. And if this is a demonstration of how they manage defeat, then they are certainly not matured enough yet to lead the party.
The campaigning was another source of anxiety. Some of the campaign tactics were rather dirty and centred on character assassination. In the euphoria to win seats and defeat their rivals, some candidates would resort to anything just as long as they win in the end. It was good that these people did not win, as this is certainly an unhealthy culture that should be rejected.
KeADILan preaches justice and fair play and urges the populace to reject the corrupt Barisan Nasional and its leading partner, UMNO. However, some of the keADILan leaders showed that they are no better than the BN or UMNO leaders. Why, therefore, would Malaysians need to kick out the ruling party just to replace it with a party that has the same practices and culture?
The next contest will be in March 2002 when the more than 120 divisions will be up for grabs. If the recent AGM was anything to go by, expect an equally intense and filthy contest during the division elections. If this happens, this would be the beginning of the end for the party.
Many supporters are disgusted with what they saw the last month or so with reported dirty tactics a la UMNO and fist fights at MPT meetings. Some of the die-hards are now becoming cold towards the party and no longer want to support it. They feel keADILan has deviated from the right path and has become just another political party. Worse than that, it has become another UMNO-like party.
If keADILan wants to continue getting the support of the people, it needs to demonstrate that it is a matured and responsible party. The test would be in March next year when the campaigning for the divisional elections heats up. If the Kemaman affair is repeated, then expect many to turn their backs on the party for good.
written by kahsinaw, November 15, 2010 23:04:02
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written by Voter get Voters 1, November 15, 2010 21:00:29
The 3rd force sound alot more appealling each day.
Politicians are seeking power...and power corrupts
Pplitical activist seek changes...changes for the better.
A BETTER Malaysia for ALL Malaysians
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written by Atheist, November 15, 2010 09:17:42
As far as I am concern, Zaid can go to hell as quitters don't win and winner don't quit. If you want to change the system be a part of it as I was and change it slowly ... like I did it with my nuclear and other projects. Doing it like Zaid is called TERRORISM and this is not not even condoned by BN. Anyway, better Zaid quit now then quit later as PM when the country is in crisis. BTW, I don't like Anwar but I think he is the best hope for the Malays.
PROVE ME WRONG IF YOU DARE ......
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written by emastulen, November 15, 2010 00:59:19
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written by JC Tan, November 14, 2010 23:01:04
BN or PR does not matter, Najib or Anwar does not matter, we all know politic is dirty and politicians are not trust worthy.
What more important is to let every citizen know the power of his/her vote, and to elect (or punish) the representative according the voter's needs and wants. Citizen should care little on political loyalty or political alliances.
We vote for whoever bring the greatest good for the next five years, we punish whoever do not perform up to our expectation.
If and only if every citizen can think like this, democracy will prosper.
Regards,
-JCT
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written by Divine, November 14, 2010 15:25:21
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/148136
Do you think people will vote for PAS?
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written by batsman, November 14, 2010 15:16:34
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written by Celestial, November 14, 2010 14:44:34
Stop trying to justify yourself. If your readers are too thick to understand what you are trying to do for PKR, then it's their problem and not yours. Some just like to see their own posting which often says nothing and reveal themselves for what they are, "bodoh mucham lembu". It will be at least another 5 months before the snap election if it actually happens but I will bet it won't happen until Anwar's trial is over, one way or another.
If PKR does not heed your warnings and cannot & will not mend their ways, then all I can see is eroding support which has already began. Despite all his rhetoric, not everyone who attended his dinner last night were 100% convinced. Sure, many clapped but it was what most wanted to hear as all were hopeful. Majority were being polite (I polled several of my friends who attended after the dinner and this morning for me to come to this conclusion). Anwar was a master at being the pipe piper, but those thinking Malaysians and Malaysians at heart were not 100% convinced. They will vote for PR but not because they love PR but the fact that they hate BN more which confirms what you are saying. PR really needs to win the hearts and mind of te people to get over the line. At the current rate of shenanigans and self destruction, it is really hard to endear oneself to them.
You can only educate but if people want to be blinkered, then again it is their problem. Like they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink or can we substitute it with lembu?
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written by siewchinteo, November 14, 2010 14:34:17
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written by nagappan, November 14, 2010 13:57:45
As for me I will never ever vote for BN. If everyone can stick to this basic commitment, all will be well.
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written by Aria, November 14, 2010 12:45:24
Now what Raja Petra is trying to do is to force PKR to address their issues now. If issues are not addressed now they will grow and becomes the monster that kills PKR. Only if we address this issues now can PKR be ready for GE13.
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written by malaysianohope, November 14, 2010 12:38:33
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written by Better My, November 14, 2010 09:51:46
You are far from a total lost cause or irrecoverable terminal-ill but the critical period directions in our march to Putrajaya can do with less of your current deviations, even if you have consistently deviated in the past. The simple reasons – the stakes are much higher now/today then ever, more important than any NGO, any idealistic positionings, any person ego or any imperfections of PKR, or anything else, as the next GE is just the corner after the 2011 New Year firework “false feel-good celebration
Re” Welcome to Real World(2001) KeADILan’s true colours revealed - which is a shade of UMNO. You point out the inadequacies and some failings of PKR as a political party, which are expected due to immaturity of the party, and all other casues. The immaturities are still very much reflected today. No surprise at all there as the full means to correct more of the flaws are not supported by an open media and the public masses in terms of voting power, as practiced in developed mature country. But by and large in very clear terms, PKR stand for ideals that we demand Re: “ Everybody knows how to manage victory. Only the matured know how to MANAGE DEFEAT.”
This line of yours is the gist of the issue, in the current situation. Just as the PKR members who voted for the the ex deputy post contestant need to MANAGE DEFEAT, reunite with the soon to confirmed deputy post winner and for party leader sake Anwar, this can easily be applied to the regurgitation of your agenda of late and the “new(?) standoffish position (yes, you have changed) you are making in yesterday thread “So you want to rumble, let’s rumble”, possibly harbouring the stand longer since your London and Anwar meet 2-3 months ago or even before.
From my understanding, these are your gripes ( supported by some others as well, like Harris )
1) Your “manifesto are not worked on past 2 years ( some achieved, no access Federal power jurisdiction from PKR, (from writer) political expediency, tiems galore for finer points post GE PR win.)
2) Inability to place qualified outside person into the seats, overriding pakatan candidates. ( Not just a PKR decisions, but also DAP+PAS. If suggestion is followed, another problem is created. This is a difficult situation, writer. And questions too)
3) Civil movement, third force or Barisan rakyat is at launch pad with some followers (with many questions unanswered, from writer. Best for discussion post GE, open media)
All could easily accept these recommendations as long they don’t distract the Pakatan agenda on their preparation or compete with them on their poltical messages, the support for Pakatan by the influential proponents continues in) If they are not supported currently for their strategic reasons, the groups have to accept the decision made, agree to disagree, MANAGE DEFEAT without standoffish maneuverings, including “do your thing PKR and we do ours”, reunite with the only party that will get us there. Go for change of alternative government now to get HIGHER chances of achieving your agenda above)
You have ZERO chance of getting this through the present bn govt now and post GE bn victory.
Anwar spoke in Sydney yesterday 13 Nov 1020 Let see whether your issues had gained any/more traction with the malaysian there currently form the videos to be posted soon (I guess they would).
Stand behind the Pakatan party that can make a major2x difference to our nation in the GE, with the urgings from maestro, Harris, Zaid, Hindraf Indian, estate Indian, pro-pbs tsen/bn voters in Batu Sapi, all sabahan, all sarwakian, all the west rakyat, every rich or poor, every race, in an open PR government.
If they dont at least some or more within a reasonable time, spank me on live net tv, and we give you every right to whistle/hum your favourite line/song by country singer Carrie Underwood “ I told you so”, WHCH was originally written and sung by Randy Travis in 1988. He as very gracious enough to let her sing the song in some US music hall, felt that she owned the song, not him. This was recorded in a recent very moving video which I have seen about a few months ago on the net. Hey man, I can chat with you on modern country music anytime, anywhere for a whole day, me on the beer, and the world fizzies drinks, while you stick only in home made teh tarik and My coffees
A lesson on Randy Travis the gracious gesture. A gracious gesture by all those with some or more disillusionment on Anwar/Azmin/PKR/DAP/PAS/Pakatan, is to put aside their differences and accept Anwar+Azmin is the best choice for the opposition, just as Randy accepted Carrie was the best choice for that song.
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written by hellosunshine, November 14, 2010 09:36:57
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written by Angela Ooi, November 14, 2010 08:16:44
YL Chong a PKR member, is trying his best to bodek and get noticed ..he sure knows which side his bread is buttered!
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written by batsman, November 14, 2010 07:43:47
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written by NSTPravda, November 14, 2010 06:47:59
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