Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?

My reasons as to why I wanted a change of government back in 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2004 remain the same. That has not changed. I am not prepared to tolerate slight corruption. I am not prepared to tolerate slight racism. I am not prepared to tolerate slight extremism. I am not prepared to tolerate slight intolerance. I am not prepared to tolerate slight Talibanism. I am not prepared to tolerate slight whatever it may be.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The year was 1976, mid-January to be exact. Tun Razak Hussein (current Prime Minister Najib’s father) had just died and Tun Hussein Dato’ Onn had just taken over as Prime Minister. I had just migrated to Kuala Terengganu barely two years before that in 1974.

There was a raging debate going on as to who will take over as Hussein Onn’s new Deputy. There were many theories and many names. I said: Dr Mahathir Mohamad. There was a minute of silence while everyone pondered on my choice before all shook their heads and said ‘no way’.

Dr Mahathir became Deputy Prime Minister and that launched my new ‘career’ as a political observer, analyst, commenter, and whatnot.

That was 36 years ago. I was only 26 then. Hence for more than half my life I have been doing what some would call ‘shit-stirring’.

It was a couple of years later that I first met Tok Guru Ayah Cik (Hadi Awang) in his house in Rusila. He had just come back from his studies in the Middle East. I liked Tok Guru the instant I met him. From then on I would make many trips to the Rusila mosque to hear Tok Guru’s usrahs (lectures) and kutbahs (sermons) about the struggles and sacrifices of Muslim freedom fighters over more than 1,000 years.

Then, in 1979, the Islamic Revolution of Iran exploded and I became ‘inspired’. I visualised a similar Islamic revolution in Malaysia. When a delegation of the Islamic Revolutionary Council came to Malaysia I attended the gathering and when they told us that the purpose of their trip was to export the Iranian Revolution to Malaysia my hair stood on end. I was practically getting an orgasm.

Well, I was only 29 then and at 29 you are always idealistic and a great romantic, if you know what I mean.

Anwar Ibrahim had been detained under the Internal Security Act in 1974 and was spending his time in Kamunting. On his release 20 months later he took his ABIM, which was formed in 1971, on a road show all over Malaysia.

The last I had seen Anwar was back in 1965 when I was still in school, the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. So it was more than fourteen years since I had last seen him. Now Anwar was visiting Kuala Terengganu and was speaking at a PAS ceramah and I just had to go listen to him.

I was smitten. Anwar moved me to tears. Anwar spoke about an Islamic revolution. Anwar was my hero, my alma mater, my prefect in school, and he was going to lead us on a jihad so that we can fight and die for Islam and get to go straight to heaven where 72 virgins were awaiting us. (Well, I did say I was idealistic and a romantic at that age).

In 1981, Dr Mahathir ousted Hussein Onn and took over as Prime Minister. In 1982, Anwar broke our heart when he joined Umno. This was the same party he had been condemning as ahli neraka (members of hell). Now he was joining these same people we had sworn to defeat even if we have to die doing so.

A couple of months later I went to Mekah with a few PAS leaders. I met up with Mustapha Ali, Fadzil Noor, and a few others and spent a week discussing Malaysian politics and Anwar’s betrayal to the cause. I also joined an anti-Saudi-anti-US demonstration organised by the Iranians.

Man, was it huge. There were easily more than 100,000 people. We practically took over the streets of Mekah. The Saudi army with guns just stood there and did not dare shoot at us. (The following year they did shoot and thousands from both sides died: but I missed that one…sigh….)

Soon after I returned from Mekah the Special Branch called me in. The Director told me that I had been identified as a threat to Umno and was just one step short of detention under the ISA. I was told to report back to the Kuala Terengganu police station the following day at 7.00am.

The following day they brought me to the Menteri Besar’s residence. Wan Mokhtar Ahmad, the MB, told me that they do not want to take action against me because I am the nephew of the Tengku Ampuan of Terengganu. But they warned me that if they were forced to detain me they would do so. Hence, I had better tone down my anti-Umno activities.

A few days later a judge phoned me and asked whether we could have lunch. I did not know this judge but had heard his name mentioned many times (he was a very close friend of a very close friend in ABIM).

We met for lunch at the Primula and the judge told me that the government wanted to detain me under the ISA but he had warned them not to. He said he had told them that since I was the nephew of the Tengku Ampuan that may cause a conflict between Umno and the palace. He suggested they just talk to me.

That explained why I was called in to meet the Director of the Terengganu Special Branch and the following day brought to meet the MB in his house.

I, of course, never did tone down. In fact, I did the opposite. I spoke to Tok Guru Ayah Chik and arranged to bring him to Kuala Lumpur. I told him that PAS should not remain just a kampong party. It needs to penetrate the urban areas and the big city. PAS needs to gain acceptance from the city dwellers and the non-Malays. If not, it will never become a national party and get to form the federal government.

Tok Guru’s first ‘big city’ ceramah was held in Masjid Mujahideen in Damansara Utama in 1983. The crowd was huge. Never before had that mosque seen so many people. From then on it became a monthly affair and PAS was soon on the way to conquering the city. Of course, it took 25 years before that would happen, as the 2008 general election proved. But it did eventually bear fruit. PAS is now a national party.

No doubt I now no longer believe in the Iranian Revolution. I also no longer believe that Malaysia should be turned into ‘The Islamic Republic of Malaysia’. I am now 62, not 32. But I sill believe in PAS as I did 36 years ago in 1976.

And, sure, I am critical of PAS. I whack them when they want to bar Elton John from singing in Genting. I whack them when they confiscate beers in Seven-Elevens. I whack them when they ask the government to ban Valentine’s Day celebrations. And so on and so forth.

And, sure, many of you whack me for whacking the opposition. But who the fuck are you to tell me what to do? I have earned my right to whack the opposition.

Where were you back in the 1970s? Many of you were not even born yet then.

Who were you supporting back in the 1970s? Many of you supported Barisan Nasional and voted for the ruling party in 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2004. Only now, in 2008, did you vote for the opposition. And just because you voted opposition in ONE election you feel you have earned the monopoly to talk about the opposition and no one else should talk, especially if it is talk that is critical of the opposition.

Many wakil rakyat (members of parliament and state assemblypersons) who won in 208 were not even in politics yet in the 1970s. Hell, many were not even born yet then. But now that they are the wakil rakyat (because we voted for them, mind you) they feel we have no right to criticise them or chide them.

Let me make one thing very clear. We opposed Barisan Nasional and Umno back when Hussein Onn was the Prime Minister and Dr Mahathir Mohamad the Deputy Prime Minister because they were evil. They were corrupted. They were racists. They did not allow freedom of speech. They violated the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

Of course, they were not that bad then, back in the 1970s. They were only a shade of what they are today.  But we still opposed them nevertheless. But many of you did not oppose them. In 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2004 you voted for them. While we tried to kick them out you voted for them.

My reasons as to why I wanted a change of government back in 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2004 remain the same. That has not changed. I am not prepared to tolerate slight corruption. I am not prepared to tolerate slight racism. I am not prepared to tolerate slight extremism. I am not prepared to tolerate slight intolerance. I am not prepared to tolerate slight Talibanism. I am not prepared to tolerate slight whatever it may be.

That was what you all said in 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2004. You were prepared to tolerate corruption, racism, extremism, intolerance, Talibanism, etc., as long as it is slight. Now that slight has become major. Now it is impossible to eradicate corruption, racism, extremism, intolerance, Talibanism, and more. Now is it almost impossible to kick Barisan Nasional and Umno out. You have allowed them to get a strong grip on the country that it is now almost impossible to kick them out.

I can see that many Chinese are prepared to accept the slight corruption and slight everything else in the interest of kicking out a Malay government. This sounds like this is not about eradicating corruption but about kicking out the Malays. From where I am sitting this sounds like it is about Ketuanan Cina versus Ketuanan Melayu.

Yeah, sure, the Chinese are practical and realistic people, not like the Malays who are emotional. The Chinese can accept slight corruption as long as Umno is kicked out. Just make sure the money is in a red and not white envelope.

Do you know that another word for realism is hypocrisy?