As President Bush was shoed-out earlier, Vice President Cheney will be wheeled-out today

President George W. Bush’s 8-year term as the Head of State of arguably the only superpower in the world, the United States of America will end today, 20 January 2009. He will be succeeded by Barack Obama, the first African-American to be elected to the country’s highest office.

Bush’s presidency was marred by series of unfortunate events affecting America and the rest of the world.

Starting with the 9/11 attack, the only major attack by enemies on American home soil, Bush would be remembered as a wartime president. USA was involved in two wars during Bush’s presidency, the Afghanistan war and the Iraq war.

In both wars, America used her mighty and most sophisticated weapons against enemies’ targets. Regrettably, although we were told that precision controlled weapons were used, a lot of civilians (including women and children) were killed. Because it was committed by the United States, it is called “collateral damage”. If it were a non-US ally, it will be called war crime or genocide.

Yet America is still struggling to capture Osama bin Laden, the single person who they blamed to be the man behind the 9/11 attack.

Americans themselves are now suffering from the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, and partly blaming it on Bush’s economic policies.

The Americans had rated President George W. Bush as the worst president in US history.

Not only that Bush is so unpopular outside the United States of America, he is also not liked by his fellow Americans.

Hoping to be praised as the liberator of Iraq during his final visit to the country, George W. Bush was instead humiliated by the show-throwing incident. That really summed-up the general feeling towards Bush.

His hawkish Vice President, Dick Cheney, played a significant behind-the-scene role in United States’ foreign policies, including the two wars. Cheney was reportedly bruised during the process of moving out of the White House, and will be using a wheelchair during Barack Obama’s Inauguration Ceremony today.

In the end, President Bush was shoed-out, and now Vice President Cheney would be wheeled-out.

PAS memang telah jangka akan menang, maka PR ambil kesempatan

Jika diperhatikan laman sesawang (website) dan blog-blog yang menyokong Pakatan Rakyat, kita dapat simpulkan bahawa Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim dan konco-konconya amat yakin akan kemenangan calon PAS di kawasan Parlimen P36 Kuala Terengganu esok.

Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim memang amat licik perang sarafnya. Dengan berpandukan keyakinan PAS bahawa mereka yakin calon PAS akan menang selesa, Anwar telah menggerakkan kempen untuk meletakkan pertandingan kali ini sebagai testimoni rakyat terhadap pimpinan Najib yang akan menerajui UMNO dan Barisan Nasional selepas pengunduran Pak Lah nanti.

Jurublog pun yakin bahawa PAS akan menang selesa di Kuala Terengganu. Tiga dari empat ADUN di kawasan Parlimen P36 KT adalah dikuasai PAS, sementara satu lagi di sandang oleh ADUN dari MCA. Sekiranya undi Cina memihak kepada PAS (sepertimana yang dijangkakan), maka akan kalahlah calon BN.

Punca kemungkinan kekalahan BN dimulai dengan pemilihan Wan Farid yang sombong sebagai calon UMNO. Wan Farid dikatakan mendapat sokongan KJ dan adalah calon Pak Lah. Wan Farid memang terkenal sombongnya, hinggakan Menteri Besar Terengganu, Ahmad Said terpaksa beberapa kali membuat kiasan beralas menegenai perangai Wan Farid ketika diminta memberi komen tentang unjuran keputusan pilihanraya kecil kali ini.

Blog-blog yang cenderung dengan Pakatan Rakyat sibuk mengaitkan keputusan PRK kali ini sebagai testimnoni terhadap kepimpinan Najib. Mereka juga menggunakan kesempatan ini untuk mengaitkan sokongan pengundi Cina terhadap PAS sebagai bantahan terhadap kenyataan Mukhriz mengenai Sistem Sekolah Satu Aliran yang dianggap perkauman (kerana ini memungkinkan permansuhan sekolah-sekolah Cina). Najib akan mengetuai Barisan Nasional nanti, sementara Mukhriz pula mendapat pencalonan terbanyak bagi kerusi Ketua Pemuda UMNO.

Dengan meletakkkan sebab keputusan PRK kali ini kepada Najib (dan kemungkinannya Mukhriz), maka Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim dan konco-konconya dengan gembira sekiranya PAS menang dan calon UMNO kalah kali ini. Inilah taktik "forward attack" yang selalu digunakan oleh Anwar.

Pada Jurublog, keputusan PRK kali ini tidak akan merubah apa-apa. Ianya juga bukan testimoni kepimpinan Najib, mahupun Mukhriz atau pun mana-mana individu.

Kuala Terengganu memang lubuk PAS, jika dikirakan dari kacamata pengundi Melayu. Hanya pengundi Cina sahaja yang akan menentukan kecendurangan pihak yang akan menang.

Sebab itulah Nik Aziz dan Anwar sanggup makan di restoran Cina yang menghidangkan babi dan arak semata-mata untum memastikan undi dari pengundi Cina. (Perlu diberitahu bahawa Nik Aziz dan Anwar tidak makan makanan dari restoran tersebut, dan dihidangkan makanan halal dari sumber restoran lain).

Najib dan UMNO banyak menaburkan wang bagi kempen PRK kali ini, tetapi tidak keterlaluan sekiranya dibandingkan dengan PRK yang lain. Mereka juga tahu akan kemungkinan keputusan yang tidak memihak kepada UMNO.

Cuma kesimpulan yang Jurublog ingin buat ialah pilihanraya kecil P36 Kuala Terengganu ini memang aman dan tenang kerana ianya pertandingan di antara UMNO dan PAS. UMNO dan PAS berkempen secara professional.

Sebaliknya, sekiranya pertandingan ini melibatkan calon PKR, maka kempen melampau ala hooligan akan diterjemahkan oleh Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim dan konco-konco beliau. Itulah yang berlaku di Permatang Pauh. Itulah juga yang berlaku di Ijok. Dan itulah yang berlaku di mana-mana sahaja kempen yang melibatkan PKR. Pemimpin dan penyokong PKR memang tidak berdisplin. Dan mereka masih sentiasa mempersalahkan orang lain (dengan meletakan kesalahan kepada UMNO atau barisan Nasional) sekiranya berlaku kekecohan.

PKR Pimpinan Anwar Umpama Dajjal – Sebab Itu PKR Berlambangkan Satu Mata

Sejak dari penubuhan Parti Keadilan Rakyat, dan apabila parti serpihan UMNO tersebut memilih lambang Satu Mata sebagai lambang perjuangan parti tersebut, Jurublog terus beranggapan bahawa parti tersebut bercirikan Dajjal yang muncul di akhir zaman yang akan menyesatkan manusia. Menurut riwayat, Dajjal yang muncul di akhir zaman bercirikan Satu Mata.

Ciri-ciri Dajjal tersebut bertambah menyerlah apabila parti tersebut bergabung dengan Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia yang berlambangkan kepala lembu. Maka jadilah parti PKR yang berlambangkan telur mata kerbau atau Bull’s Eye.

Salah satu ciri Dajjal ialah menjanjikan syurga dunia kepada pengikutnya dan memberi musibah kepada mereka yang ingkar kehendaknya. Seperti Dajjal, sesiapa sahaja yang tidak menyokong perjuangan PKR akan dipariahkan dan diomok-omokkan, terutama oleh media yang menyokong perjuangan songsang tersebut. Penyokong-penyokong mereka pula dipuji berlebih-lebihan oleh penyokong kuat parti berkenaan seolah-olah merekalah yang telah menyelamatkan Malaysia daripada bahana.

Tiada siapa pun yang menyanggah PKR atau Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim terlepas daripada kutukan melampau penyokong PKR yang taksub. Farish Noor pernah menerima teguran melampau dari penyokong PKR apabila menerbitkan satu artikel yang cederung menyokong kerajaan dan mengkritik PKR pada satu ketika dahulu, sehinggalah beliau berhenti menulis artikel dan berhijrah ke luar negara. Chandra Muzaffar juga ditegur dan dikutuk kerana kekadang menyokong dasar-dasar kerajaan, sehinggalah beliau meletak jawatan di dalam parti PKR dan keluar parti. Menurut dasar PKR, kutukan dan menyanggah kerajaan adalah agenda utama parti, dan jangan sekali-kali meluahkan perasaan terima kasih atas dasar-dasar kerajaan yang memberi menafaat kepada rakyat. Begitu juga Ezam. (Jurublog masih ragu-ragu perjuangan sebenar Ezam, dan tidak mahu menyokong tindakan beliau sepenuhnya).

Menurut riwayat, di dahi Dajjal akan tertulis kalimah kaf, fa, ra atau kafir. Ianya hampir menyerupai kalimah PKR yang dipakai di dahi penyokong parti tersebut sebagai bandana mereka. Terkadang mereka memakai bandana bertulis RPK, seorang lagi idola mereka.

Dajjal laknatullah akan berjuang semata-mata untuk kepentingan duniawi. Dajjal akan berjaya mempengaruhi orang Islam dan dengan senang memperolehi sokongan dari orang kafir.

Begitulah juga PKR. PKR berjaya mempengaruhi PAS untuk menyertai pakatan mereka dengan menjanjikan pemerintahan bersama, dengan bermatlamatkan pemerintahan kerajaan pusat. PKR juga dengan senang mendapat sokongan DAP yang daripada dulu, kini dan selamanya menolak kepimpinan bercirikan Islam. Pelampau-pelampau ugama seperti Hindraf dan Kristian juga menerima baik perjuangan PKR, dengan menyokong dan menjadi ahli parti tersebut.

Sekarang ini, semakin banyak media yang secara terang-terangan menyokong perjuangan PKR yang berbahaya dan akan memporak-perandakan negara ini. The Star, The Sun, The Edge, Malaysian Insider, dan lain-lain mempunyai ramai wartawan bukan Islam yang banyak memihak kepada PKR yang lebih pro-sekular. Mereka ini juga cenderung mengeluarkan artikel yang memihak kepada barat apabila membincangkan hal-hal berkaitan Islam atau Palestin.

PKR selalu menuduh yang kerajaan Barisan Nasional tidak demokratik dan korup. Tetapi sejak dibebaskan daripada penjara, Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim sentiasa memburukkan kerajaan Malaysia sehinggakan pelabur asing bertindak mengeluarkan pelaburan mereka dari Malaysia. Anwar juga cuba memperlekehkan keputusan rakyat yang memilih kerajaan melalui proses pilihanraya dengan cuba mengambilalih kerajaan dengan menjanjikan habuan kepada penyokong kerajaan yang bersetuju melompat parti.

Memang mudah PKR menuduh orang UMNO itu munafik. Tetapi berkemungkinan PKR itu penuh dengan orang munafik dan zindiq.

Untuk mengelirukan penyokong mereka, PKR kononnya telah membuat perubahan dengan menghadkan tempuh perkhidmatan Presiden parti. Tetapi sekarang ini yang berkuasa, atau lebih tepat lagi, yang tamakkan kuasa, bukanlah Presiden parti, tetapi Ketua Umum, iaitu Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim. Dengan itu Anwar tidak tertakluk dengan persetujuan untuk menghadkan tempuh perkhidmatan Presiden parti tersebut. Mungkin Anwar sendiri sebenarnya bukan ahli penuh PKR, dan sebab itu beliau tidak mahu memegang apa-apa jawatan rasmi dalam PKR. Mungkin itu helah Anwar sekiranya ingin balik semula kepada UMNO (kononnya beliau tidak pernah menyertai mana-mana parti selain UMNO, walaupun setelah dipecat).

Itulah sebabnya Jurublog memang tidak pernah bersetuju dengan perjuangan PKR, terutamanya di bawah pimpinan Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim.

Apabila membaca komen Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim bahawa UMNO adalah seperti Israel, maka Jurublog secara spontan membalas, bagaimana Dajal seorang ini begitu lancang mulut dan membuat kenyataan sewenang-wenangnya, wal hal beliau sendiri mengiktiraf kewujudan Israel dan menyokong penuh Amerika, dalang di belakang kekuatan Israel.

Raja Petra, Anwar Ibrahim dan Duit Kutipan Free Anwar Campaign (FAC)

Umum tahu bahawa apabila Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim dipenjarakan kerana tuduhan meliwat dan rasuah, Raja Petra dan puak Reformasi telah melancarkan Free Anwar Campaign (FAC).

Raja Petra sendiri terlibat secara langsung dalam mengendalikan FAC dan beliau merupakan Pengarah FAC.

Kita tidak dapat mengesahkan bagaimana FAC dibiayai dan berapa banyak pembayaran yang diterima oleh Raja Petra bagi memastikan FAC mencapai objektifnya.

Selepas Anwar dibebaskan, Raja Petra beralih dan membuka Malaysia Today. Kebanyakan artikel-artikel Malaysia Today bertujuan memburukkan kerajaan, dan kadangkala orang Melayu dan Islam.

Untuk membolehkan seseorang membuat komentar pula, mereka perlu mendaftar, dan pendaftaran selalunya diberi hanya kepada mereka yang pro-pembangkang. Jurublog sendiri tidak berjaya mendapat kelulusan labisman (salah seorang pengendali Malaysia Today) untuk mendaftar sebagai ahli komentar Malaysia Today.

Sebab itulah hampir kesemua maklumbalas yang diterima oleh Malaysia Today adalah anti-kerajaan, anti-Melayu, anti-Islam dan melampau hujahnya. Itulah yang dikira oleh Raja Petra sebagai freedom of speech. Semoga beliau cepat sedar yang beliau juga menanggung dosa besar dengan membiarkan orang kafir mempermainkan Islam dan Allah di dalam komentar-komentar Malaysia Today.

Berbalik kepada Free Anwar Campaign, Jurublog masih lagi menyimpan dua artikel yang ditulis sendiri oleh Raja Petra yang ”menjelaskan” kedudukan kewangan FAC.

Menurut artikel-artikel tersebut, FAC memang ada berjaya mendapat bantuan kewangan daripada penderma-penderma yang bersempati dengan perjuangan FAC. Kita tidak tahu berapa jumlah sebenar yang berjaya dikutip oleh FAC, atau atas nama FAC. Terdapat juga hasil kutipan dana lain sebagai tanda simpati kepada Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim dengan menggunakan nama yang lain, atau menggunakan nama Anwar sendiri.

Tetapi duit tabungan FAC tidak dikendalikan oleh Raja Petra.

Sebaliknya, duit kutipan tersebut dikendalikan oleh mereka-mereka yang rapat dengan Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim. Raja Petra (di dalam artikel tersebut) mendakwa bahawa beliau langsung tidak menerima apa-apa bayaran bagi mengendalikan FAC.

Jadi, siapakah Gang of Four yang didakwa oleh Raja Petra sebagai mereka yang bertanggungjawab dalam mengumpul dan memakan duit FAC? Adakah duit kutipan tersebut sebenarnya dianggap oleh keluarga Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim sebagai milik mereka dan digunakan untuk kegunaan peribadi? Mana pula ketelusan yang digenbar-gemburkan oleh PKR selama ini? Mengapa kita tidak pernah mendapat apa-apa kenyataan balas daripada Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim mengenai dakwaan Raja Petra? Atau adakah Raja Petra telah dibayar oleh mereka-mereka yang berkenaan sebagai upah untuk menutup pekong yang terbuka?

Jurublog telah cuba untuk mendapatkan semula artikel-artikel tersebut dari laman Malaysia Today, tetapi archieve tahun 2006 telah luput.


ARTIKEL PERTAMA

Saturday, April 22, 2006

A crisis of credibility
Raja Petra Kamarudin

Let there be no misunderstanding about this. Politics is about the attainment of power, plain and simple. If anyone tells you otherwise, then he or she is either a bad politician (in that he or she does not understand politics) or a good politician (in that he or she is lying through his or her teeth).

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that lying is wrong. Okay, as far as religion and morals are concerned it is wrong. But lying, or what I would call ‘telling your version of the truth’, is very much part and parcel of the political game. A good politician, meaning Machiavellian politician, must master the art of ‘lying’, or spin doctoring (that is giving the masses your version of the truth).

But then you must know how to lie. ‘Zam’ is hopeless. He is such a novice that he trips over his own lies and digs a deeper hole than the one he is trying to cover up. President Clinton is however superb. He denied all along he told Monica to lie. When cornered, he said, it is true he did not tell her to lie. Okay, maybe he told her to bend a little, but never to lie (baring in Malay). Alright, maybe it did not quite happen like that. But then you must always have a fallback when your lies are discovered.

Anyway, back to the issue of the day. Firstly, politics is about the attainment of power. It is not as many politicians will tell you: to serve the people. But this is what politicians will tell you: “I want to serve the people”. Sure, that’s what they all say. And that is what I meant by ‘lying’. Secondly, politics is about perception. It is not what you are that is important. It is how people perceive you that counts (Of course, as far as religion and morality are concerned this is not honest. And that is why religious or moral people should not become politicians; because they have to mislead and fool the people with false perceptions).

You can be the biggest slime-ball, but if people perceive you as a saint, then that is all that matters. On the other hand, if you are a saint but people perceive you as a nut, then you would not go far in politics.

Anwar is perceived as an Islamic leader. In fact, until today, many non-Muslims still fear Anwar because of his fiery Islamic past. Many still refer to him as an ‘Islamic firebrand’. Whether this is true or not is not the issue. This is not important in politics. What is important is that he carries the image of an ‘Islamic leader’, and some view him as a radical Islamic leader.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad is Machiavellian. He recognised Anwar’s strong Islamic image and he knew that if Anwar had gone to PAS and eventually took over the leadership of the party, as the late Fadzil Nor had planned, this would be bad news for Umno. So he agreed, at Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s prodding, to allow Anwar into Umno.

Mahathir’s strategy was two-pronged. Firstly, he would deny PAS Anwar’s leadership. Next, he would assist Anwar to climb the Umno ladder, first as the Youth Leader and later as one of the Vice Presidents, so that he could use or ride on Anwar (‘kudakan Anwar’, as the Malays would say) for his own political gain. But by the time Anwar became the Deputy President -- again with Mahathir’s help who instructed Shahidan Kassim to lead a revolt of Umno Parliamentarians to pass an unofficial ‘vote of no confidence’ against Ghafar Baba in Parliament -- he became too big for his shoes. He thought that his meteoric rise up the Umno ladder was because of his ‘strength’ and he decided to pitch this strength against his ‘creator’. As they say, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. And Mahathir took back what he gave Anwar, his political career, and Anwar fell flat on his face.

For his ‘service’, Shahidan was rewarded with the appointment as the Perlis Menteri Besar and the takeover of the privatised Bernas, an extremely lucrative cash cow by virtue of the rice monopoly and rice import permits it holds (now you know why rice in Malaysia costs more than in Thailand).

No one had any reservations that Mahathir made Anwar. Anwar was not a self-made man as he visualised himself to be. Somehow, only Anwar did not seem to realise this. Or maybe he thought that that was all in the past and now he is already his own man -- like the Space Shuttle that scuttles its ‘mother ship’ and moves forward on its own steam once it reaches outer space. Mahathir gave one tug of the carpet below Anwar’s feet and that was the end of him. He never saw it coming. He never even felt it coming. It is like when a Samurai warrior’s sword lands on your neck. You can actually walk a few more steps before you fall down and die. You may have lost your head but your body takes a few seconds to realise you are dead before it plays the role of the deceased.

Everyone is clear what Mahathir is. Either you love him or you hate him. Either you perceive him as the most corrupted Prime Minister in Malaysian history or you perceive him as a giant amongst men who gave pride to this nation and placed Malaysia onto the world map. No longer is Malaysia ‘near Singapore’ or ‘south of Thailand’ like how one would have to explain where Malaysia is to the uninformed westerner in the days before Mahathir took over as Prime Minister. Whether for the right or wrong reasons, Mahathir made Malaysia famous.

But what is Anwar? Is he an Islamic firebrand? Is he a moderate Muslim? Is he a liberal ‘lover of the West’? Is he an educationist? Is he a capitalist? Is he the champion of farmers, fishermen and the homeless? Is he opposed to corruption, nepotism and cronyism? Is he the biggest benefactor of cronies and in his time many became filthy rich? Is he all the above? Or is he none of the above? Yes, which is the real Anwar? Will the real Anwar please stand up!

You can hate Mahathir or you can love him. One thing you are sure though, you know what he is. The problem with Anwar is; it is very difficult to decide whether to love him or hate him because you don’t really know what he is to be able to love him or hate him.

Anwar, for all intents and purposes, is suffering a crisis of credibility. He lacks credibility. In fact, he never did have any and he became popular and achieved great heights merely because he was Mahathir’s blue-eyed boy -- no different from the Khairy Jamaluddin situation today. Many do not actually love Khairy. But they know that he is the Prime Minister’s son-in-law and the most trusted adviser, so they all want to hang onto his coattails -- though they don’t like him.

Anwar has been released from prison almost 20 months now. But he is yet to make his move. And this is affecting his credibility. What in heaven’s name is holding him back? Simple! Money! You need money to play politics in Malaysia, or anywhere in the world for that matter. But money is something Anwar does not have yet. And the reason for this is because of the crisis of credibility that he and his party, Party Keadilan Rakyat, are suffering from.

It is not that they never had money in the beginning. They did. But the sources have all dried up. Generous donors who once used to give no longer want to do so. And this is because they no longer know whether the money is being put to good use and for the intended reason or whether the money ‘leaked’ along the way and has been ‘hijacked’.

This is not a new problem or something that cropped up only recently. It has been an inherent problem since the party was formed in 1999. Much money has flowed into the pockets of the party leaders. But it stayed in their pockets and never filtered down to the ground. In the meantime, those on the ground have had to sell off their assets to finance party activities. Some had to borrow from loan sharks (ah long) to finance the last election. Many went into debt and until today are still hocked up to the eyeballs. Some are facing bankruptcy. Some used up all their life savings and pension fund (EPF) and now have to face the remaining years of their life with no guarantee of how they are going to feed their families.

The horror stories are endless. Suffice to say, many sacrificed and suffered financial ruin because of their commitment to the cause and to ensure that the party moves forward.

As Hanafiah Man, one-time keADILan Youth executive secretary and chief editor of the party newspaper, said, “I don’t mind if we are all poor and suffering. But when we at the bottom suffer while those at the top live a life of luxury, then this hurts.”

Hanafiah and the acting youth leader (during the time Ezam Mohd Nor was in the Kajang Prison), Zahid Md Arip, took the party to task on this matter during the party’s annual general meeting in Sungai Petani. They took the floor to slam the leaders for not being sincere to those at the bottom who are struggling and sacrificing for the party. They pointed at the leaders assembled onstage and warned them that the party’s youth movement will not tolerate leaders who receive money in the name of the party but use it for personal purposes. If the money was collected in the name of the party and for party purposes, then the money should be filtered down to the ground to finance party activities.

Many donors were shocked when they learnt that the party was broke. Millions had been donated to the party, they said. How can the party be broke? The telephone bill went unpaid and the telephone line got cut numerous times. The water connection also got cut because of years of unpaid bills and for about two years those working in the party headquarters had to visit the public toilet in the car park to answer the call of nature. Suppliers’ bills were not paid and some even threatened to bankrupt the party if they did not receive their payments. No printers would take party jobs unless one of the leaders personally guaranteed the debt. Invariably, the guarantor would end up paying off the debt the party could not service.

Whenever the party president, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was confronted with this and when it was pointed out that it is public knowledge that many had donated generous sums to the party, she replied that one must differentiate between ‘personal’ donations and party donations. No doubt some people had donated some money, but this was meant for the family and not for the party.

Eventually, Hanafiah, Zahid and ten other youth leaders got so exasperated they decided to resign from the party en bloc, as did the party information chief, Ruslan Kassim. Even publicly chiding the party leaders during the annual general assembly about the mismanagement of party funds did not seem to work. They wrote off the party entirely and called it a day. Of course, the official spin is that these are traitors who were bought over by Umno. But they -- and many others who shared their view but decided to still remain in the party nevertheless -- did not see it that way. If there was any betrayal, it was the party leaders who had betrayed the members in the way they mismanaged the money donated to the party.

One day, around August 2004, one of Anwar’s lawyers called me aside and asked me, “How much money has the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC) received from donors?” Not one cent, I replied. Okay, Wan Azizah did donate RM1,000 at the launch of the FAC in August 2000 and Anwar’s brother gave RM2,000 once in the five years that the FAC was in operation. Another supporter donated a notebook computer to replace the one that was confiscated by the police in March 2001. But that was about it.“

But there are those who claim to be directors of the FAC who have received a lot of donations from all over the world. Don’t tell me they did not give you anything.”

“With God as my witness, not a cent,” I replied.

“What the hell!” the lawyer said. “They are using FAC’s name to collect money. If they are not passing you any, then you might as well just close the FAC. Why let them use the FAC to make money?”

“I will close it the day Anwar walks free and not a day earlier,” I told the lawyer.

“What if Anwar remains in jail 15 years? Are you going to keep going for 15 years and allow these people to use you to make money?”

“I suppose so,” I replied.

“You are so stupid. People are using you. They are making money while you are suffering.”

I in fact already knew this even before the lawyer informed me about it. Earlier, one of the PAS leaders told me he met one of the FAC directors in the UK. He was with a Malaysian millionaire who now lives there -- a man who became a millionaire during the time Anwar was in power. The PAS leader mentioned the name of the FAC ‘director’ and the Malaysian millionaire, both whom I knew.

The so-called FAC ‘director’ is a member of Anwar’s inner circle and the man who runs Anwar’s propaganda unit plus his personal website, anwaribrahim.com.

“What were they talking about?” I asked the PAS leader without hinting that the FAC director was in no way representing FAC in that meeting with the Malaysian millionaire. “About some funding for FAC,” said the PAS leader. “That was what I managed to pick up as they did not speak openly in front of me.”

So I knew even before Anwar’s lawyer informed me about it that ‘certain people’ were collecting funds in the name of FAC. And I even knew who they and the donors were.

One day, I received a phone call from the United States asking me to confirm whether it is true that keADILan would need a lot of money to be able to win the next general election (which was held in 2004). “Of course,” I replied, quite surprised at this sudden question. “That goes without saying. But who told you this?” I asked the American chap at the other end of the line.

The American then informed me he just had a meeting with four keADILan party leaders to discuss funding for the party to face the next election. And he told me who the four were.

I was not upset about the party soliciting election funds. But the man who phoned me was a FAC contact, not a party contact (and I never asked for or received one cent from him in all the time I knew him). So clearly they were using the FAC network to collect funds for the party and I was being kept in the dark. But my FAC contact in the US would not consider any funding unless I confirmed that the four were legitimate and not fakes. I informed the American that the four are actually members of Anwar’s inner circle (not the one who met the Malaysian millionaire in the UK) and therefore extremely legitimate.

I knew only one man could have introduced these four to our US contact. And this would be my fellow FAC director in Australia. I immediately phoned Australia and asked the chap there whether he knew about the four party leaders who were now in the US to negotiate funding for the party. “Four?” he replied. “I know about the three. Who is the fourth?” I ran through the names of the four but did not question him any further on what was going on. From his reaction it was apparent that he was the one who had arranged the meeting.

These two incidences were those that were personally brought to my attention. There were of course many more such cases which were related to me through third party sources. And most know who these people are -- both donors and recipients -- but no one wants to rock the boat by talking about them. Those who know and could no longer tolerate the shenanigans quietly left the party without revealing the real reason for their resignations. And the party lost many of its leaders over the years from 1999 till recently when Datin Saidatul Badru Said Keruak also resigned.

At the last public rally (ceramah) Anwar addressed in Sungai Buloh recently, he lambasted those he said who expect money or payment before they would do any work. If you are not prepared to sacrifice but want to be paid before you will work, then we might as well all just go home and forget everything and allow the present government to rule till doomsday, argued Anwar.

Anwar just does not get it. It is not that people want to be paid before they will work for the party. They are quite prepared to struggle and sacrifice, even spend their own money for the good of the cause. What they do not want is to be made suckers. They hear about the money flowing into the party leaders’ pockets and remaining there. This is what they are fighting against, corruption. And then they find their own leaders no better than those they wish to replace. Why bother to replace them then? Might as well, as Anwar says, let them rule forever.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s future lies in it getting sufficient funding. As it stands now, that would be most difficult. Many who once gave now know that the money has been mismanaged and they no longer want to be suckers. This is the huge crisis of credibility that Anwar and his party are facing. How Anwar is going to overcome this is not known yet at this stage. Anwar is heading international agencies whose job is to ensure transparency and good governance. Charity, as they say, starts at home. Back at home, in Anwar’s own party, there is a need for transparency and good governance. How does one preach honesty when one’s own honesty is being questioned?

As what one of the party leaders said, Mao had his Gang of Four who brought about his downfall. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has his Gang of Four as well, also known as the Four-Ks (Khairy, Kamaluddin, Kalimullah and Kak Endon, now deceased), who may also bring about his downfall. And Anwar too has his own Gang of Four. And it is this Gang of Four which is causing much unhappiness and an exodus from the party. Anwar will have to choose between his Gang of Four and the future of the party. As it stands now, the Gang of Four seems to be Anwar’s favoured lot. And this could mean sayonara for Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

ARTIKEL KEDUA

Monday, July 03, 2006
Politics, politics, politics
Raja Petra Kamarudin

One of the previous Italian Ambassadors to Malaysia once said that Italian politics is very complex. I mean, just read Julius Caesar to understand what he means. It seems, according to the Ambassador, Italy has had 40 governments in almost as many years. That is how complex Italian politics is. Nevertheless, added the Ambassador, how complicating Italian politics may be, they still can’t beat Malaysia. Malaysian politics is even more complex. The Past-President of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) told me once that Malay politics is very ‘matured’, not like Chinese politics. Chinese politics is ‘rough’, he explained, while Malay politics is very refined and polished.

I suppose both the Italian Ambassador and the MCA President are right. It is not easy to comprehend Malay politics as much as you may think you are able to read it correctly. What you see is not always what you get. But then maybe this is because the Chinese do Kungfu, which believes in a direct hit to the jugular with one strike to end the fight. Malay politics, however, is fashioned after Silat, which is plenty of dancing and circling before one moves in on the opponent. Even then, sometimes the strike never comes, especially if the Silat is done during a ceremony, which would be only ‘show Silat’.

One of my Chinese classmates from secondary school, Teh Yim Seng (don’t where he has disappeared to since), told me a joke back in 1966, the days before the race riots of May 1969 when ‘racial’ jokes were not yet considered ‘sensitive’.

“When you see one Chinaman,” said Yim Seng, “He would set up a business. When you see two Chinamen, they would set up an association. And when you see three Chinamen, they would set up a Mah Jong table and gamble.”

“When you see one Indian,” added Yim Seng, “He would drink. When you see two Indians, they would form a union. And when you see three Indians, they would fight.”

Then came Yim Seng’s punch-line: “When you see one Malay, he would play politics. When you see two Malays, they would play politics. And when you see three Malays, they would play politics.”

Yes, very racial indeed if you go by today’s standards. But in those days, whether you are Chinese, Indian or Malay, we would all roar with laughter at this very accurate reflection of Malaysian life 40 years ago. Hmm....come to think of it, has anything changed in 40 years?

Well, as my late mother was fond of saying, “Many a true word is said in jest.”

Malays need politics like a fish needs water. You can take the Malay out of the kampong, but you can’t take the kampong politics out of the Malay. If you want to kill the Malays it is very easy really; just ban politics and the Malays would wilt (layu) and die. Maybe that is why Malays are called Melayu (wilting).

During the early days of the Reformasi Movement in 1998, one of the chaps in our clandestine meeting that was plotting the demonstrations all over Kuala Lumpur said that since he and his wife got involved in Reformasi they have been having a better sex life. It seems they had become hornier. Well, who says one cannot get an orgasm through politics?

Yes, politics can act as an aphrodisiac. So those who face ‘problems’ should get involved in politics, in particular in movements out to topple the government, and become a stud again.

Okay, without revealing too much about my own sex life, can all those who are puzzled as to why I am so passionate about opposing the powers-that-be now understand what drives me? What? You thought it was all about human rights, free speech, justice, and all that crap? Well, that too I suppose. Anyway, I think I had better change the subject before I get a PG18 rating.

The expected happened. As soon as word broke that Malaysia Today was hosting Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to a dialogue, and even before the dialogue proper could happen, I received many phone calls from all and sundry. Many of these callers had either not phoned me in a long time or had never phoned me in my entire life. All of a sudden my phone would not stop ringing.

The Top Ten questions these callers asked were:

Who is paying for the event?
Who is sponsoring Malaysia Today?
Where do we get our money from?
Has Mahathir ‘bought’ me?
Why am I doing this?
Did they ‘turn me over’ during my ISA detention of 2001?
Do I now believe Anwar is guilty of sodomy?
Am I sulking (merajuk) because Anwar does not care about me anymore?
Is this a gimmick to promote Malaysia Today?
Is Mahathir using Malaysia Today or is Malaysia Today using Mahathir?

Notice that the top four questions all relate to money? These are the most ‘popular’ questions. The insinuation is: we must be doing this only because we are being paid a lot of money to do it.

How insulting. And I just fly off the handle when insulted. If there is one thing I cannot tolerate and will not compromise on is insolence. My wife can testify to the fact that I go berserk when confronted with biadap (insolent) individuals. I don’t know why, but somehow I can take most things in my stride, even solitary confinement. However, when someone is insolent towards me, I tend to retaliate with a most pompous and indignant stance. Okay, be warned, I did not start this, they did, and I am not about to let them off lightly -- even at the risk of being accused of being overly emotional.

I wonder why no one asked me these questions, or at least the ‘top four’ questions, back in 2000 when I launched and headed the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC). FAC was my fulltime job and I travelled the length and breadth of Malaysia, plus to the United States, in my campaign to spread the word. But no one was concerned then about where I got my money from, how I financed the FAC, or whether, since I had no income-generating job, I was able to feed my family.

I eventually had to send some of my kids to the UK because I could no longer afford to support them. Since I was born in the UK and therefore had Right of Abode to the UK for the next two generations, my kids could work in the UK plus get free education. Without Right of Abode they would not be allowed to work and it would cost them about RM100,000 a year each to enter university, living expenses included. And I have five kids mind you. Now, not only could they work in the UK and get to go to school free, but they can also enjoy benefits and receive all sorts of financial aid from the UK government.

It broke my wife’s heart to have to part with her kids but she realised it was for the better. Being ‘unemployed’ (since as the Director of the FAC I earned no salary), there was no way we could support them and send them to university. And it would be five years before I could get my hands on my EPF savings. Even then, my meagre EPF savings would only last a year if I used it to finance my kids’ education. As it is, according to the EPF, most retirees finish their savings within three years after they retire if they depend solely on their savings to finance their retirement. Your EPF savings is just not enough to last till you die if you live another ten or twenty years after you retire. But if I die before I reach 60, then the problem would solve itself, though that would mean I die broke and would leave nothing for my wife to continue her life with if she outlives me a few more years.

Anyway, that is my problem and no one else’s. But no one asked me all these questions then. It was of no concern to anyone whether my unemployed status and my fulltime non-income generating job as the Director of the FAC was a financial burden on me. In spite of that, I stayed on until the last day, 2 September 2004, when Anwar was finally released and saw freedom. Only then did I ‘officially’ relinquish my post as the Director of the FAC. And I never sent Anwar Ibrahim or his family a bill for the many years work I did. Even if I just calculate the ‘lost’ salary on the job my wife and I resigned from so that I can head the FAC fulltime, which was RM7,500 per month, Anwar owes me RM450,000. And I am not including the other expenses, such as travelling all over Malaysia, or else the bill would easily come to RM600,000.

When Anwar was finally released, and therefore my job as the Director of the FAC came to an end, no one from Anwar’s family phoned me to say thank you. Well, to be fair, Anwar did shake my hand at 5.30pm on 4 September 2004 and he did say thank you. His brother-in-law, Pak Lang, also told me that the FAC has done a great service to Anwar and he attributes Anwar’s release to the efforts of the FAC. I told him that even if the FAC did contribute in any way it was a small contribution and not the only contributor. Many other factors must also be taken into consideration such as Anwar would never have seen freedom if Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did not wish for it to happen.

I promised my wife I would never bring this matter up as it goes against Malay culture to do so. We did this not for the money, argued my wife, but to see justice done. Yes, I agree, and I promised her the matter rests and we would never raise it ever. But now I have to break that promise to my wife. I toiled for years with no salary and without grumbling about it. But I host Mahathir to just ONE event and they raise the issue of money, suspect that I have been paid by Mahathir, ask who is financing me, and much more, right down to the allegation that I have been bought off, sold out, ‘turned’, etc.

Okay, if they want to talk about money, then let’s talk about money. And I now ask them: who paid me or financed me when I headed the FAC all those years?

Actually, that was supposed to have been the first and only event Malaysia Today organises for Mahathir. However, seeing that it has attracted so much controversy, I think I will organise a few more just to rub it in to the critics that I do what I want and no one is going to tell me what I can and cannot do. Hey, I am a loose cannon aren’t I and loose cannons are supposed to be like this are they not? And loose cannons just love a good fight and presently it appears like Mahathir is the only one giving the government a run for its money. The opposition, Anwar included, seems to have gone to sleep.

Do my comments sound too harsh? Hey, this column is called No Holds Barred and no holds barred must sound harsh. If not it will not be no holds barred.

Muslims should do a GAZA – Gang-up Against Zionist’s Atrocities

Bani Israel laknatullah continues to create mayhem in the land of the Palestinians. More than 500 Palestinians including children have died in the current massacre started by the Zionist regime, and at least 600 more are seriously injured and may not last the week. Thousands are injured.

It is time for Muslims from across the world to do a GAZA – Gang-up Against Zionist’s Atrocities.

We urge the Muslim governments around the world to do the following in support of PALESTINE :-

P – Pressure UNGA and Security Council to act against Israel
A – Act against nations who directly support Israel
L – Label Israel as a terrorist nation
E – Ensure continuous financial support for humanitarian aid in Palestine
S – Strengthen military cooperation among Muslim nations
T – Take charge, provide and disseminate actual news on atrocities by the Zionist regime
I – Ignore and boycott products linked to Israel
N – Negate existing commercial arrangements involving Israel
E – Enforce economic sanctions against Israel and its allies among Muslim nations

Individual Muslims should do our part too. We must not depend on other people.

Even in Malaysia, we would not be able to depend on our non-Muslim fellow Malaysians to support the cause. Articles printed in The Malaysian Insider supported the legitimacy of Israel’s aggression and questioned the acts by Hamas. These Malaysians would prefer to only listen to the Jews’ side of the story and would never check actual happenings based on true accounts by UN observers on the ground. The Malaysia Insider also questioned the acts of support to the Palestinians by various Muslim organisations in Malaysia as politically motivated. Raja Petra of Malaysia Today continues to commit sin by allowing commentators in his blog to ridicule the Palestinians and Muslims and post comments in support of Israel.

Limit our spending habit, or better still, stop buying anything from those who support Israel. Start it NOW!

Pemimpin dan Penyokong PKR memang tidak berdisiplin

Itulah intipati kenyataan yang dibuat oleh pemimpin tertinggi DAP, Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang yang juga Setiausaha Agong DAP, Lim Guan Eng.

Kerajaan DAP Pulau Pinang memang tidak berkenan dengan wakil PKR yang merupakan Timbalan Ketua Menteri di negeri tersebut. Tapi apakan daya, itulah calon paling kurang keburukannya berbanding dengan ADUN-ADUN PKR yang lain. Kalau hendak turun padang berjumpa dengan penyokong PKR pun susah, macamana nak mengharapkan Mamat yang seorang tu untuk menjaga kepentingan orang Melayu Pulau Pinang? Itulah juga mungkin sebabnya ada cubaan untuk merebut ADUN UMNO yang pernah bertanding melawan Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim supaya berpaling tadah dan masuk Pakatan. Mungkin dia boleh jadi Timbalan Ketua Menteri yang kurang bermasalah berbanding dengan Timbalan yang sedia ada.

Sebelum ada PKR, pilihanraya di Malaysia berjalan dengan berdisiplin dan tanpa perlu kehadiran polis yang ramai untuk menjaga ketenteraman awam. Tetapi sejak adanya PKR pimpinan Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim, budaya merusuh Anwar diserapkan di dalam tatacara kempen-kempen mereka. Ianya berlaku semasa pilihanraya kecil di Ijok. Ianya berlaku semasa pilihaanraya umum bulan Mac 2008 yang lalu. Dan yang paling ketara, insiden-insiden yang tidak diingini banyak benar berlaku semasa pilihanraya kecil di Permatang Pauh.

Kebanyakan calon PKR menang semasa pilihanraya yang lalu kerana kemarahan pengundi terhadap Barisan Nasional, dan bukan kerana sukakan PKR. Sebab itulah jurukamera sambilan yang baru balik dari Hong Kong pun boleh menang. Bila jadi MP, masih lagi dengan perangai kebudak-budakkannya dengan mengambil gambar sesuka hati di Parlimen. Bila bercakap di majlis rasmi pun, masih tidak fasih Bahasa Inggerisnya. Bahasa Melayu beliau pulak lagi hancur. Mengetahui akan kelemahan ketara beliau sendiri, MP yang seorang ini dengan senang hati menawarkan kerusi Parlimennya kepada Anwar untuk dikosongkan supaya Anwar dapat bertanding kerusi Parlimen. Tetapi Anwar takut untuk bertanding di Lembah Kelang. Anwar lebih rela mengekalkan budak jongos itu untuk mewakili rakyat di Parlimen. Lebih baik Anwar bertanding di lubuk sendiri daripada memperjudikan nasib di Lembah Kelang.

Ahli-ahli dan penyokong-penyokong Hindraf pula menggunakan platform PKR untuk bertanding semasa pilihanraya umum yang lalu. Hindraf merupakan pelampau ugama yang cuba menggunakan platform politik. Orang India yang sudah mual dengan perangai Samy Vellu dan konco-konconya, terus sahaja memangkah PKR. Apabila PKR berjaya menerajui Selangor (satu-satunya negeri di bawah pimpinan PKR), maka puaka-puaka Hindraf ini mula menuntut itu dan ini. Kononnya PKR perlu membalas jasa baik kaum India kerana telah menyokong PKR semasa pilihanraya. Yang terbaru, cuba menggertak (ala Anwar) untuk beramai-ramai keluar PKR kerana tidak bersetuju dengan keputusan kerajaan PKR Selangor untuk memindahkan Stesen Bas di Klang. Yang hairannya, yang masuk berpiket di TV, semuanya buah manggis. Belacan tidak ada yang berpiket pulak.

Memang pemimpin dan penyokong PKR tidak berdisiplin. Baca sahajalah komentar-komentar yang dibuat di Malaysia Today dan anwaribrahimblog.com. Itulah orang yang diharap oleh Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim untuk membantu beliau untuk memmerintah Malaysia. Hancurlah negara kita nanti.

Pada pandangan Lim Guan Eng, kerajaan boneka DAP di Perak perlu kekal. Walaupun Menteri Besar ahli PAS, beliau fasih berbahasa Cina. Beliau ini dapat membaca dan menerima bulat-bulat tuntutan-tuntutan kaum Cina di Perak. Senanglah DAP menjalankan konsep Malaysian Malaysia mereka di Perak. Tanah hakmilik sementara 99 tahun tidak perlu. Yang diminta dan terus diberi kepada kaum Cina ialah tanah hakmilik sementara 999 tahun atau hakmilik kekal. Kita masih menunggu statistik sebenar pemberian tanah kepada perkampungan baru di Perak. Berapa orang dan peratusan yang diberi kepada kaum Cina. Berapa pula keluasan tanah yang terlibat, dan harga semasa tanah-tanah tersebut.

Jadi, apabila keputusan yang dibuat oleh Menteri Besar Perak yang pandai berbahasa Cina itu disanggah oleh beberapa orang pemimpin PKR di Perak, Lim Guan Eng terus bagi amaran kepada Anwar. Barulah penyokong PKR tahu bahawa yang sebenarnya, Anwar ni bukanlah kuat sangat kuasanya. Sampaikan DAP pun boleh kasi warning.

Sepertimana yang Jurublog tuliskan sebelum ini, PAS dan DAP memang mempunyai ideologi politik yang jauh bertentangan. PAS wujud kerana hudud, dan akan bermati-matian memperjuangkan hudud. DAP pula wujud kerana konsep Malaysian Malaysia, dan membantah hudud sehingga mereka mati dan dilangkah mayatnya. PAS dan DAP secara logiknya tidak akan dapat bersatu. Itiulah gunanya Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim a.k.a Boy George yang mendendangkan lagu Karma Chameleon. Chameleon ini boleh bertukar warna mengikut kesesuaian persekitarannya. Chameleon ini boleh mencantumkan PAS dan DAP dalam satu konspirasi pakatan.

Tetapi, apabila Lim Guan Eng sudah berani memberi amaran kepada Brader Anwar Bin Ibrahim, kita pun gusar dengan kepimpinan beliau. Sebelum ini, Karpal telah pun mendesak Anwar untuk menjelaskan pendirian PKR mengenai hudud. Sampai hari ini, Anwar masih lagi diam membisu. Mungkin beliau takut jadi orang pertama yang dihadapkan ke mahkamah di bawah undang-undang hudud. Tapi kenapa pula Anwar nak takut? Bukankan Anwar di pihak yang benar dan tidak perlu sumpah muhabalah?