And Jelas really is back this time :P
Here is part 2 to my article “Bersih: A government gripped by paranoia?”. Would appreciate your help in spreading it, in the off chance it resonates. Thanks!!
Amidst the posturing and chest thumping, let’s try to think objectively about how July 9th might play out.
To understand this, we need to understand the key players as well as their potential interests, motives and motivations.
To be fair, let’s begin with the Bersih steering committee – what kind of people seem to be leading the way?
The individuals in question are: Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan (Chairperson), Andrew Khoo, Arumugam K., Dr Farouk Musa, Haris Ibrahim, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Datuk Yeo Yang Poh, Zaid Kamaruddin, Dr Subramaniam Pillay and Arul Prakkash.
The profile of the fourteen steering committee members seem to indicate individuals who currently demonstrate zero political ambitions and zero political affiliations. Many members have been as critical (if not more) of Pakatan Rakyat as they have been of Barisan Nasional, and I reckon none of them suffer the view that changing the government will solve all of Malaysia’s problems and render civil society useless.
Google these individuals – do they look to you like people who crave power for themselves? Do they seem to you the type of people liable to be manipulated, or take kindly to being told what to do – least of all by politicians?
Ibrahim Ali
One of the chief antagonists of the Bersih saga is noted “frog”, Ibrahim Ali. Let’s take a look at his record and attempt to ask the same simple question: what does he want?
At best, Ibrahim Ali has proven to be an ignorant racist. At worst, he is a devious political animal of the same class as Slobodan Milosevic and Theoneste Bagosora, who took ethnic hatred to unimaginably brutal extremes.
I read Ibrahim Ali as a pompous, self-important man who seems to exhibit signs of having a Napoleon complex. Notoriously unable to abide by any firm political principles, he has instead begun to revel in the great amount of attention to himself quite simply by spewing the most extreme racist incitements as sensationally as he can.
This strategy is not misinformed per se – his relevance in Malaysia, insofar as he has any, is built entirely on his bigoted views; views that are as morally wrong and misguided as they are sexy looking on headlines.
So, for my money, Ibrahim Ali wants in on July 9th because he’s clamouring for the spotlight – both on the day itself, and every day before. He is content to surround himself with rabble rousers who use racial ideology to mask a lack of ability to make it on their own merits – anyone who is not a bigot like them just becomes a target for venting childish frustrations. (I would be more worried about reprecussions of writing this if I thought those Perkasa guys could understand all the words in the last few paragraphs. Malays and Malaysians can find much better role models out there).
Despite Ibrahim Ali’s every effort to draw attention to himself by wielding the sceptre of riots and violence, I ultimately think he is not the one who will be making important decisions in the first ten days of July. How July 9th goes down will, I think, depend instead on others.
Khairy’s sandbox politics
Next let’s examine the other big group who seems to want in on the party – Khairy Jamaluddin’s Umno Youth.
Discussing what makes Khairy tick would take an article onto itself. He is clearly a man of some intelligence, though exactly how much would seem to not always be apparent.
He has commendably criticised Ibrahim Ali’s inciteful remarks, and I for one do not believe he is a racist at heart, or is possessed of any outdated, misguided notions about what makes for a sustainable social fabric.
Despite all this however, Khairy seems to still want to take his Pemuda boys down to the streets come July 9th. This truly beggars question as simple as it is burning: Why?
The stated reason Umno Youth will be gathering is to “strengthen the democratic system”.
It is hard to articulate the disbelief reading this inspires. They want to strengthen the democratic system by refusing to support a movement to clean electoral rolls, provide free and fair access to the media, strengthen public institutions, stop corruption and end dirty politics?
As if that wasn’t enough, they want to bring tens of thousands of people to march through the streets of KL on the same day as a large crowd of people they have accused of being political enemies?
Bringing such a crowd to the streets KL on such a day can only mean one of two things: a) that you are so stupid as to be unable to see the likely negative consequences, or b) that you have put your pursuit of other selfish interests (self-aggrandisement, personal fame, and acting like the angry small boy who doesn’t want to be left out of the party) ahead of the likely consequences of your actions.
Confucius say that man who bring angry youth to rally of perceived enemies can only be looking for trouble.
For all his many faults, I think we know what to expect from Ibrahim Ali and his Perkasa (Pekida?) boys – the man is a raving lunatic, we hardly expect any less. But Khairy? I think we all expected Khairy to know better, and act with more honour and decency.
If he was trying to make some point about being able to rally numbers, or suck up to the Electoral Commission and the Prime Minister, surely a rally on the 8th or the 10th of July would have been just as effective? Why risk explosiveness by showing “strength” on the same date that was decided by Bersih first months ago?
I don’t expect Ibrahim Ali to know or want any better – the man is a fool who will gladly stir up trouble in pursuit of deluded goals. Khairy on the other hand? I can only hope his own sense of self-importance will not put the welfare of others at risk.
Crossroads for BN
Of course, theory has it that only one man really calls the shots. So, what is PM Najib going to do?
We start again by historical analysis. Najib is notoriously indecisive. From the days of when Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh were duking it out, right through when Abdullah was at his weakest, Najib simply bides his time to the very last moment – sacrificing principles for the politcal expediency that waiting for the very last minute allows.
This is greatly unfortunate for Malaysia, because we sure could use some principled leadership right about now.
I believe that a Prime Minister with integrity would respect the rakyat’s right to assemble peacefully, and stop viewing this rally through a lens of paranoia that is concerned only about possible negative implications to his own political fortunes.
A statesman would know that what is at stake here goes beyond any one man’s career or party. A statesman would understand that there is no democracy whatsoever without a free and fair electoral system. A statesman would have nothing to fear from a gathering of the people he was entrusted to lead.
Is Najib anything like a statesman? I guess we’ll find out by July 9th.
Endgame
At this point of time, three major scenarios seem possible.
Firstly, Najib and gang sees the light of day and actually lets the rally go peacefully, with each group being separated in an orderly fashion.
Secondly, the government decides to use all this talk of violence as an unjust excuse to commence an Ops Lalang style crackdown, and throw a large swath of activists into detention – probably without trial.
Thirdly, on July 9th, Perkasa and Umno Youth refuse to rally on another day or venue, and people with sinister intention cause all hell to break loose on the streets of KL. The implications of this are almost too horrible to ponder.
I can’t help but recall Dr. Kua’s thesis that the May 1969 riots were in fact orchestrated as part of a political ploy to seize power. I think we remember who replaced the more liberal Tunku Abdul Rahman as prime minister.
I think in the days to come, we will see heightened demonisation where Bersih is responsible for everything from website hacking to the occupation of Palestine. I think we will see Ibrahim Ali continue to spew nonsense, and we will see – perhaps once and for all – what the likes of Khairy and Najib are really made of, beneath their 1Malaysia veneer.
I hope, for all of our sakes, that reason and justice will prevail. I hope as well that Malayisans from all backgrounds and walks of life will see July 9th as a day to restore integrity and decency to the heart of our nation. It is a day to be fearless; a day to demonstrate that you love Malaysia enough not to let it slip away into the darkness; a day when we bring back a Malaysia we can be proud to pass on to our children.
