SEBERANG PRAI: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim questioned his former aide Ezam Mohd Noor’s intention in claiming that Anwar had been keeping the six boxes of government documents allegedly related to corrupt practices of high-ranking government officers and ministers. "After saying 10 years ago that he was in possession (of the documents), now during the Permatang Pauh by-election he said he has surrendered them to me. Do you take him seriously?" Anwar said during a visit to Seberang Jaya market yesterday. Ezam, the former PKR Youth chief who has rejoined Umno, said at a ceramah on Saturday night that he had passed the documents to Anwar and challenged his former boss to make public the documents. On another claim by Ezam that Anwar had handed out projects worth RM1 billion each to 15 bumiputera companies when he was deputy premier and finance minister, Anwar said Ezam should identify the beneficiaries of the projects and report the matter to relevant authorities. "He is desperate to get the attention of Umno leaders, so I am not going to entertain him," Anwar said. On Gerakan leader and former Penang assemblyman Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon’s support for him in the upcoming by-election, Anwar said Toh was one of a few principled leaders in Barisan Nasional (BN). He said Toh’s statement was a good sign that BN leaders were also giving their support to PKR. Toh, a Gerakan central committee member, reportedly said on his visit to PKR’s election operation room on Sunday that he was not supporting PKR the party but the cause. PKR information chief Tian Chua said the party practised an open-door policy and would welcome all parties onto its platform. Chua said Gerakan’s causes were similar to PKR’s but the party could not perform well under the BN framework. With a racist election campaign being waged by Umno now, it would be surprising if other BN component parties would campaign vigorously for the coalition, he told a press conference. "In this by-election, Umno still uses the polarisation tactic of different rhetorics for different communities," he said. Chua reiterated the party’s stance that it would not condone any form of violence in the election campaign. PKR strategy director Saifuddin Nasution said at the press conference that it was BN which resorted to violence in past election campaigns. He said despite several isolated incidents, the PKR was satisfied with the discipline of its party workers thus far.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Anwar questions Ezam’s intentions
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Anwar claims BN using dirty tricks
PERMATANG PAUH, Aug 17 - In the first day of campaigning, opposition leader and home boy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already alleged that his former party Barisan Nasional (BN) will resort to dirty strategies to cut his majority in the Permatang Pauh by-election this Aug 26.
He claimed inside information and told the people to disregard the tricks.
"BN will campaign house-to-house to ask residents in Permatang Pauh not to go out to vote on Aug 26, saying that I have already won the by-election.
"BN will also give RM500 to each voter not to vote for Anwar Ibrahim, but my advice to you is to take the money, but vote for me," he said at a tea reception at Kampung Bagan Serai here yesterday.
The former deputy prime minister also reiterated Pakatan Rakyat promises when it formed the government, cutting pump prices by 70 sen and freeing the five Hindraf leaders currently detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).Anwar is facing BN candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah and Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim) president Hanafi Mamat in a three-cornered fight for the seat that he had held between 1982 and 1999 when he was convicted of corruption.
Meanwhile, Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib said BN had a stronger chance of wresting the seat from PKR following the entry of Akim into the picture.
The Rural and Regional Development Minister's views, were shared by Penang MCA liaison chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai who said Hanafi would be able to attract a segment of PAS supporters as many of them were unhappy with Anwar, Bernama reported.
BN Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also felt the same but reminded the BN election machinery to work hard to ensure a BN victory.
Penang BN chairman Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon reminded the BN election machinery to double its effort especially at the grassroots level and said he hoped the people of Permatang Pauh would not be taken in by the empty promises the opposition would be making.
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the party was making every effort to get at least 2,700 of the 3,390 Indian voters in the constituency to vote for the BN.
PAS vice president Datuk Husam Musa said the by-election would be a tough battle for the PR as it had to contend with the BN's formidable election machinery but was confident the opposition coalition would prevail.
He said that Anwar's former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's action of swearing on the Quran at the Federal Territory Mosque in Kuala Lumpur Friday that Anwar had sodomised him, would not in anyway sway PAS members support for Anwar as it was "obviously timed to derail Anwar's plan of making a comeback".
PKR supreme council member Saifuddin Nasution Ismail described the by-election as mere formality to fill the vacancy as the constituency was a PKR fortress.
As for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, he said that he viewed this by-election as historical one as involved a former political stalwart, referring to Anwar, who is a former deputy prime minister.
Meanwhile, former PKR Youth chief Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor said the BN could win the seat as the mood of the people there had changed since the time he was in PKR.
"I can feel it. It is not the same as in 1999 and 2004 (when the outpouring of support for PKR was very great)," said, Ezam, who rejoined Umno recently.
Malaysian Insider
Friday, August 1, 2008
The chameleon
2 Aug, 2008
Many of us who know the internal problem Ezam created within the party heaved a sigh of relief when he submitted his Umno form and it was a joke among us that his application was accepted but as a second-class member.
By Khalid Jaafar, The Malaysian Insider
"If you ask me what kind of image I want" he once told me at my office in Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, "I want an image of a liberal."
He does not want to be a true liberal as the notions of spontaneous order, the virtue of the market and limited government are too strange for him. He just wanted a public perception that he wasn't an Islamic fundamentalist or a Malay ultra.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was still languishing in prison when I had this conversation with Ezam Mohd Nor and our party was dogged with an identity problem. I had yet to know then that he was already a mole, a Reformasi Lai Teck.
But today, as he turns away with vengeance against his former mentor, hurling vituperative against Anwar's cosmopolitanism and inclusive social and political philosophy, Ezam has re-embraced Umno's most decadent form of racial ideology. His return to his old party will only help plunge Umno into a deeper ideological crisis, alienating its power-sharing partners, and his strident Malay rhetoric will drive away idealistic youths in search for an integrated Malaysia in disgust.
He must be suffering from a lapse of memory that we are now living in the 21st century. There are the unstoppable and irreversible forces of globalisation affecting everybody and Umno’s exclusivist philosophy of Ketuanan Melayu is grossly out of key with time.
There is market still for Ezam's venom but a rapidly shrinking market. If Umno is really for the Malays there is still a political base to be consolidated. But the implementation of the NEP has been so corrupt in the last two decades only the naive would swallow government propaganda without being squeamish.
Many of us who know the internal problem he created within the party heaved a sigh of relief when he submitted his Umno form and it was a joke among us that his application was accepted but as a second-class member.
Still, I am often asked: "Why? What really happened?" Many find it difficult to comprehend why those who have found themselves estranged with the party for various reasons returned to the fold after Anwar was released but Ezam was at odds with everyone and finally left us.
The popular explanation was that it was the bitter personal rivalry between the two former secretaries for their boss's attention. As a person who has worked as Anwar’s press secretary for 10 years I found the explanation rather silly.
"The party has no discipline," he blurted out on the only occasion we had a heated argument. He wanted the party to take stern measures against his rivals who deliberately skipped party meetings. But in the years when I was a member of the supreme council he was known for his sparse attendance, and while present he was in the habit of being the last to come and the first to leave.
In the media he made innuendos on a particular person who is rich and comfortable while other Reformasi activists were slogging to make ends meet. But very few know that he received salaries from at least three companies, pocketing a salary equivalent to a CEO of a listed company. He was always being chauffeur-driven in fancy cars, and moved around with unproductive auxiliaries, reminiscent of the habits of Umno politicians.
His attacks have always been personal, spewing venom at Azmin Ali, and me on much lesser scale. Now he has upped the ante by mounting personal attacks against Anwar himself. A corporate person whose company provided Ezam with a fancy car told me recently: "All the time he tried to poison my mind on Anwar's character. He claimed to know Anwar inside out."
He created the impression that as political secretary he has opened Anwar's closet and found piles of stinking skeletons in there. The next prime minister has met his nemesis. I was more amused than alarmed at his threat.
Of the three of us — Azmin, Ezam and I — Ezam knows Anwar the least simply because he joined the office of the deputy prime ministry — regrettably on my strongest recommendation — barely two years of the DPM's tragic sacking. I served as Anwar's press secretary for 10 years, and Azmin preceded me by a few months.
During the two years Ezam could not have seen much of Anwar Ibrahim. He only met him during weekly staff meetings of which he was mainly silent perhaps for being too young and too much in awe of the future prime minister or when he accompanied him in public political functions.
Azmin, being the private secretary, saw the boss the most in private. He was the gate keeper, arranging meetings and communicating messages to the corporate and political movers and shakers of Malaysia.
I had the singular honour of dealing with the most uncelebrated visitors, people whom other secretaries prefer to make themselves scarce when they knocked at the door of the DPM's office. They are intellectuals, genuine and occasionally pseudo, great scholars as well as deep thinkers. It was a real pleasure to open the door for Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Ali Mazrui, and it was a real treat to sit in and to listen to Anwar’s conversations with Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul and futurist Alvin Toffler.
Ezam, I suppose, must be the Special Branch's biggest success story in turning over. If he wasn't turned over how he could have written a letter to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi while serving his prison term in Kajang. He was the most celebrated of the ISA detainees but upon his released he refused to be present with them at a press conference. He also avoided being on the same platform at any rally.
When Anwar was released and regained his health, leaders fought tooth and nail to have him speak at their constituency. But Ezam evaded offers by Anwar to speak in Shah Alam, his division, and asked Shamsul Iskandar to sit in for him as Anwar toured of the country.
Why Ezam failed the test while the rest continue to walk tall as Reformasi heroes? I think he suffered from a disease I call Alcibiades syndrome. Alcibiades was the most controversial Athenian politician during the Peloponnesian War and one of the disciples of Socrates. He was immortalised in Plato's dialogue called "The Symposium". Instead of trying to understand Socrates' philosophy he was enthralled with the personality of the philosopher.
His speech in the symposium was all encomia to his teacher. In his politics he betrayed Athens by joining the city's mortal enemy, Sparta, then rejoined Athens to fight against Sparta and later betrayed Athens to join the Persians.
I saw Ezam giving a similar speech in Jakarta, when we were in a short exile, at the launching of the Indonesian version of Anwar’s Asian Renaissance. He didn't say a sentence on the book, or about Tagore, or Iqbal, or Rizal and Okakura. He was saying "Anwar this, Anwar that" and I at the time was praying that lightning and thunder would strike so that he could end his dumb speech.
I saw him in Ipoh where I heard him say: "I joined Umno because of Anwar Ibrahim, and left Umno because of Anwar Ibrahim." Of which he received a standing ovation among the youth delegates.
I saw his character in the Romance of Three Kingdoms, in the personality of Lu Bu whose politics is marked with a series of betrayals. But both Lu Bu and Alcibiades ended in ignominious deaths.
Khalid Jaafar is a Parti Keadilan Rakyat supreme council member and a close confidante of Anwar.
Exposing Anwar — Ezam-style
2 Aug, 2008
By Wan Hamidi Hamid
Political Editor, The Malaysian Insider
All he wants to do is expose the political antics of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim whom he described as nothing more than a very ambitious politician who will stop at nothing to become prime minister.
Ezam Mohd Nor is offering himself to Umno to become the candidate for the Barisan Nasional in the coming Permatang Pauh by-election.
As Anwar's former confidante and Parti Keadilan Rakyat rebel rouser, the former party Youth chief believes he has the capability to turn over those who were converted to his ex-boss' politics of charms.
"Anwar has betrayed himself and the very people who support him. He was a strong advocate of the New Economic Policy, now he wants to abolish it. Granted there are corrupt politicians but why should we abolish the NEP which is the basis of our constitutional rights?
"Anwar also tried to dilute Islam whereas he proclaimed himself to be a champion of the religion. Why? Because he wanted to have the non-Malay support, and well, he got it in the last general election," Ezam told The Malaysian Insider.
However, the 41-year-old Ezam claimed that the PKR de facto chief changed his stance again when he began to court the Malays after the election, knowing that despite the opposition's victory, the Malays were still loyal to Umno.
This dirty political game must stop if we're all serious about reforming the country and improving our livelihood, and not for anyone's personal agenda, he added.
"Even if Umno doesn't want me as the candidate for Permatang Pauh, I'm willing to be at the constituency day and night to campaign for BN as well as to strip Anwar of his populist claims," he said.
The Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat is vacant after the resignation of its three-term MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, also PKR president, to make way for her husband to contest.
With rumours of his alleged imminent arrest and be charged for sodomy allegation, the former deputy prime minister pre-empted the authorities by whipping up an election fever. Already popular with the masses with his nationwide roadshow, the by-election is seen by some people as an attempt to put aside the possible court case.
With no action from authorities till today, Anwar supporters begin to feel that there may not even be a case for them to prosecute. With strong support from PKR's allies Pas and DAP, the election momentum has been solidly built for the past few weeks.
But Ezam is unfazed with the fanfare. "If I contest I'm going to be the underdog. I know it's difficult to unseat Anwar in his former constituency. But it's not about winning or losing. It's having the opportunity to face Anwar and to tell the voters that they have been duped by the very man they revered."
Would the investigations into the sodomy allegation help BN to regain the parliamentary seat?
"It's a different issue. For me, both Anwar and his accuser (Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan) are innocent until proven guilty. I never say Anwar is guilty but I hope his supporters including people like (Datuk) Nik Aziz Nik Mat (Pas spiritual leader) should stop calling the case a conspiracy as if Saiful is already guilty.
"If you notice, Anwar doesn't talk much about Saiful. Actually it's just a case between him and Saiful who claimed that Anwar had victimised him. But Anwar would rather tell his supporters that it is a battle between him and the government. He must always be seen as a great man."
Ezam too thought Anwar was a great reformer some 15 years ago, prompting him to join Umno in the hope that there would be a serious reform for the country. After Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sacked Anwar in 1998 and subsequently jailed him, Ezam's name was synonymous with street demonstrations demanding the release of Anwar.
After some time including a stint in jail and embroiled in internal politics, Ezam left the party last year. It was also the time that Anwar wanted to make a political comeback but failed because the law still barred him form holding any position or contesting elections until May this year.
It was the political tsunami of the March 8 general election that Anwar is accepted not only by his party but also the more senior opposition parties Pas and DAP as the de facto leader. And three months ago Ezam rejoined Umno.
"Anwar has gone overboard. He crossed the line and lost the statesmanship. Anwar lost all these in his pursuit for power.
"People are not stupid. Even Pas leaders have realised that. I know there are a lot of resentment against Anwar and PKR especially in Selangor where the party is governing," he said.
For him, joining Umno at a time when the party and its leaders are struggling over the negative perception about the government is a challenge.
Still committed to the struggle for reform, the man who has lodged a number of reports to the police and Anti-Corruption Agency against several ministers said the Abdullah administration had provided some space for reform.
"The ACA is now independent and has prosecution power. Even Anwar couldn't do that when he was in power. When I met Pak Lah I asked him whether he was serious about combating corruption, he said 'Yes. I won't be long (as PM) but I want to do something good for the country'. That's what the PM told me
"I know some people have accused Pak Lah of being politically weak but I see a strong resolve in that man. He is serious about fighting corruption. I might be wrong about the PM but at least he gives me the space to do something right for the country," he said.
He also said Abdullah had given him the mandate to monitor Umno elections, particular the divisional-level meetings in October and November, to ensure money politics would not rear its ugly head again.
"I will do it. That's my commitment to Umno. If we don't clean up the party from bad elements how are going to reform society," he added.
For him, reforming Umno will also mean exposing more of Anwar's "deceit" as he believes his former boss could derail the true effort to bring reform with promises of things he can't keep.
Permatang Pauh by-election: Brutal battle ahead
Friday August 1, 2008 MYT 3:52:43 PM
Permatang Pauh by-election: Brutal battle ahead
By BARADAN KUPPUSAMY
BY MOST accounts Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to win handsomely in Permatang Pauh but with the sodomy accusation hanging over him like a dagger and his failure to engineer a mass defection, his plans to topple the government and become prime minister remain a dream
Nevertheless at a prayer session in his house late Thursday night, Anwar kept that dream alive telling die-hard supporters, “victory in Permatang Pauh is assured, after that we march to Putrajaya.”
Faced with imminent arrest over sodomy charges and his fragile Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition showing cracks, Anwar pre-empted his political enemies with the stunning move, "asking" his wife and PKR President Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to vacate the Permatang Pauh seat for him to contest.
But with the situation as it is now, he will be fighting with his back to the wall, not only in the by-election but also to revive the momentum of his sterling March 8 comeback that is losing steam rapidly. When Anwar and Dr Wan Azizah made their announcement the only Pakatan Rakyat leader beside them was Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai who although a veteran DAP MP, is not a national leader like DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang or chairman Karpal Singh.
More significantly no PAS leaders were present especially when the entire PAS leadership was in the city the same day to discuss the future of the Umno-PAS “Malay unity” talks.
“Their absence is sickening,” said a senior PKR leader who requested anonymity. “What is the Pakatan without Anwar. Who brought them all the non-Muslim votes?”
With PAS and Umno in an “unholy embrace” the extent of PAS support for Anwar’s leadership of the opposition and his candidacy in the by-election, is being questioned.
Some PAS leaders are not only unhappy with Anwar’s “liberal and secular policies” but also his attempt to grab power, seeing it as dangerous moves that would dilute Malay political pre-eminence and consequently adversely affect the progress of Islam.
The Permatang Pauh move has nevertheless shaken the political establishment setting the stage for a brutal battle with few parallels.
“It will be like a presidential fight, brutal, door-to-door and no quarters asked and none given,” said lecturer Wong Chin Huat of the Monash University Malaysia campus.
“There has been nothing like this before, it is a battle for the future of Malaysia,” he said in an interview. “Both sides will roll out everything in their arsenal.”
For Anwar, the outcome will have a telling effect on his political future that really took off after he abandoned PAS to join Umno in 1982 and came under the protective wings of his former mentor turned nemesis Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
That same year Anwar contested and won in Permatang Pauh, a seat he subsequently held for 17 years until when after his 1998 sacking and arrest, it fell to his wife Dr Wan Azizah who held it until vacating it on Thursday.
An election which must be held within 60 days is more likely in later September - in the middle of the Ramadan fasting month and at a time when Muslims are expected to be kind to friends and foes, be humble and forgive each other and give alms to the poor.
The complication of a Ramadan by-election must have entered Anwar’s mind but the urgency of the current situation has taken priority.
“Facing an imminent sodomy charge, Anwar decided to take the political initiative and strike first and confound his political enemies,” said a senior aide to Anwar who also requested anonymity.
“Instead of sitting and waiting we decided to grab the bull by its horns,” he said. “It is a bold move and very risky but the rewards are high if we won.”
Whatever way, the sodomy charges and the by-election are intractably linked.
“Anwar has decided to go directly to the people, let the people decide on the sodomy issue whatever the outcome of the trial, if there is a trial at all,” said Wong. “He wants the people to decide. If he wins he will be vindicated in the eyes of the people.”
Anwar’s original plan was to engineer a mass defection and let Dr Wan Azizah become temporary Prime Minister, help her consolidate the country and thereafter contest a by-election and then lead the government.
But defection now seems out of the question and the sudden appearance of new sodomy accusations have derailed all his plans.
“He is in fast forward mode,” said the PKR leader. “He not only does not have the luxury of time because as time passes “safe” seats become “unsafe” and the risk of losing multiplies.
“Before events catch up with Anwar, he has decided to throw everything in one barrel and battle it out. He is hoping the tide turns for him and he can get back the March 8 momentum,” said the PKR leader.
The by-election also comes as Umno prepares for its December polls for top party posts and its national leaders will want to enter the home fray with a victory in Permatang Pauh behind them.
Umno leaders will also be fighting with their backs against the wall to convince the party rank and file that they have the courage and intelligence to fight Anwar and win.
An Umno victory would go a long way to destroy the aura and myth of invincibility that had always covered Anwar like a shawl.
Going by Umno traditions, it is the Deputy Umno President-cum-Deputy Prime Minister, in this case Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who will lead the battle for Umno in Permatang Pauh, giving the opportunity for sparks to fly.
Nothing is expected to be left out as both sides dreg the closets to score points and win.
Finally the upcoming by-election, the first since the March 8, would also be a barometer to gauge voter sentiments especially on the key question, whether the political changes that we witnessed in March are permanent or a flash in the pan.
Although 68% of the voters are Malays, Chinese and Indians form a significant minority and possibly be the deciding factor if the Malay vote is split between PKR and Umno.
An outside factor of unknown consequences is whether Barisan will field Ezam Mohd Nor, the former PKR rising star who had defected to Umno last month and is now travelling around the country helping Umno reconnect with the Malay grassroots.
“I am ready if selected,” Ezam said when contacted. “I am ready to battle him.”
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Ezam dared to stand in Permatang Pauh
Thursday July 31, 2008 MYT 8:22:57 PM
Ezam dared to stand in Permatang Pauh
By CHRISTINA TAN
SHAH ALAM: PKR is challenging its former Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor to stand against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Permatang Pauh by-election.
“We hope Umno will let Ezam to take on Anwar in the by-election.
“Let him come and contest if he dares because this is what the PKR wants,” said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, a supreme council member and Selangor state liaison chief after a tea session with the media Thursday.
Last week, Ezam, who has joined Umno, said that he was willing to take on Anwar in a by-election and was not afraid to face his former boss if selected by the Barisan Nasional leadership.
Khalid, who is Selangor Mentri Besar, said the party congratulated and thanked PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail for stepping down as Permatang Pauh MP to make way for her husband to contest in the by-election.
When asked if Anwar’s decision to stand in Permatang Pauh was expected, Khalid replied: “Sort of, but Bandar Tun Razak and Kulim were always mentioned.”
Khalid also said he was starting the campaign immediately by calling the rakyat to choose a leader who would work hard to reduce their burden, especially in the face of inflation.
On PAS rejecting the possibility of it cooperating or forming a coalition government with Umno, Khalid said it was expected.
He said he had no problems with PAS if it wanted to hold talks with Umno because he believed PAS would advise him on how to run the state and ensure that Muslims and other communities were treated fairly.
Year 2003: Umno tried to buy Ezam over
FAC News - Friday, June 27, 2003 5:48 PM
Umno tried to buy Ezam over
The National Justice Party Youth Leader, Ezam Mohd Nor, has admitted that Umno sent him feelers while he was in prison.
Speaking to a crowd of about 500 supporters at the home of party President, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Ezam said, first they separated him from the rest of the Reformasi Six so that they could get him alone. Once he was isolated from the rest, they worked on him to try to woo him over.
Ezam said he was quite surprised at the speed his Official Secrets Act (OSA) trial developed. Ezam was then already under Internal Security Act (ISA) detention in the Kamunting Detention Camp together with Saari Sungib, Tian Chua, Dr Badrulamin Bahron, Lokman Noor Adam and Hishamuddin Rais.
Once the conviction was secured, Ezam was immediately transferred to the Kajang Prison to start serving his two-year jail sentence, the first time in the 43-year history of the ISA that a detainee had to simultaneously serve both an ISA detention and a jail term.
Then Ezam realised why they had hurriedly separated him from the rest for, once he was isolated, Umno made its move to try to woo him over.
Ezam said he received all sorts of approaches from Umno asking him to switch camps and abandon his “struggle to free Anwar Ibrahim from jail”.
In fact, said Ezam, his entire initial 60-day detention under the ISA, before he was sent to Kamunting, was centred on Anwar Ibrahim and not once was he interrogated about his alleged “crimes”.
Ezam and nine other party leaders and Reformasi activists were detained in April 2001 for allegedly being a threat to national security. According to the official statement released by the government, they had conspired to topple the government through violent and militant means and were involved in a plot to bring in bombs, guns, grenade launchers and Molotov Cocktails.
However, the entire 60 days interrogation was on party matters and the police tried to convince Ezam to abandon his struggle and rejoin Umno. After failing to woo him over, the police finally tried to persuade Ezam to just abandon Anwar Ibrahim.
Ezam said, the police told him he could remain in the National Justice Party and continue to oppose the government. However, he must not mention Anwar’s name in any of his speeches. In short, Ezam may continue his opposition party activities but these should not include the struggle to free Anwar.
Ezam also said they tried to convince him that Anwar was in fact guilty of all the sexual crimes he was alleged to have committed and that the police had all the evidence to support these charges.
“Until the last day of my 60-day detention the police never once produced this evidence,” said Ezam.
“When I asked them on the last day of my detention, the day before I was transferred to Kamunting, where this so-called evidence was, they replied that it was of no use showing me this evidence as I would not believe it anyway.”
Ezam said they went to great lengths to persuade him to change sides. When they failed, they compromised by agreeing that he remain in the opposition as long as he agreed to abandon Anwar. When they failed to also do this, he was packed off to Kamunting to start serving his two-year detention.
Ezam said rumours are rife that he is in the midst of making a deal with Umno. “Why should I do this now?” asked Ezam.
“If I want to this, why do this now? I should have done it at the early stages of my detention. Why should I suffer the two year detention and the OSA conviction where I have already served 10 months of my 16-month jail term?”
Ezam said he took a great risk by applying for bail.
“I have already served 10 months of my conviction,” explained Ezam.
“No doubt I was sentenced to two years jail. However, after a one-third remission, I only need to serve 16 months of this sentence.”
“My lawyers were surprised when I told them I would like to apply for bail. They cautioned me that if I fail in my appeal, the ten months I have already served would not be taken into consideration and I would have to start serving the 16 months jail sentence all over again.”
“I would therefore lose these 10 months. But, as a politician, this is the risk I have to take,” Ezam said to the crowd that broke out into thunderous applause.
Ezam then revealed that his release and that of the other five was due to a power struggle within Umno.
“It is because of the serious power struggle within Umno that I and my five comrades were released.”
“One group in Umno was opposed to our release. However, there was another group that wanted us released.”
It is said that Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the one behind their release while the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi camp tried to block their release.
These next four months are very critical to Umno as Dr Mahathir would be leaving office in October with Abdullah supposed to take over. The last thing Abdullah wants is the Reformasi Six back in circulation where they could do much damage to Umno that is yet to settle the succession issue.
Talk amongst the Umno circles is that Dr Mahathir wants the Reformasi Six to “stir the pot” to put pressure on the party. It is hoped that this may then be too much for Abdullah to handle and there would be serious doubts raised as to whether he would be able to take over from Dr Mahathir.
For all intents and purposes, say the sources within Umno, the Reformasi Six were released so that they could become the bogeymen. Umno would then question whether Abdullah is strong enough to fend off the opposition onslaught or should Dr Mahathir stay on to save Umno.
Whatever theories one may subscribe to, the immediate and unconditional release of the Reformasi Six took everyone by surprise, the Reformasi Six included. No doubt, there was much pressure from the International community, foreign governments and
“We were not only surprised that we were released, but more surprised that our release was unconditional,” said Ezam. “This is the first time in the history of the ISA that detainees have been released without conditions attached.”
Monday, July 28, 2008
Ezam: I'll take on Anwar
Monday July 28, 2008 MYT 4:48:42 PM
Ezam: I'll take on Anwar
PETALING JAYA: Former PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor, who has since joined Umno, is willing to take on PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a by-election.
He said he was not afraid of facing his former boss if selected by the Barisan Nasional leadership to contest in the election, preferably in the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency.
Ezam, who rejoined Umno on May 28, said he was an ordinary of Umno member and it was up to the leadership to make a decision on the candidate to take on Anwar.
"I would like to clarify that I am ready to face Anwar in the election if named the candidate," he told reporters on Monday.
Ezam was confidential secretary to Anwar from 1996 until his former boss was expelled from the government and Umno in 1998, and was a key member of Keadilan before it was renamed Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
He quit PKR two years ago.
On Sunday Anwar said he may contest in Kulim-Bandar Baharu in Kedah if there was a by-election there.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The cult called PKR (by RPK)
13 July, 2008
When the ‘Dirty Dozen’ left PKR to rejoin Umno just before the 2004 general election, everyone knew that Ezam and Najib were behind this move. Of course no one said anything about Ezam’s role.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
It is not surprising that one-time PKR youth leader Ezam Mohd Noor rejoined Umno. What is surprising is that he waited until after the 8 March 2008 general election to do so. Long before 8 March, Ezam had already been flirting with Umno. In fact, it was an open secret that Tun Daim Zainuddin was financing his NGO, Gerak. And Daim is behind Najib Tun Razak -- so it was the Deputy Prime Minister and not Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who was instrumental in Ezam rejoining Umno.
Actually, most people already knew that Ezam was about to take that final plunge. Photographs of him with Muhammad son of Muhammad and Aziz Shamsuddin, etc., had been floating around the Internet for a couple of years -- even during the time when Anwar Ibrahim was still in jail. The problem at that time, though, was that Ezam was PKR’s blue-eyed boy, the darling of the party, and any negative comments about Ezam, or Azmin Ali for that matter, was considered a treacherous act. You are a traitor to the cause, a traitor to PKR, a traitor to the opposition, a traitor to the Malay race, and a traitor to the entire nation -- all in one -- if you badmouth one of the PKR darlings.
That is the trouble with PKR. They dabble in cult personalities. When you are the current hot favourite, the flavour of the day, even your fart smells sweet. But once you fall out of favour then they even curse your poor innocent mother who has nothing to do with your political business and does not even know what is going on.
The PKR crowd is one emotional group of people. I suspect that if Anwar was to order them to commit mass suicide they might just do so. And that is dangerous, as time and time again history has proven. If Anwar could get a religious scholar somewhere in the world to come out with a fatwah (religious decree) that if you die for PKR you will go straight to heaven where 70 virgins are waiting for you, I bet we will not be short of candidates who will volunteer to undertake suicide missions.
Whether it is Anwar, Dr Wan Azizah, Nurul Izzah, Azmin, or Ezam, they all have their cult followers. The PKR people revere their idols and appear to lose their senses when in the presence of these demigods. So how to tell these PKR herds that Ezam is not what he appears to be and that he is a plant, a Trojan Horse, a termite meant to weaken the ranks of PKR? Try doing that and you will get a beer bottle broken on your head. So it was best to just keep quiet and watch. Time would reveal the truth. And, true enough, the truth has now been revealed.
I remember when I was once the sub-editor of the party newspaper, Suara Keadilan, and I published a letter from a reader that criticised PKR’s Youth Movement. The letter was about the high-handed manner the Youth Movement ‘security squad’ handled the crowd. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, when he was still Prime Minister, was not that well-guarded and his security team did not push and shove the crowd the way the PKR Youth boys did.
It was not my comment. It was a letter from a reader and I allowed it to get published. Wow, you should have seen the SMSess I received. The PKR Youth boys cursed me and one of Ezam’s ‘groupies’, Jo, even challenged me to a boxing match. I was having dinner with Johari Abdul and Dato’ Kamarul at that time and I showed them the SMS.
The next day I turned up at the party headquarters in Shah Alam where PKR Youth was having its monthly meeting. I waited at the bottom of the stairs for Jo to see if he really wanted to Kungfu me. Okay, he may be half my age, but I could still deliver a punch that can floor someone 30 years younger than me. Jo walked up to me and I was ready with clenched fists. Only one of us was going to walk away from this fisticuff and I had planned that that would be me. Instead, Jo reached out to shake my hand and he apologised, so I allowed the matter to end there.
Yes, you can criticise Islam. They will allow you to get away with that. But try criticising Ezam or PKR’s Youth Movement and all hell will break loose. Look at what happened to Lokman Adam. He too revealed a lot of dirt on Ezam and they threw him out of the party. Lokman is a good man. He is fearless and would sacrifice his freedom for the party, which he did when he was detained under the Internal Security Act for 26 months in April 2001. But make one negative comment about Ezam or the Youth Movement and you are history.
While on the subject of Lokman, one day, while covering a demonstration in front of the Dang Wangi Police Station along what used to be called Campbell Road, Bakri Zinin, the then OCPD who is now the CID Director, arrested me. I was taking photos at that time when Bakri grabbed me by the neck and asked me where I was from. I replied that I was from Seruan Keadilan and he ordered one of his men to immediately arrest me.
As I was being dragged into the police station I shouted out to Lokman that I was being arrested. Lokman pushed the police officer and he fell to the ground. I almost fell as well but Lokman grabbed me to prevent me from hitting the tarmac. I was too shocked to react. I mean; there was this police officer sprawled on the road trying to get up as quickly as he could and I did not know what I should do. Lokman shouted at me to run and I did, with the hapless police officer hot on my heels.
I escaped and five minutes later sneaked back into the crowd and took all the photos I needed while making sure that Bakri did not spot me. Lokman stood in front of the police station gate and refused to move even when they threatened to arrest him. He wanted to make sure that no one got arrested that day and he was going to stand guard in front of the police station. Yes, there used to be three of them -- Lokman, Tian Chua and Gobalakrishnan -- one Malay, one Chinese and one Indian loose cannon. Today there are only two left.
But Lokman was thrown out of the party not because he did not do his job but because he criticised Ezam and the Youth Movement. Ezam and the Youth Movement can do no wrong. Even their fart smells sweet. And if you criticise them you are dead meat. So no one says anything even though everyone knows the inner dark secrets of Ezam and his Youth Movement.
When the ‘Dirty Dozen’ left PKR to rejoin Umno just before the 2004 general election, everyone knew that Ezam and Najib were behind this move. Of course no one said anything about Ezam’s role. They cursed the Dirty Dozen and called them traitors who sold out for money. But no one dared say that Ezam was behind the Dirty Dozen rejoining Umno. To do so would incur the wrath of the entire party. So everyone kept quiet and did not mention Ezam’s name. They focused on cursing the Dirty Dozen and kept Ezam’s name out of it while in their hearts they knew that this was merely Ezam’s first move in his eventual re-entry into Umno.
Yes, cults are dangerous. If there is one thing that will be the death of PKR it will be the cult culture. People refuse to see things for what they are. Common sense no longer prevails when you look at things from the angle of cults. And Ezam was one such cult figure. And Ezam could do no wrong. Even when Lokman revealed the truth and exposed Ezam for what he is, it was Lokman and not Ezam who was punished.
Today, Lokman can look the entire PKR in the face and proudly proclaim, “I told you so!” But what good will that bring? The damage has been done. The fake Ezam has revealed his true colours while Lokman has much earlier been kicked out of the party for ‘bad-mouthing’ Ezam. Are we going to see more of this as time goes by? Will we finally see the fakes being exposed while those who had exposed them long ago were sent out to pasture?
PKR owes Lokman a huge apology. Lokman had warned the party what Ezam really is but it was Lokman instead of Ezam who was thrown out of the party. And PKR Youth has not changed. It is still high-handed as the recent ‘pesta’ at the Kelana Jaya stadium proved. But try criticising PKR Youth and see what will happen. They will send you a SMS and challenge you to a boxing match. PKR Youth is a sacred cow, which must not be criticised. And, in time, another PKR Youth leader will resign and will rejoin Umno on the excuse that Anwar is gay and has committed sodomy. And then this ‘sacred cow’ will be called all sorts of names although before this you criticised him at your own peril.
When will PKR ever learn? Ten years on and it is still so immature and can’t seem to understand that you just can’t build a party based on personality cults. And PKR will get burned many more times before it wises up. If the survival of PKR is centred on personalities, then it will not go far. Personalities come and go. And if the party’s future is tied to these personalities then the party will disappear when these personalities do.
Ezam takes Anwar to task for inconsistency
Ezam takes Anwar to task for inconsistency (Online edition)
By : Aniza DamisFormer Keadilan Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor says that for his generation, the core problem is the management of wealth which also involves the corruption of power.
In, out, then in again. Ezam Mohd Nor, former Keadilan Youth chief and trusted aide to former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is back in the Umno fold again. He speaks to ANIZA DAMIS about Anwar, Umno, corruption, Trojan horses and the six secret boxes. This ONLINE EDITION OF SUNDAY INTERVIEW WITH EZAM MOHD NOR, 13 JULY 2008 contains the full transcript of the interview.
A: I’m a very simple and straightforward man. I believe very strongly in the principle of honesty. It’s the most treasured value in life for me. And I value friendship very strongly. I’m very loyal to friends, my parents and family.
Q: What would you do for friendship’s sake?
A: I’d do anything for a friend. Especially for a friend who is in trouble or hardship. I think nobody can deny that I’ve done the most that any human can do to help Anwar and the family when they were in trouble many years ago. And that is purely on the basis of friendship. There’s nothing political about it. Of course there are a lot of cases of being true to a friend, but it is in Anwar’s case where I think there is the most testimony of friendship.
Q: How good do you think that friendship was, or is?
A: I got to know him after we’d had a debate in IIU, when he was the president of IIU and I was a student leader. In Tun Salleh Abas’ case, I was very unhappy then and rebelled in IIU. He came in to IIU to explain, and I was not satisfied, so he asked me to join him to do reforms. He asked me to join him with the Institute for Policy Research (Institut Kajian Dasar) immediately after I graduated from the International Islamic University. After a few years, he asked me to join him as political secretary. I served him only for three years, and things happened in 1998, and then I became close to the family. Before that, it was purely professional. I was political secretary, assistant director for IKD, I managed most of his international programmes, but I didn’t know him personally. I had always put a barrier to maintain a professional relationship. But still, I regarded him as my friend, and when he went into jail, I was the first to come up and fight for him.
Q: But as friends, how close were you? Going to prison for someone is not something that you do for a mere acquaintance. Are you still friends?
A: We are not friends any more now. But those days, we were not close, but it’s more about having a relationship between a boss and a subordinate. And I regard him as my boss, and I think it’s my responsibility to help the family when he’s in hardship – whatever it takes.
Q: I wouldn’t go to prison for my boss… Was Anwar among your closest friends?
A: He wasn’t. I have other close friends. Our age difference is exactly 20 years, so that made it quite difficult for us to build up a relationship like that. And, I always maintained to separate my professional life and my professional life. The political secretary-ship was a profession, so the relationship was not that of close friends. It’s more of a boss and subordinate. People might have other ways of showing appreciation to their boss, but I would regard my commitment as a subordinate. When he was expelled and put in jail, I was his political secretary, still, at that time. So I still regarded myself as being on duty. So, I did my best for him and for his family.
Q: Why did you leave PKR?
A: PKR has diverted from the basic ideals on which it was formed in 1999. I regard it as a question of doing away with the basic fundamentals of the core values of this country – eroding and erasing Malays as the core of the party. When we formed PKN (as PKR was then), we agreed on it being a multi-racial party; but we also firmly agreed that it has to be a Malay-based party. That’s why you could see a lot of Malay towering figures in the Islamic movement there – ABIM, JIM – and I think it’s because it’s a Malay-based multi-racial party. After Anwar came out of prison, he diverted from that. There’s never a statement from Anwar that PKR is a Malay-based multi-racial party. Suddenly he shifted to make it a purely multi-racial party. When I asked him, he was very evasive about it. He said, “This is a political reality. It’s very hard for us to get Malay votes, so politically we have to bank on the Chinese and Indian votes, so we have to show to them that we are multi-racial.” This, to my mind, is a betrayal to the race and to the nation. This is the basis of this country. It’s a recognition by Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun Sambanthan, and on Tunku Abdul Rahman’s leadership as a Malay. You can fight for reforms, you can fight against corruption. If you say the National Economic Policy (NEP) is wrong, I agree with that. In fact, I went to jail to expose corrupt practices of a few leaders. But, criticizing the NEP on its flawed implementation and criticizing the very basis and spirit of the NEP are two different things. What Anwar was hitting on was the very basis and spirit of the NEP, which is not merely a policy; it is a policy based on a very unique experience of the country, and also the spirit of the constitution, which gives a very special privilege to the Malays. If there is no clause in the Constitution on the situation and privilege of the Malays, we cannot form the NEP. That’s how much the NEP is related to the spirit of the Constitution. It goes to the very basis of the formation of this country. But Anwar diverted from that. He wanted to make it really multi-racial, and condemned the NEP, to the extent that even Malays see the NEP as the core of corruption, which is unfair, because it is not the cause of corruption. If the NEP is the cause of corruption, then, in Indonesia, there is no NEP, but there is corruption. So, this political maneuovering, at the expense of eroding the basis of this nation, which is multi-racial, but Malay-based, to me, is a betrayal.
Q: But as people have argued, the NEP was actually established to help any poor Malaysian – to bring up the entire Malaysian community. Is there anything wrong in that?
A: Of course not. I’m not saying we can’t come up with any new plan. In fact, the NEP has long been replaced by other policies. But my point is, you cannot condemn or undermine the basic policies which are important to the society. All the great nations of this world have high regard for their forefathers, although they may not agree with them. Kemal Ataturk is the forefather of modern Turkey. He’s very secular, and a lot of people disagree with that now, including (Turkish Prime Minister Reccep Tayyip) Erdogan. He comes from an Islamic party, which contradicts Ataturk’s secularism, but you never see Erdogan criticizing Ataturk. What is happening now, Anwar is not fighting for the Indians and Chinese out of a real concern for the Indians and Chinese. It’s merely his political maneouvering to get the maximum votes out of the situation, at the expense of criticizing the basic principle of the founding fathers. And this is a betrayal, and a threat to the country, in terms of eroding the basic institutions and ideals. When Anwar was the Finance Minister, he was the one who introduced a specific scheme for Bumiputera contractors – skim kontraktor berwibawa – with the specific instruction to the contract division, to give each Malay company at least RM1 billion worth of projects without tender. Around 15 companies – almost RM15 billion without tender. I’m not complaining about the policies. I am complaining about the consistency of Anwar. When he was in Umno, he was the main proponent of affirmative action for the Malays. And now he is talking about equality, open-tender system. I want to remind Chinese and Indians, you have to be careful with this man. Likewise, I also want to remind the Malays – you can see the shift in his political directions. We formed Parti Keadilan on the emotions of the people, and we came up with a Malay-based multi-racial party, because there was also anger among the Chinese and Indians, and they also wanted to fight for him. Then, after he came out from prison, he sees the economy is having problems, but since the Malays are quite contented with Pak Lah, we cannot get the Malay votes. So, he shifted it to a multi-racial party. Now, after a few weeks after elections, he can sense that the Malays are against him. He can sense the policies of Pakatan are undermining the Malays. So, for the past few weeks, he’s getting all the big guns – the big names in Abim and a few other Malay organizations – into the supreme council of Keadilan. He wants to show that he is back to the Malay (struggle). So, how can we trust a person or a party that has had several political directions in the past few years? Some people might say, because Keadilan is new, it will keep on changing because it is new. But, when DAP was new before, they were consistent with a Malaysian-Malaysia till today. And Pas is consistent with the Islamic State and pursuing Islamic ideals from those days until today. And so has Umno – fighting for the Malays from Day One until now. But why has Keadilan been fighting and focusing differently from the first year until the ninth year? To my mind, the pursuit is not because of the idealism and objective of the party. The pursuit is because of the objectives of one individual to become Prime Minister. We cannot be serving the interest of one individual to become prime minister.
Q: Anwar has said he has changed. Perhaps that’s the reason for the inconsistency?
A: Yes, he is changed from after prison. But, he keeps on changing. To my mind, it is not because of prison experience; it’s a mere political expediency, which is basically serving a self-centred interest. What I cannot tolerate most is foregoing the basic ingredients of statesmanship. The strength of the founding fathers was not their political maneouvering, nor oratory skills. None of them can come close to Anwar in terms of oratory skills. But their strength is in their statesmanship – putting the interests of the nation before any other interest. This is the strength of the country – it’s very crucial for this multi-racial country. Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun Sambanthan tolerated each other, because they wanted to hold the nation together. But what I see from Anwar, he lost all elements of statesmanship. He put his interests very clearly above all other interests. And after the elections, he kept on playing the issue of hopping (coalitions) and creating a new government – which is against the interest of the nation, because you give the wrong signal to the investors.
Q: Perhaps he keeps giving these hints because he believes that Pakatan can take over, and that Pakatan would be a better solution than Barisan?
A: If you want to make a better solution, why don’t you do it quietly? Why do you have to make noise? If you do it quietly, you don’t detriment the country. If you have enough MPs, you go to Parliament, go through the necessary process and become the prime minister. But why are you making noise, especially as the noise you are making goes against the interests of the country? You are making noise because the objective is not to form the government. The objective is to bind Pakatan Rakyat, which is falling. That’s why he has to come up with a strong imagination among Pakatan that he is going to be prime minister. Because, he can see from the very first day of governing in the four new Opposition states that there’s a lot of trouble there – especially in Perak and Selangor. And it shows all the testimony of a falling coalition. Anwar is a smart politician, and he knows that, so he has to come up with some imagination. So, he has to make it known, by making noise, that he is going to form a government – even at the expense of the country – because the target is not forming the government, but binding Pakatan Rakyat, which is falling.
Q: Why do you say that it’s falling? After all, it’s only now that the country actually has a formal Opposition structure. Except for Kelantan, and for a brief period, Terengganu, the Opposition has never been in government before, so surely it’s expected that it would have teething problems? Does this necessarily translate into ‘falling apart’?
A: Teething problems we can understand. But what happened is fundamental problems. Just a few days ago, the Pas president said in Harakah that there’s no chief in Pakatan Rakyat. That is a fundamental question for a coalition. How is it a coalition can’t even agree on one leader? This is fundamental – it’s not a teething problem. And then, of course, there is also the point he raised about Pas being undermined – this is official in Harakah. And it comes from the Pas president – he brought up all the fundamental issues, which, to my mind, undermines a coalition. With the DAP, there are a lot of executive meetings boycotted by the DAP – this is a known fact. In the first 100 days, you can disagree; but boycotting meetings – coalition meetings – to my mind, is a fundamental flaw. And until today, there is no one policy which is uniform among the five Pakatan states. There are some very clear policy differences between Kelantan and Penang – even on dresscode it differs. And nothing is being done about it. So, what this shows is a falling coalition – it’s not a strengthening coalition. We agree there are teething problems, but it must be moving towards strenghthening, not moving towards weakening. And Anwar, being a seasoned politician, knows this very well. That’s why he has to push hard on this imagination of going to Putrajaya by 16 September.
Q: Does this mean Anwar has changed as a person or politician? Or is it that this was not something that you realized?
A: I think this is Anwar. He keeps on changing, he’s only loyal to himself, he doesn’t have loyalty to any organization or ideals. He’s purely someone with a pure and sole ambition of becoming a prime minister. I didn’t realize that then in Umno, because he was right on that path and only needed to follow through. Of course, people ask, “Why did it take so long (for you to realize this)?” He was in prison for seven years, so I cannot evaluate him then, because he is in prison. It was always my principle that I would make my decision only after he comes out from jail. Because I don’t want to be seen leaving a boss when he’s in hardship. That’s why I made my decision one or two years after he was released, because in that two years, I could see the real him – no statesmanship, no loyalty to the struggle and ideals, and basically, no long-term plan; it’s all short-term. You should be talking about the long-term Pakatan Rakyat coalition. You should be talking about a long-term building up of Keadilan, which is very weak in structure. Even in Selangor, which Keadilan is controlling now, the fundamental structure is very weak – for a ruling party. And Anwar doesn’t come up with a long-term strategy to strengthen, because he always looks at the short-term. That’s why he says now 16th September. If he passes 16 September, he will come up with something else for the next three to four months. This is Anwar. And I don’t think I can serve a leader with that sort of modus operandi – self-centred and short-termed. In a way, I can accept the betrayal, but you are playing politics to the extent of eroding the basic structure of the country, which is multi-racial, but Malay-based, to me, it’s a great betrayal of the country, and I don’t want to be part of that.
Q: If he didn’t betray the basic policy of a Malay-based country, but he was ‘playing politics’, it would be okay?
A: Once you go beyond the line – to me, you cannot go beyond the basic principle of religion, race and country. That is beyond repair.
Q: You’ve now rejoined Umno. But you’ve spent the last 10 years cristicising and slamming Umno. What makes you now have faith in the party?
A: I joined Umno in 1991 after meeting Anwar, on the basis of making change. Making an effect on change, reform. That is the principles of the prophets, the genuine freedom fighters – they always fight for change, for the betterment of society. That has always been my principle. That’s why I joined Umno through Anwar. Then, I was expelled. I didn’t choose to be out of Umno. My only sin was to criticize the president of Umno then (former Prime Minister then Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamed). I have been punished enough. In fact, even after being re-admitted into Umno, I am still being punished by not being allowed to contest. I have no complaint about that. I want to make it clear that my rejoining of Umno is also on the same basis of reform. I always believe – especially after what happened to me in the last 10 years – that corruption is the core issue in the society – especially the Malays. We can see the change from the post-petroleum days – in the 80s, when Petronas was formed, you can see all the big fights in Umno – through the 90s, and 2000a, which involved the big figures – president, deputy president, former president and present president – I’m not pointing fingers at anybody, but I am saying that there was something wrong there. I remember a hadith which says, “Every generation has its challenges.” For my generation, the core problem is the management of wealth, and of course, this involves the corruption of power. So I keep that very strongly in my heart, and set up an NGO to fight corruption. Of course, after 2004, Pak Lah had announced certain measures against corruption, but it’s not really serious in terms of implementation at that time. But after the recent elections, he came up with a blueprint for setting up the independence of the Anti-Corruption Agency, which, to my mind, is the most significant step for reforms in this country. Because, the problem among Malay society, and Malay leaders at large, is because of corruption and the management of wealth. We’ve never had a prime minister making that kind of commitment before. Even Anwar, when he was the deputy prime minister then, or now, never said anything that was even close to what Pak Lah said. People might question Pak Lah’s motives, but I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in the future, and now we have a prime minister who has that sort of commitment. People will say, “Why don’t you fight this in the NGO?” My answer is, “Now I have a choice.” Before, I didn’t have a choice, that’s why I was in the opposition. But now I have a choice to help the powers that be, who are fighting corruption. That is my basic reason of joining Umno.
Q: But you’ve moved from an anti-corruption watchdog, into a system which you say is riddled with corruption.
A: I believe the civil society, the NGO, Gerak, is still there. But now I have the opportunity to be inside, with better elements and resolve. That day when I was joining Umno, (Anwar’s wife and Leader of Opposition Datin Seri) Wan Azizah said she was shocked that I was joining Umno. But she shouldn’t be shocked, because I did exactly what her husband did before – he criticized the government, then joined Umno in 1982. I am entering a better Umno than the Umno Anwar joined in 1982. I am entering Umno now, with a resolve from the prime minister to do reform. He not changing the ACA on just one or two issues – he is changing the basic structure of the ACA’s independence. Hong Kong changed because of this element of independence. It’s not easy, but I believe in it. But from my experience going round the country, there is some resistance when I keep pushing for reform on corruption. But there is also tremendous reception from the grassroot Umno leaders, who basically encourage me to go on. So, I believe there is enough space for us to make an effective change within the Umno structure today.
Q: What kind of reforms do you think Umno needs?
A: Umno needs to be seen as credible. The basic ingredient of credibility now is integrity. I think this is what is perceived to be lacking for the past few years. In fact, the very strength of BN and Umno before is on integrity. All the early leaders of Umno, MCA and MIC are known to be very moderate leaders, not wealthy, sacrificed their wealth for the party and the nation. There might have been other flaws, they had their personal problems, but when it comes to integrity, they were very strong in that. And this is what is very much lacking in the BN today. Or in the perception of BN today. So, what they need is for leaders to come out and strongly build up their credibility, and have very strong ideas on integrity. Making ACA independent is the most important, and a major step towards promoting integrity in an effective way. You can talk about integrity, but it won’t be effective in this world of wealth and opportunities when the ACA is not empowered to punish corrupt leaders. Now it is empowered, I can sense that the process of strengthening integrity among the leadership will be more effective, and that integral value will be the back bone for great credibility in Umno, and BN leadership.
Q: When you say you face some resistance, where is this resistance? From above or below?
A: It’s basically from above. From interested parties. I’m not saying that all of them or most of them resisted – I can tell you I have got very strong support from the very top leadership – the prime minister and deputy prime minister, who basically gave me their full support, to be in Umno and to do whatever I can to effect reform. Of course, other people are still coming up with all sorts of theories, which to me is fair, considering that I’ve been long outside and I’ve been very critical. But, if the theories keep on being pushed after one month of being in Umno and being very critical of Anwar and the opposition, they might have different motives. This is no longer the motive of safeguarding the party, but of safeguarding their own positions and interests.
Q: How do you think you’ve been received by Umno members this last month?
A: Very well. I’ve been very touched. Considering what I’ve done for the past 10 years, being in an opposition party, and being on the frontline, battling them, the warm reception that I’ve received everywhere is very touching. And it’s really encouraged me to move forwards, and given me the confidence that there is a future for reforms in Umno.
Q: Even so, some people suspect that you are a Trojan horse; that you’ve been planted into Umno to pave the way for Anwar to come back and to become prime minister. Are you?
A: No. This is a non-issue at all, as far as I’m concerned. When this question was put to me the first day I came back into Umno, what I asked was just to watch me, and to evaluate my record for what I’m going to do. And after 30 days or so, you can see that I’m the most critical person in Umno now, going against Anwar. I cannot be a Trojan horse then. Whatever it is, I don’t want to be bogged down by perceptions. I’m not really bothered about that. What is important is I have the trust of the leadership, and I just do whatever I can. Time will judge me – whether I’m being fair to the trust.
Q: You say how can you be a Trojan horse if you are criticizing Anwar. But isn’t that part and parcel of pretending to be something that you’re not, in order to eventually come out to be what you are? Maybe you’re pretending to criticize Anwar?
A: The issues are very contentious and very fundamental. I am criticizing Anwar not on his tactical move, but on his fundamentals. I’m telling the whole nation he has betrayed the whole nation. This is very fundamental – you cannot be pretending in making such accusations. It’s very difficult for us to make peace, or to reconcile when it comes to this battle on the fundamentals. Secondly, the record shows from the very first day I was in politics is that I’m not a big pretender. I’m not like Anwar. I don’t have these flip-flops – I’ve been very straightforward. I don’t really have the capacity to pretend; I just speak my mind. I think it’s very difficult for me to play that role of a pretender in whatever way.
Q: Even so, people will still be suspicious. Do you think you will ever be able to advance in Umno, given that there will always be some sections of the party itself that will always be suspicious about you?
A: I’m not that ambitious, so I don’t aspire for a post. In fact, even if there were no conditions for me not to contest, I would not be contesting. People know, when I took up the post of Keadilan Youth Chief, I was most reluctant. Anwar had to persuade me from prison, and Azizah had to come to Jakarta to persuade me. I’m basically not ambitious. I just want to serve an honest leader. That’s why it doesn’t bother me how big the segment is that is suspicious of me. I don’t move based on votes; I move based on my conscience and satisfaction of what I can do. I believe, eventually, if you are honest and sincere, this will prevail. And if comes to that stage where there are still people who don’t appreciate, then that’s not my problem, it’s their problem.
Q: You’ve said with Anwar, that because he wants to survive politically he’s willing to say things. Might not the same thing be said of you, that because you want to survive politically, you’d be willing to sell out on a friend?
A: It’s fair for people to say that. But I think my record shows that I’m very serious about reforms. I don’t see myself as a pure politician. And I’ve proven that it’s not easy to find a politician to miss the opportunity of contesting in the elections. I chose to miss two elections. I only contested once in 1999, which I almost won in Shah Alam. But I missed 2004 because of my commitment to fight against corruption by exposing documents (for which I was convicted for breaching the Official Secrets Act). I was advised against it by lawyers, because they said I would miss the opportunity to contest. But I said my focus was not to contest, because I don’t see myself as a politician; I want to do something good for the country. And in the last election (2008) I was offered safe seats by many parties to constest. But I still refused because at that particular moment, I think that my contributions towards society is much more meaningful through strengthening the civil society. So, that proves that my focus is not for myself. I only joined Umno much later, after I left Keadilan, and after all the hardship of building up an NGO, and only after a significant move by the prime minister on reforms. And until today, I’ve not been given any post, because that’s not the deal. The deal is for me to be here and to do what I can. So, the whole process about me in politics is not about myself and my position. This is completely opposite to Anwar, because his whole purpose is about his position and about himself in politics. I think that’s the difference.
Q: What were the conditions for your re-entry into Umno?
A: Basically, there were no conditions. Pak Lah is a simple man. When I met him, I expressed my gratitude and appreciation for what he has done, especially on the ACA issue, and I asked him what role I can play, and basically he said, “You do whatever is good for Umno and the country. I’ll be with you.” It’s as simple as that.
Q: What were your conditions for yourself?
A: The bottomline is my commitment to God, Islam, and the ummah, and to race and to my country. As long as there is no element of betrayal to this, I’ll continue. Secondly, reforms. If there is no space for reforms in Umno, I might… I want to be meaningful. As long as there is space for change, I will continue. When there is no space for that, if it’s all just empty reforms, which is against not only my conditions, but also against the conditions put by the prophets and the principles of Islam…
Q: Would you leave?
A: Of course.
Q: You have said that Anwar has six secret boxes. What are in those boxes?
A: I don’t really know what’s in the boxes. People have been asking about these six boxes and saying I’ve been running away (from telling). I don’t keep the boxes. It is in my knowledge that Anwar has the boxes. That’s why, when I made the statement and the police took my statement, I told the police that they’re in Anwar’s keeping. I don’t know where (they are). So, the matter of the boxes is between the police and Anwar. I don’t have the boxes. But it is in my knowledge. I’ve seen one – I didn’t go through all, because I wasn’t allowed to go through all. But the first few boxes are about Perwaja – audit report and so forth – documents on Perwaja. That’s basically my knowledge about it.
Q: And the others?
A: I’m not sure – because I don’t know. I haven’t seen the contents. But he (Anwar) told me it’s all about corruption and malpractices.
Q: During your time as political secretary, you never saw any corruption?
A: I received complaints from many quarters – mostly from politicians about other politicians. We don’t know the motive, which may be self-serving. What I did was I pursued it through the ACA to make investigations. That’s basically my capacity at that moment – that’s all I could do.
Q: So these six boxes exist?
A: Yes. As far as I am concerned, I saw them.
Q: Why is it Anwar kept the six boxes and never revealed them?
A: I don’t know. The few days between the time when he was expelled and jailed, 14-18 days, things are in havoc – there was no proper planning and strategy then, so what we have is that Anwar just showed them – I don’t know his purpose in showing them; maybe to convince me or to strengthen my resolve to fight. I really don’t know the motives and I really don’t know how he got it.
Q: Why didn’t he reveal them when he was in power?
A: That you have to ask him.
Q: Hishamuddin Rais said you said you have some boxes full of photos of (murdered Mongolian) Altantuya (Shaariibuu). Do you?
A: No. It is totally false. I’ve never even talked about Altantuya with Isham.
Q: Had you met her?
A: No, of course not. I don’t even know her. It’s very unfortunate. I have a high respect for Isham – he’s my good friend, I have a high regard for him, he’s my friend from Kamunting – he’s an avid reader and I really admire his commitment in reading. But, it’s very unfortunate for him to make such a baseless accusation. It never existed at all, even in conversation. Not just the photo, but even the name Altantuya has never been in our conversations. It’s a totally false statement.
Q: Do you have any boxes of your own?
A: No. What I have, I have already exposed.
Q: Do you have other knowledge about Umno or any members in Umno?
A: When I was chairman of Gerak, I received quite a few, and most of them I have already tendered to the ACA or the prime minister himself. When I left Gerak, all the files that I kept which have basis, I left to my successor in Gerak to work on it. As far as I’m concerned now, being a normal Umno member, I have no more evidence – unless, when it comes forward to me I will still work on it – in my different capacity.
Q: So, you wouldn’t be afraid to do that from inside? Wouldn’t you feel that your loyalty is to Umno first?
A: Yes, my loyalty is to Umno; but not to any Umno corrupt leaders. They are two different things. To me, if they are corrupt, they are disloyal to Umno. I won’t compromise with those people. And in fact, I have never retracted any of my police reports or ACA reports against any Umno leaders or individuals since I re-joined Umno. It all remains, as far as corruption is concerned. To me, the act of corruption is beyond politics.
Q: How do you feel about the fact that everytime you are interviewed, it’s always about Anwar and your relationship with Anwar? Do you think you exist in your own right?
A: I think it’s fair. I take it quite naturally; people ask a lot of questions about Anwar now, because they are thinking quite seriously about him, because he claims to become a prime minister soon. I don’t feel uncomfortable with it. And it is also my obligation to tell people who is the real Anwar. Because for the past 10 years, I’ve been doing a lot of convincing jobs to convince people that Anwar is someone whom we can hope for. And I think it’s my responsibility to un-do that. On whether I have my own identity, when the time comes, it will prevail. It is for me to prove myself. As far as I am loyal to the idea of reform and to my race and religion – people will judge me fairly. It has always been an Umno process that the delegates and members will rise to the occasion, in making the right choice in putting the right leaders (in the right positions). My focus now is to move forward to save this country from the false imagination of someone who is really crazy for power, and to do whatever I can to effect reform in Umno and BN, so that we can go back to the days when we are very stable.
Q: You’re already 41-years-old. How long do you think it’s going to take to shake off that Anwar attachment? The reason Umno was very happy to have you back was because you were known to be close to Anwar, and therefore you were seen as a trophy. How long will it be before you completely wean yourself off talking about Anwar and start talking about your own things?
A: It depends on many factors. Most of them are beyond my control. It depends not only on what my moves are, but also on what other people’s moves are, and it also depends on what Anwar’s moves are. Whether Anwar is still aspiring to be PM, or not aspiring anymore. And it also depends on the leadership of Umno – how they see me. How much trust they can give me, and the role they think I can play. All this will determine the amount of time it takes for me to come out in this political arena.
Q: What do you think about the PM’s announcement about the transition in 2010?
Friday, July 11, 2008
Ex-PKR aide: Let’s debate on future of the country and Malays
Saturday July 12, 2008
Ex-PKR aide: Let’s debate on future of the country and Malays
KOTA BARU: Former PKR Youth head Ezam Mohd Nor has challenged PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to a debate on the future direction of the country and the Malays.
Ezam, now an Umno member, said Anwar wanted to become a “prime minister at all costs” without realising how shaky the country had become, particularly in the three Pakatan Rakyat-led states of Penang, Perak and Selangor.
He said the debate was timely as people were confused and addressing these issues could put an end to uncertainties.
He said he deserved some respect for having fought for Anwar during the reformasi period, adding only later did he come to realise that the former deputy prime minister was “a chameleon who says things to please everybody but forgets about the implications of his actions or policies”.
Ezam said PKR Youth leaders have no grounds to criticise him.
“I will only respond to Anwar and (Datin Seri Dr) Wan Azizah Ismail as they know that I deserve such respect based on my sacrifices for them, particularly for Anwar,” Ezam said at a ceramah on Thursday.
Describing the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a political gimmick, Ezam said Anwar was using various tactics to distract the people from the internal squabbles in Pakatan Rakyat.
Earlier, Ezam called on PAS and DAP to be fair in their comments regarding the sodomy allegations brought by former PKR volunteer Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan against Anwar.
“They cannot simply side with Anwar just because he is their leader as it is unfair to demean a layman like Saiful,” he said.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Anwar playing mind games: Ezam
8 July, 2008
(The Star) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is playing mind games, turning a personal problem into a political one, said his former political secretary Ezam Mohd Nor.
Ezam, who has just rejoined Umno, said it was illogical for the Government or Umno to conspire against the PKR de facto leader with the same sodomy theme and the same set up twice.
The way he handled showed that he was playing the game of perception, he said.
“He is turning it from a personal problem to a political problem. The way he turned to the Turkish (Embassy) hiding, the American intervention and alleged conspiracy by the deputy Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) and others against him made it look as though it was between him and the Government, which was unfair,” he said.
On whether he was saying that Saiful had no links with the Government in the allegation, Ezam said he did not know because he did not know Saiful personally nor worked with him.
However, it was unfair for Anwar to accuse Najib or other ministers based on one meeting with each of them, he said.
On whether Anwar’s political career would be gone following a second sodomy allegation against him, he said it would be difficult to say because politics was about perception and not about truth.
“Anwar has great strength in the mind game and forming public perceptions, and he might succeed.
“I am not suggesting that he did it (committed sodomy). I don’t know. It’s between him, Saiful and God,” he said.
“I maintain that his issue is personal and he has to handle it personally,” he said.
Ezam, who was interviewed at Menara Star multimedia studio, said that he returned to Umno because it was the right time when the leadership was opened to bringing changes to the country, which he had wanted to do all along.
On Anwar's claim to be able to take over the country, he said he had to make the claim more realistic to the people.
Based on his experience and information from Anwar’s camp, Ezam said it was an attempt to divert attention away from the internal problems in Pakatan Rakyat and to bind the disagreeing parties, he said.
“Umno cannot be seen under siege by this notion but should move forward and not lugged by his claim of taking over the country,” he said.
It’s all in the game (by RPK)
7 July, 2008
Yes; that is what politics is all about: the pursuit of power. Of course, they talk about causes and struggles. But the ‘cause’ is simple: the pursuit of power. And the ‘struggle’ is merely a power struggle, nothing more, nothing less.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
You may have been facing a lot of problems getting into our site since more than a week ago. First, a hacker hit us and you probably saw a picture of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in battle fatigues on our front page. That, basically, was a message from my adversaries that they ‘know’ Mahathir is behind Malaysia Today.
Yes, since mid-2006, I have been meeting Mahathir in his house, his Petronas office at the KLCC, as well as his office at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya. I am also very close to other Mahathir loyalists such as Sufi and Matthias, not to mention his children, in particular Mukhriz and Marina. Malaysia Today also co-sponsored the first dialogue with Mahathir in the Kelab Century Paradise two years ago when he ‘declared war’ on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and the day he launched his first strike. Further to that, Malaysia Today webcasted, live, Mahathir’s talk in Kota Bharu, the day he was attacked with mace.
Many, Anwar Ibrahim included, say that I have now ‘turned’ and have sold out to Mahathir. They view my ‘relationship’ with Mahathir as suspect and can only be because I now ‘serve a new master’. The talk in town is that I have had a falling out with Anwar and that is why I have now ‘crossed-over’ to Mahathir. Or maybe I am so short of cash so I have ‘sold my soul’ to Mahathir for a great sum of money.
How narrow-minded these people are. If you are with me, then you are a great guy. But if you are with the ‘other side’, then you must have sold out for money. Why is it if I openly express my support for Anwar then I am a great guy? Could it not be I am supporting Anwar because I have been paid a lot of money? Why when I support Anwar I am doing it free-of-charge and for a cause, but if I support Mahathir instead, then it can only be for money and for no other reason. Can’t I also support Anwar and ‘sell my soul’ to Anwar for money as well? But, no! If I support Anwar it can never be for money. It can only be for the cause. Only if I support Mahathir can it be for money.
Actually, I do not support either Anwar or Mahathir. The personalities are not who I support. I support the issues. And that is what all our readers should do as well: support the issues, not the person. People come and go. People change. People ‘cross over’. How can we support one person and then oppose that person when he or she changes his or her stand. If we support the person, then we should support the person all the way, even when that person crosses over. The fact that we will abandon someone when that person changes his or her stand or crosses over means we do not support him or her as such but only what he or she stands for.
Take Ezam Mohd Noor as an example. He was revered when he opposed Umno and fought against corruption. He was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and was jailed under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) even before his ISA detention could end. He was considered a hero. Many stood by him. But when he resigned from the party and later joined Umno, he was defiled and called a traitor. That means most people never really supported him. They supported what he stood for. But when he changed his stand and crossed over to Umno, the support ended. He is now a man hated by the very people who treated him like a demigod all this while.
It is dangerous to support someone for personality cult reasons. You only support his or her cause or stand. And if his or her cause dovetails with yours, well and fine. If not, then you must be matured and civilised enough to disagree, while continuing to respect his or her cause or stand, in spite of it being opposite to yours. In that same spirit, you may not like that person, but if his or her cause is the same as yours, you must be able to see eye-to-eye only as far as the cause or stand is concerned, while you can agree to disagree on all other issues which you feel are contrary to yours.
My cause or stand is simple. I am not anti-government. I am not also pro-government. Barisan Nasional is the government at federal level and in many of the states. Pakatan Rakyat, in turn, is the government in five states. In that sense, both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat are simultaneously the government as well as the opposition, depending on where you happen to be at that point of time. What I am is I am pro-rakyat and anti-exploitation of rakyat. It does not matter who the government is. Be it Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, my stand remains the same for both.
Both sides of the political divide have been grossly exploiting the rakyat these last 51 years. Be it Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PKR, DAP, PAS, or any of the other dozen or so political parties, they have used the rakyat in their political game and in the pursuit of power. Yes; that is what politics is all about: the pursuit of power. Of course, they talk about causes and struggles. But the ‘cause’ is simple: the pursuit of power. And the ‘struggle’ is merely a power struggle, nothing more, nothing less.
Never mind who they are. Never mind who is leading these various political parties. They all aim for one thing: to get into power. And they will use the rakyat to gain power because only the rakyat can give them this power. The rakyat is lied to. The rakyat is cheated. The rakyat is being made a fool. And the gullible rakyat will swallow everything the politicians say; hook, line and sinker; thinking that those who offer themselves to serve the rakyat do so for only one reason, to serve the rakyat, whereas serving the rakyat is the farthest thing from their minds.
Today, we are divided like we have never been divided before. Sure, we have not seen a race riot the likes of ‘May 13’ for almost 40 years now. But this does not mean we love each other. It only means we still hate each other but we are too scared to do anything about it lest we suffer reprisals. Even in the opposition they still talk about race. They still demand race-based quotas. So Barisan Nasional is not the only culprit in this race game. Everyone is equally guilty.
Sure, Barisan Nasional plays the race game to the hilt. But the opposition doesn’t really mind. In fact, they love it because the more Barisan Nasional plays the race game the more they can exploit the issue to their benefit. Does the opposition want the race game to end? Of course they do not. If Barisan Nasional stops playing the race game then what is the opposition going to use against the ruling coalition? No, Barisan Nasional must continue playing the race game, never mind how dangerous this may be. It helps the opposition when Barisan Nasional plays the race game. The opposition can then continue harping on how bad Barisan Nasional is to get the support of the rakyat who hate this race game.
If the opposition is not also playing the race game why does it matter who is the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister? Does it matter if he is Malay, Chinese or Indian? Does it even matter if it is a he or she? And why must there be five Malay, three Chinese and two Indian EXCO Members? Why can’t all EXCO Members be of one race? So we have ten Indian EXCO members and a Chinese Menteri Besar in a ‘Malay’ state. So what? Why make a big deal out of it?
But no, the positions must be race-based and must be according to the ‘agreed race quota’. Anything less will be unacceptable. To do otherwise means the coalition needs to be disbanded. We will cooperate only if our race is represented. And no other race can represent us. Someone from our own race must be that representative. And this is the opposition talking, not Barisan Nasional.
Yes, the rakyat is being exploited. And everyone is exploiting the rakyat, both sides of the political divide. And both sides benefit when the race game continues. No, the opposition does want to see race-based politics end. It is of no benefit to the opposition if the race game ends. The opposition becomes stronger when racial politics escalates. On the other hand, the opposition would become irrelevant if racial politics ends.
So, no, I am not pro-opposition or anti-government, or the other way around. I am pro-rakyat and anti-exploitation of the rakyat. And both sides are playing the same game so how can I align myself to any one side? Be it Anwar or Mahathir -- or Pak Lah, Najib, Ku Li, etc. -- the same applies. And thus far no one appears to have abandoned the race game. So, until they do, we must think of the rakyat first and these leaders second. And that means I will continue meeting all these leaders, irrespective of who they are. But this in no way means I am favouring one over the other. Meeting them just means I want to know how they tick. And Malaysia Today will continue offering itself as a platform for them to speak out, even if I do not agree with what they stand for.
Anyway, in the meantime, I have other pressing problems on my mind. Malaysia Today is still very sluggish and extremely difficult to access. Our team is trying to resolve the matter and has been working around the clock for more than a week in an attempt to tackle the problem. It may mean we have to invest more money, which I do not have, into upgrading our facilities. Compounding this problem is the ‘road-block’ we are facing. The government is blocking our site and this makes the task even more complex.
Is that bad news or good news? I suppose the good news is the government views us a real threat, warranting the special operation to shut us down. The bad news is if I can’t overcome the problem then the government may win in the end. At this point of time I seriously do not know what the end result is going to be.
P.S. We have had to switch off the comments in the meantime while we sort out the problem with the site or else you can't even access the site.