Anwar Ibrahim |
- Amid Political Struggles in Malaysia, Anwar Calls On SBY To Protect Reforms
- Najib Terperangkap Soalan Mahasiswa
- Rizal Doesn’t Deserve This
| Amid Political Struggles in Malaysia, Anwar Calls On SBY To Protect Reforms Posted: 01 Aug 2011 03:31 AM PDT Jakarta Globe He praised former presidents B.J. Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri for their roles in helping the democratization process in his country, but Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim stopped short of adding incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the list. Speaking at a public lecture at the Indonesia Jentera School of Law on Saturday, Anwar noted the Yudhoyono administration's silence on the Malaysian government crackdown on the July 9 opposition-backed rally for electoral reform in Kuala Lumpur. On that day, about 8,000 protesters defied riot officers in the Malaysian capital to push toward a stadium where they had initially planned to hold the rally, prompting the government to seek to seal off parts of the city. Police descended upon the rally, firing teargas canisters. Malaysian police said 1,667 people were arrested during the protest. As police stations became overwhelmed with detainees, the government began rounding up protesters in sports facilities. Anwar himself was injured in the protests and his bodyguard hit in the face with a teargas canister. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other rights groups condemned Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's approach to the rally, organized by a group calling itself the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, or Bersih 2.0, and his heavy-handed policing. Despite being this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Indonesia's leaders remained silent on the issue. "I understand that Indonesia is engrossed in domestic problems," Anwar said in response to a question posed by an audience member about Indonesia's role in promoting democracy in Malaysia. Anwar said that without directly intervening in Malaysian politics, the Yudhoyono administration could make an impact on the region and the Muslim world by safeguarding the outcomes of the reformasi movement that ousted President Suharto. "Indonesia is a fine example of how a regime change can happen and democracy [can be] established without bloodshed, military intervention or foreign pressure," he said. He expressed regret that 13 years since the fall of Suharto, many Indonesians felt the reform movement was straying from its purpose of clean government, and were beginning to think life was better under Suharto's 32-year rule. "Indonesia owes it to the people who poured their tears and sweat and blood for democracy. They also owe it to many developing countries who see Indonesia's struggle for democracy as an inspiration," he said. Teuku Faizasyah, the president's spokesman for international affairs, said Indonesia was focused on domestic issues. "Indonesia does not want to interfere other countries' internal problems. There is also a lot going on domestically [in Indonesia] and they are our main priorities," he said. The president, as chairman of Asean, had only been engaged in issues in other countries that had potentially damaging implications for the region, such as the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia and promoting democracy in Burma, he said. Hariyadi Wirawan, an international relations expert from the University of Indonesia, said recent tensions between Indonesia and Malaysia had forced Indonesia to take a neutral stance. "Local politics is always a very sensitive issue and intervening could see relations between the two countries further deteriorate," Hariyadi said. Indonesia's ties with Malaysia have fluctuated over the years, dating back to the time of the country's first president, Sukarno, who protested the establishment of then Malaya in 1961, calling it "a puppet country of the British empire." In recent years, the ill-treatment of Indonesian migrant workers by their Malaysian employers, as well as border spats and Malaysian claims to items of Indonesian cultural heritage have fanned the flames. Last year, a survey by the Indonesian Survey Circle found that 59 percent of respondents in 100 villages across Indonesia disliked Malaysia, higher than the 46 percent who harbored negative views of the United States. But Anwar said he believed the international community would support Malaysia's struggle for electoral reform. "The principle of justice is universal. I believe that for the same reason I have supported people like Aung San Suu Kyi [in Burma] and Nelson Mandela [in South Africa], the international community will not tolerate injustice, anywhere in the world," he said. Despite the violent crackdown on anti-government rallies, Anwar said Bersih would not give up its struggle. "The crackdown is a turning point and more people are considering that political reforms are the only way forward. That is what people in Malaysia are saying on social media," he said. "I believe in the people of Malaysia. The Malaysian media and the government may have labeled me as a threat to the country and accused me of being a pawn for Zionists and the United States, but I believe the people can't be fooled." |
| Najib Terperangkap Soalan Mahasiswa Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:28 AM PDT Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak terperangkap dengan soalan yang dikemukakan mahasiswa ketika menghadiri Persidangan Tahunan Pemimpin Pelajar Malaysia ke-5 di Kuala Lumpur, semalam. Tindakan Najib mengelak dari menjawab persoalan 'Melayu dahulu, Malaysia kemudian' oleh mahasiswa yang hadir persidangan itu, menunjukkan beliau tidak mempunyai gagasan pemikiran yang jelas, kata Pengarah Biro Mahasiswa, Angkatan Muda KEADILAN,Saifullah Zulkifli. Saifullah berkata, Najib cuba mengelak dari menjawab soalan itu dengan alasan tidak mahu ia dikaitkan dengan Timbalannya, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, sedangkan rakyat pada umumnya tahu hubungan yang renggang antara mereka. "Najib cuba 'playsafe' tentang soal 'Melayu dahulu, Malaysia kedua'. Sepatutnya Najib wajib menjawab persoalan yang dilontarkan. Anak muda mahu tahu pandangannya tentang itu," "Dalam masa yang sama, Najib cuba menunjukkan kononnya tiada konflik yang ketara di antara mereka. Sedangkan semua orang tahu tentang itu. Pemimpin Umno sekarang berusaha untuk menaikkan Muhyiddin," kata Saifullah. Dalam pada itu katanya, Najib juga terperangkap dengan soalan mahasiswa apabila ditanya mengenai perhimpunan aman anjuran Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih 2.0), 9 Julai lalu. Saifullah berkata, jawapan Najib bahawa beliau menawarkan Stadium Shah Alam dan bukan Stadium Merdeka kepada gabungan itu, menunjukkan sikapnya yang diumpamakan seperti 'lidah bercabang'. "Dia sendiri yang menyatakan – jika mahu berhimpun pergi ke stadium. Ini diucapkan oleh Najib sendiri semasa perhimpunan bulanan Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM) 4 Julai lalu. "Sedangkan, dia tidak kata mana-mana stadium secara spesiifik. Mungkin benar kata orang-orang Umno. Sikap seperti ini yang menyebabkan mereka mahu cepat-cepat menurunkan Najib," kata Saifullah. |
| Posted: 31 Jul 2011 10:23 PM PDT By Jarius Bondoc (The Philippine Star) A Twitter message caused a stir in Kuala Lumpur political circles last week. Two reasons. It sullied the Philippine national hero Jose Rizal. And it allegedly was tweeted by Dato Zainab, wife of Malaysian envoy to Manila Dr. Ibrahim Saad. Translated from Bahasa Twitter-speak, it went "That's usual. Anwar Ibrahim is clearly pro-Christian, an admirer of Jose Rizal the infidel Malay! Oh yes, don't forget…" (Original: "@BikMama2U: @datozainab Biasala tu, @anwaribrahim mmg pro-Kristian, pemuja Jose Rizal si Melayu kafir tu! Oh ya, jgn lupa…" See http://twitter.com/datozainab/status/92163428017373184) The tweet spoke of Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister, now Malaysia's Opposition head. He is visiting Manila to lecture Friday at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Topic: the influences of Rizal and Ninoy Aquino on ASEAN leadership. The event is timed with the yearlong celebration of Rizal's 150th birth anniversary. August marks the martyrdom of Ninoy (1983) and the passing of wife President Cory (2009). Prime Minister Najib Razak's long-ruling party loathes Anwar so, and is striving to deflate his political clout. In 1999 Razak's mentor, PM Mahathir Mohamad, charged Anwar with corruption and sodomy. In jail Anwar was so inspired by Rizal's Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo that he read the novels twice. The court acquitted him in 2004, but with a caveat to shun politics for five years. He sat out the 2008 federal election, yet his party won unprecedented five of 13 states. Weeks later he was indicted anew for sodomy. Witnesses have flip-flopped; still trial is to begin this August 8. In 2010 Anwar won a special parliament poll, and came close to snatching the PM post by seven votes. Meanwhile, Razak is under fire for hundred-million-euro kickbacks as defense minister in a 2002 submarine purchase, and the murder of a Mongolian model. Three weeks ago riot squads broke up a protest in Kuala Lumpur, aiming teargas canisters at Anwar's head. One hit an aide marching beside him in the eye. Calling Rizal an "infidel Malay" is insolent, to say the least. He is honored in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines as "The First Malay." In the late 1800s long before independence revolutions, he had advocated equal treatment by British colonialists of Malays, the Dutch of Indonesians, and Spaniards of Filipinos. Shrines, parks and halls dedicated to Rizal abound in Malaysia (and Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka, North and South America, Germany, Belgium, England, Russia and Spain). Rizal is described as the "pride of the Malay race" for his prolific works. He was a painter, sculptor, sportsman, educator, doctor, biologist, novelist, essayist, diarist and poet. He spoke many languages, mostly European, but also Malay, Chinese, Hebrew, Arabic, and his native Tagalog. Though born a Catholic, Rizal fought the Spanish friars, calling "a double-faced Goliath" the corrupt religionists and abusive colonialists. Extremist Muslims use "kafir" derogatorily to refer to non-Muslims, as in, "all infidels must die." Overzealousness breeds Islamist terrorists, like the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu-Basilan, who in turn incite Christian right-wingers like the recent Norway massacrer. If true that a diplomat's wife is defiling the memory of Rizal as "infidel," then it not only drives a fanatical religionist wedge in Southeast Asian ties. It also derides global peace efforts through interfaith dialogue. |
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