It's Now Or Never

Hantu Laut

Barisan National leaders in Sarawak say Anwar's huffing and puffing about taking over the government will be proven to be nothing but hot air.They maintained that it would not be raining “frogs” today and that no BN MPs would cross over to PR to allow the opposition alliance to form a new government.

“Come Sept 16, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will still be the prime minister and Anwar Ibrahim still the leader of Pakatan Rakyat,” said Parti Rakyat Sarawak president Dato Sri Dr James Masing when contacted yesterday.

He emphasised: “Sarawak will still be known as ‘Bumi Kenyalang’ (Land of the Hornbills), not ‘Bumi Katak’ (Land of the Frogs).”

Anwar continues to play the mind game in an attempt to weaken the resolve of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by saying he wanted to see him to show him the list of BN MPs who are defecting to Pakatan Rakyat and for smooth transfer of power. Abdullah had scoffed at Anwar's claims, calling it a mirage.

A pooh-pooh ! would be more befitting.The right thing to do is for Anwar to assemble all those defecting MPs and make them publicly announce a spontaneous show of allegiance to him and than go see the Agong to get his blessing for him to go to Parliament and get a vote of confidence for him to be the next prime minister.It would first necessitate them to pass a vote of no confidence against Abdullah.All this can only be done when Parliament is back in session.

If Anwar is truthful that would be the only option he has to show the nation that he is sincere and not lying and playing a game of poker at the expense of the people and the nation.

Asked why he still refused to give the exact number of defecting MPs or their names, Anwar said there was a fear the MPs would be detained or harassed if their names were released

Anyone can make up a list of names and discreetly show it to the PM hoping he would be fooled and believe the ploy.That's exactly what Anwar is trying to do when he sees the PM.Should the plan fail to go through he would cook-up another story that those MPs reneged on their promises or death threats against those defecting.His claim of arsenic poisoning to get rid of him while in prison was proven not true.

'Time and tide wait for no man'.Anwar knew 'it's now or never'.He must at all costs try grab the government now or lose the chance once UMNO consolidates its power.

Read also: Anwar Ibrahim's Sept 16 press statement in full

I Have A Dream

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"We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends". Martin Luther King,Jr.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King,Jr.

"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves". ~Abraham Lincoln

THAT WAS THEN.

THIS IS NOW.

Is Abdullah In A Quandary ?

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Zaid Ibrahim has made true his promise.He resigned from his ministerial post today.Would the rest dare do the same? Should they resign in drove to send a clear signal to Abdullah that the situation has reached critical point and the demise of BN is imminent if no solution is found to appease the coalition partners and some UMNO MPs from leaving? It may not happen on 16 Sept but it looks more and more incline in that direction.

The heat is on to save UMNO from disintegration and the government from falling into the hand of Anwar Ibrahim.

On the other side of the political fence the race is on to find enough BN deserters to steal the government from under Abdullah's nose.

Abdullah may not realise that the wind of change is about to reach Category 4 and can soon reach Category 5, the end of the scale and most destructive, unleashing fury of irreparable damage.By then it would be too late to do any repair, the damage is done, it would be total loss.

The recent ISA arrests had inflicted another serious dent in the BN already fractured armour.The Minister of Home Affairs lapse of judgement and ridiculous reasons given for the arrests had hasten the process of destruction.Nothing can be more stupendously ridiculous than saying the use of the ISA was to protect the person concerned from threat to her safety.Does the Minister think all Malaysians were born yesterday? He has done more damage to himself and the government.

Abdullah should take a leaf out of the Japanese political system where the prime minister would resign when he has exhausted his popularity within the ruling party.The situation with him is worse as not only he is unpopular within his coalition, he faces the same on the ground.

Prime Minister Abdullah may have to re-look at the transfer of power. He can either resign now or carry on at his own perils.The choice is his.

Tunku Aziz:An Enigma ?

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After having done four years in a Malay primary school I was selected to go to one of the premier schools at Jesselton in the then British North Borneo.

Coming from a Malay school I had to attend two years of bridge classes, a kind of preparatory class to learn the English language and learn all subjects in English for entry to secondary level.

My first and second year at that school was the time I met Tunku Abdul Aziz, my English and form teacher.A tall burly man with light pockmarked face who spoke English with a twang, he can either give you comfort as well as strike terror.He was a perfect example of a person you either love or hate.Though I didn't have many years of his teachings, on hindsight, I would say he was a good teacher.

Tunku left North Borneo and went back to Malaya soon after I entered my secondary level.I believe most students have lost contact with him soon thereafter.

I only rediscover Tunku a few years back through his various articles published in our national papers from time to time and his active participation in Transparency International.He has also served in various capacities in the private and public sector.He is an avid critic of corruptions in government and has sat on the advisory boards of various International organisations.He has been apolitical all this while until last month when he joined the DAP which came as a huge surprise to many people.

One would have thought that if he had wanted to go into politics he would join PKR.The choice of DAP was baffling, making him an enigma.He wouldn't want to join UMNO because of his critical view of the party and his constant reminder of corruptions in government.

The probable reasons for him not joining PKR was that he might have burned the bridge between him and Anwar by his article that appeared in the New Straits Times on July 27 2008 titled 'Cut the theatrics,Anwar,and let Malaysians get on with their live'.

What I found inexplicable and one that left me in the lurch is that if Anwar isn't his cup of tea as the next prime minister of this country, isn't joining DAP is in conflict with this political philosophy ?

It is simply stupefying that someone who had written an irate article against the person a month ago can now join forces with him indirectly through a coalition partner who is likely to agree to stage a coup to bring down a duly elected government.

It would be interesting to find out where Tunku Aziz's stand is with Anwar taking over the government by luring BN lawmakers by offering sweeteners to defect to his side?