WikiLeaks and the Altantuya Murder

The cables are replete with accounts of a long series of meetings with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who repeatedly told the Americans that Najib was connected to corrupt practices in the acquisition of the submarines as well as the purchase of Sukhoi Su-MCM-30 Flanker fighter jets from Russia. Anwar also called attention to Najib's connection to the Altantuya case.

by Asia Sentinel Correspondent

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The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur closely followed the trial of the accused killers of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu and frequently discussed whether current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was involved in the killing, according to diplomatic cables supplied to Asia Sentinel by the WikiLeaks website.

The diplomats, like much of the public, also speculated that the trial was being deliberately delayed and feared what one cable calls "prosecutorial misconduct" that was being politically manipulated. The embassy officials based their concerns on sources within the prosecution, government and the political opposition.

The cables also draw attention to an intriguing allegation that then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may have attempted to use the proceedings to implicate Najib, a claim that was quickly hushed up in the Malaysian press.

Altantuya was murdered in October 2006 by two of Najib's bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30 and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35. who stood trial and were pronounced guilty in April 2009. Abdul Razak Baginda, one of Najib's best friends and Altantuya's lover, was accused of participating in the murder but was freed without having to put on a defense.

The murder has been tied closely to the US$1 billion acquisition of French submarines by the Malaysian ministry of defense, which Najib headed as defense minister during the acquisitions. Altantuya reportedly acted as a translator on the transaction, which netted Razak Baginda's company a €114 million "commission" on the purchase. Reportedly she had been offered US$500,000 for her part in translating. After she was jilted, she vainly demanded payment. A letter she had written was made public after her death saying she regretted attempting to "blackmail" Razak Baginda.

French lawyers are investigating whether some of the €114 million was kicked back to French or Malaysian politicians. Despite the scandal, the US government has not publicly backed away from Najib. In April 2010, Najib visited the White House and was praised by President Barack Obama for the parliament's passage of an act allowing Malaysian authorities to take action against individuals and entities engaged in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The cables are replete with accounts of a long series of meetings with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who repeatedly told the Americans that Najib was connected to corrupt practices in the acquisition of the submarines as well as the purchase of Sukhoi Su-MCM-30 Flanker fighter jets from Russia. Anwar also called attention to Najib's connection to the Altantuya case.

A Jan. 24, 2007 cable, marked "secret," wrote that "Perceived irregularities on the part of prosecutors and the court, and the alleged destruction of some evidence, suggested to many that the case was subject to strong political pressure intended to protect Najib."

In a Feb. 1, 2008 cable, the embassy's Political Section Chief, Mark D. Clark, wrote that a deputy prosecutor had told him "there was almost no chance of winning guilty verdicts in the on-going trial of defendants Razak Baginda, a close advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, and two police officers. She described the trial as interminably long." (That, of course, turned out to be wrong. Sirul and Azilah were ultimately convicted and have appealed their sentence)

Clark called the trial "a prosecutorial embarrassment from its inception, leading many to speculate that the ineptitude was by design. On the eve of the trial,Malaysia's Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail dropped his lead prosecutors and replaced them with less experienced attorneys. Similarly, a lead counsel for one of the defendants abruptly resigned before the trial 'because of (political) attempts to interfere with a defense he had proposed, in particular to protect an unnamed third party.'"

The protracted nature of the case, Clark continued, led "at least one regional newspaper to speculate that 'the case is being deliberately delayed to drive it from public view. Malaysia's daily newspapers rarely mention the case's latest developments, and it is unprecedented in Malaysian judicial history that a murder trial could drag on for seven months and still not give the defense an opportunity to present its case. Such an environment has led many to conclude that the case was too politically sensitive to yield a verdict before the anticipated general elections."

A January 2007 cable called attention to Razak Baginda's affidavit confirming that he sought the help of Musa Safri, later identified by reporters as Najib's aide-de-camp, in ridding him of the jilted woman, and in other cables pointed out that Musa had never been called for questioning.

In another cable, dated May 16, 2007, Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, a deputy home affairs minister in former Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi's cabinet told US Embassy officials that he was "certain that government prosecutors would limit their trial activities to the murder itself and the three defendants; prosecutors would not follow up on allegations of related corruption or other suspects."

In a Jan. 27, 2007 cable, marked "Secret," embassy officials wrote that "In December we heard from one of (Anwar's) lawyers that Razak Baginda's wife was in contact with Anwar and Wan Azizah, suggesting one possible source for Anwar's information."

Razak Baginda's wife, during one of his first appearances in court, screamed that her husband "doesn't want to be prime minister." That was taken by observers as a reference to the fact that Najib reportedly had been having an affair with Altantuya but passed her on to Razak Baginda because it would be unseemly to have a mistress when he succeeded Abdullah Badawi as premier. Najib has offered to swear on the Koran that he had never met the woman.

However, in July 2008, P Balasubramaniam, a former policeman and private detective who had been hired by Razak Baginda to protect him from Altantuya, filed a sworn statement saying he had been told by the accused man that Najib not only knew the murdered woman but had an affair with her and introduced her to him, passing her on because he did not want the onus of having a mistress in the event that he would become prime minister.

In a telephone interview on May 9, Anwar, however, told Asia Sentinel that Razak Baginda's wife was not the source of his knowledge of Najib's connection and that instead he had been told of the connection by Setev Shaariibuu, Altantuya's father, who said he had wished to present evidence of Najib's involvement, but was not allowed to do so. Multiple attempts to contact Setev by Asia Sentinel have been unsuccessful.

Almost immediately after he made the statement, Balasubramaniam was picked up and driven to a police station, where he was forced to withdraw the statement and write a new one saying Razak Baginda had told him nothing of the sort. Balasubramaniam fled Malaysia for India. He later said Najib's brother, Nizam, and wife, Rosmah Mansor, had met with him and that he was offered RM5 million (US$1.48 million) to forget his statement connecting Najib to Altantuya. Balasubramaniam displayed a flock of checks drawn on the account of an associate of Najib's wife. The former private detective has made a a series of statements from outside the country about Najib's involvement.

A February 2008 cable from Political Section Chief Clark gives a hint that Abdullah Badawi himself may have been trying to get rid of Najib by forcing Razak Baginda to implicate him in the murder.

"In the latest turn of the ongoing Altantuya murder trial (reftels), accused political insider Abdul Razak Baginda, who has remained calm and composed through most of the proceedings, unleashed an emotional tirade shortly after the February 20 noon recess on the trial's 90th day," Clark wrote. "Referring to the Prime Minister by his nick-name 'Pak Lah,' Razak reportedly exclaimed: 'You can die, Pak Lah! (in Malaysian - Matilah kau, Pak Lah!) I'm innocent!' according to unpublished journalist accounts.

"Local newspapers and the government news service Bernama reported the fact of the outburst, but did not print Razak's statements. The short-lived exception was the English language newspaper The Sun, which included the quotations from Razak in its early morning February 21 edition. Sources at newspaper confirmed to us in confidence that the Ministry of Internal Security compelled The Sun to withdraw and recall thousands of copies of their first run paper in which the original quote was included. Prime Minister Abdullah serves concurrently as Minister of Internal Security."

During the trial, Clark wrote, Razak Baginda, "appeared uneasy throughout the morning session of court on February 20. Razak's father, Abdullah Malim Baginda had whispered something to him shortly before the trial had begun for the morning and apparently upset the accused. Razak had remained quiet throughout the morning hearings, but just after the noon recess was called and as he was leaving the courtroom he kicked and banged the door and yelled "You can die, Pak Lah! Die, Pak Lah! I am innocent. I am innocent." He was later seen crying before his lawyer while his mother attempted to comfort him."

"Speculation is rife in Malaysia's on-line community concerning what it was that set off Razak Baginda outburst, including conspiracy theories alleging the Prime Minister's office had urged Razak to implicate Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak …in return for sparing Razak a guilty verdict and its mandatory death sentence," officials wrote.

The cable goes on to write, "Regardless, the Internal Security Ministry would want to limit any possibly inflammatory reference to the Prime Minister at the trial, and particularly at this juncture due to the proximity of Malaysia's general election to be held on March 8. Any connection between the Prime Minister and the murder trial would be scandalous. The GOM (government of Malaysia) reportedly has worked hard to 'drive (the case) from public view' … and is not about to allow the case to influence the coming elections."

Who and what Anwar is, is still a mystery - Wong Mun Chee

A good politician serves society without the typical grandeur that we observe with Anwar as and when it fits his personal agenda. Whether I have my doubts about Anwar is secondary but it is your call as members of society to hold the notion of oneness without the typical 1Malaysian and Malaysian First to flush out artificial politicians.

by Wong Mun Chee at Free Malaysia Today

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A simple recap, in 1972 he formed Abim and served as their leader. In 1982, he surprised everyone joining Umno. In 1993, he was made the DPM after forcing out Ghafar Baba. In 1999 after his incarceration, PKR was formed and the rest I guess is the new politics that we see today with the same old political agenda.

The Economist ran a pretty decent piece on him with facts and actuality as they described him as the Malaysian chameleon (see link). Now let’s get down to facts to see whether he is a chameleon. While in Abim, it was a Muslim agenda, then in Umno, it was more a Malay agenda by introduced numerous pro-Malay policies in the national school curriculum.

One of the major changes that he did was to rename the national language from Bahasa Malaysia to Bahasa Melayu. I wonder where 1Malaysia or Malaysian First fits in here.

Other notable events such as the Kampong Rawa incident on March 1998 where there was a tense stand-off when politically induced Muslims emerged from Friday prayers in an adjacent mosque and marched in numbers to the Sri Raja Raja Madurai Veeran temple in Kampung Rawa.

During this incident, the negotiator, Anwar threatened the Hindus there to accept whatever he said, otherwise he said no temple bells will be sounded in Penang. Knowing, MIC, what would you expect. Naturally the temple was demolished and relocated even when it had stood there before the mosque came into the picture.

Another interesting event is of course the insertion of Umno proxies in Sabah since its inception in 1991. Naturally the progenitor is none other than Anwar. Anwar sympathisers will naturally cry foul for his follies and frolics of during his reign against the community generally, as after all he did face persecution for his ambitious attempt to overthrow the mighty Machiavellian, Dr Mahathir by another Machiavellian.

Basically it was a 'Clash of Titans' with little relevance for public concern or their need but the race to power. The interesting point to be taken into consideration is, the charmed character of Anwar did not serve his imprisonment for a cause for society, but being a sour grape and a seasoned politician, he was able to gain public sympathy through his Reformasi.

Fast forward 2011, amongst the three opposition coalition parties, the one that’s a time-bomb seems to be PKR. Why? Same principle, all proxies to ensure Anwarism, no difference from Umnorism style with their allies. Why am I bringing this up. I tell you why.

Little-birds in the sky have been chirping to me that Anwar has recently met with Taib (Sarawak) and Musa (Sabah) beyond the Malaysian waters. Now what is the purpose of meeting Umno cronies? Trust me in politics it is not about principle but where and when the deal can be struck. Even the enemy is your friend. Naturally we all know that Peninsular is 50-50, but East Malaysia is swing.

What they discussed or why, is a good guess for you as much as it is for me. Taib and Musa have been under a lot of heat and it is unlikely that Umno can hold it together for them as they need take care of their backyard in Peninsular.

Anwar has his days numbered, either he goes behind bars or strike a deal for a swing in power and in exchange for these blokes to continue with their billionaire lifestyle and fulfill his own agenda to become the PM.

You see once you in power, it is very difficult to question anything – look at Umno, a classic example for 53 years. Why go so far, even Pakatan within their four states exercise and exhibits similar agenda with lots of media propaganda for the feel-good factor, so what more with seasoned politicians.

For all you know, Anwar maybe negotiating with Najib as he would now realise that PKR is falling apart as most are Umno rejects or his proxies. I would do that, if I am a politician, wouldn’t you? Why would Najib negotiate with Anwar? Well for one, a common enemy – Dr M. Najib has Dr. M nibbling at his feet from day one since he has been the Premier.

The current DPM, a crony of Dr. M comes up with such contradictory statements from the current Premier alike another subtle proxy war. Is it so difficult to fathom this? It is always good to read between the lines to find the true agenda.

I won’t be surprised that one day Anwar will turn around and say, Najib, I think you are doing the right thing as we have a common enemy in sight, so keep me loose to enhance your position and avoid me from serving a prison sentence.

The crux of this letter is, politicians are never our savior, but we the people need to be savvy enough to understand and comprehend, with apprehension, the true objective of a politician. This can only materialise if they are steadfast in their principles from day one, not swaying and swinging for political need no matter how you see it.

A good politician serves society without the typical grandeur that we observe with Anwar as and when it fits his personal agenda. Whether I have my doubts about Anwar is secondary but it is your call as members of society to hold the notion of oneness without the typical 1Malaysian and Malaysian First to flush out artificial politicians.

Keyakinan PR ke Putrajaya: Realistik atau fantasi? - Nazli Ibrahim

Gembar-gembur Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU-13) semakin hari semakin hangat diperkatakan dengan pelbagai versi dan spekulasi tarikh pembubaran parlimen sekaligus memberi laluan PRU-13 diadakan.

Antara spekulasi yang semakin kencang bertiup pada masa ini ialah jangkaan PRU-13 akan diadakan pada tahun ini khasnya setelah Perdana Menteri (PM), Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak memanggil ahli-ahli parlimen Barisan Nasional (BN) bermesyuarat baru-baru ini.

Dua parti utama ketika ini melahirkan keyakinan masing-masing untuk meraih kejayaan dalam PRU-13 itu nanti. Masing-masing BN dan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ketika ini mula mencongak kekuatan dan kelemahan mereka dan juga pihak lawan.

Di pihak PR pada masa ini sedang menjulang harapan dan keyakinan yang cukup tinggi untuk menyingkirkan BN daripada Putrajaya sekaligus buat pertama kalinya menamatkan dominasi 53 tahun BN.


PRU-13 peluang terbaik PR

Bagaimanapun, benarkah pada masa ini PR sedang berada di atas landasan yang betul untuk menerjah ke Putrajaya? Apakah faktor yang menyumbang kepada keyakinan mereka itu?

Pada masa ini faktor utama kelebihan PR bukanlah kekuatan PR itu sendiri tetapi ianya lebih merupakan kelemahan BN dengan pelbagai isu rasuah, penyelewengan, skandal dan yang paling utama keputusan-keputusan BN yang memberi kesan secara langsung kepada kehidupan rakyat negara ini.

Walaupun kerajaan berusaha menerangkan kepada rakyat negara ini tentang pemulihan ekonomi negara dengan menghidangkan angka-angka KDNK, indeks saham, unjuran pertumbuhan ekonomi dan sebagainya gagal menarik minat rakyat kebanyakkan.

Pada masa ini, perkara utama yang menjadi pertimbangan umum ialah tekanan terhadap kos sara hidup yang semakin memuncak sekaligus menjadikan ianya isu utama yang mempengaruhi undi dalam PRU kelak.

Tatkala BN di bawah pimpinan Najib masih lagi terus membuat keputusan yang kurang disenangi rakyat terbanyak dengan siri-siri kenaikan harga barangan keperluan, PR pula dilihat bijak memainkan peranan maksima bagi mendapatkan sokongan rakyat.

Malahan bagi sesetengah pihak, imej dan tindakan isteri PM, Datin Seri Paduka Rosmah Mansor sedikit sebanyak turut menambah memberatkan lagi langkah BN untuk terus berkuasa selepas PRU-13.

Bagaimanapun sedikit sebanyak konsep 1 Malaysia Najib mampu memulihkan kembali sokongan pengundi bukan Islam yang beralih kepada pembangkang akibat penolakan konsep ‘Islam Hadhari’ ketika era Tun Abdullah Badawi sebagai PM.

Sekiranya arus utama tsunami politik dalam PRU-12 lalu adalah manifestasi penolakan terhadap konsep Islam Hadhari Abdullah oleh golongan tersebut, maka sekurang-kurangnya Najib sedikit mampu menarik nafas lega dengan slogan 1 Malaysianya.


Faktor Anwar Ibrahim

Suka atau tidak, Anwar Ibrahim adalah salah satu faktor kelebihan bagi PR. Dalam keadaan kredibiliti beliau yang mulai terhakis disebabkan isu pemilihan PKR mahupun keputusan dan tindakan kontroversinya, beliau masih lagi merupakan salah satu sumber kelebihan PR.

Kejayaan pembangkang pada hari ini banyak dibantu oleh kekuatan pengaruh Anwar semenjak bermulanya penentangan Anwar terhadap BN apabila beliau dipecat sebagai Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Umno.

Bagaimanapun, imej Anwar pada masa ini, dilihat hampir menyamai imej lima tahun terakhir Tun Mahathir bergelar PM. Walaupun ketika itu Mahathir merupakan ketua yang mempunyai kekuatan tersendiri ketika mengepalai BN tetapi pada masa yang sama, sedikit demi sedikit beliau mula dianggap sebagai liabiliti kepada partinya itu.


Pengundi muda undi penentu

Anggapan PR bahawa majoriti anak-anak muda menyebelahi mereka hanyalah satu tanggapan berdasarkan kepercayaan terhadap mood anak-anak muda yang mahukan perubahan.

Hakikatnya, tiada parti yang boleh mendakwa peratusan sokongan kelompok ini akan memihak kepada mereka. Tambahan pula, kebanyakkan anak-anak muda ini merupakan pengundi baru dalam PRU-13 yang masih tidak dapat dicula undian mereka nanti.

Meskipun ada kajian-kajian yang dijalankan oleh badan-badan tertentu terhadap pendirian politik kelompok anak muda ini, ia masih tidak boleh dijadikan gambaran sepenuhnya mood kelompok ini.

Menurut hasil kajian penganalisis politik terkenal, Profesor Abu Hassan Hasbullah, golongan pengundi berumur 21 hingga 40 tahun ini merupakan kelompok penentu dalam PRU-13 nanti.


PR Pulau Pinang punyai kelebihan perolehi mandat semula

Salah satu faktor yang boleh dianggap sebagai kekuatan PR di peringkat pusat pada masa ini ialah dengan menjadikan contoh Kerajaan PR Pulau Pinang yang dianggap berjaya menguruskan pentadbiran negeri yang dianggap cemerlang berdasarkan Laporan Ketua Audit Negara dan terbaru Kajian Politik untuk Perubahan (KPRU).

Malangnya laporan dan kajian ini seboleh-bolehnya tidak dilaporkan oleh akhbar-akhbar arus perdana kawalan Umno dan BN.

Pada masa ini kerajaan PR Pulau Pinang dilihat mempunyai peluang yang cerah untuk memperolehi mandat semula dalam PRU-13 berbanding Selangor walaupun kerajaan negeri di bawah pimpinan Lim Guan Eng itu turut diserang dari segenap sudut.

Serangan bertali arus Umno terhadap kerajaan negeri dianggap tidak mampu memberi kesan yang maksima terhadap pengundi majoriti berbangsa Cina di Pulau Pinang berbanding serangan yang sepatutnya datang dari Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan).

Umno, dengan berbekalkan isu yang banyak menyentuh kepentingan kaum Melayu sahaja, maka isu yang dibawakan oleh Umno telah gagal menarik perhatian masyarakat bukan Melayu di Pulau Pinang.

Bagaimanapun Parti Gerakan yang sepatutnya memegang peranan sebagai penyerang utama bagi menarik kembali sokongan majoriti bukan Melayu Pulau Pinang bagi pihak BN berbanding Umno, ketika ini hanya mampu melancarkan serangan yang hambar.

Sebenarnya keadaan ini wujud apabila Lim sendiri agak bijak meminimakan kesilapan percaturan tatkala membuat keputusan-keputusan penting, mampu menutup titik-titik kelemahan yang ada dan akhirnya menyempitkan peluang serangan di pihak pembangkang negeri itu.

Secara umumnya, masyarakat Cina di Pulau Pinang dianggap tidak menghadapi sebarang masalah dengan kehadiran Lim Guan Eng sebagai Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang.

Bagi masyarakat Melayu dan India pula, pertambahan sokongan terhadap kepimpinan Lim dari golongan ini juga dikatakan meningkat ekoran beberapa pendekatan kerajaan negeri yang dilihat menguntungkan penduduknya.

Faktor kerajaan negeri yang berbelanja dengan berhemah, menaikkan peruntukan kepada Jabatan Agama Islam Pulau Pinang, sekolah agama dan madrasah, keupayaan memberi bonus tahunan, satu-satunya kerajaan negeri yang memberi bonus tahun baru hijrah dan lain-lain telah berjaya memikat hati pengundi golongan ini.


Kerajaan PR Selangor bermasalah pertahankan kerajaannya?

Kerajaan PR Selangor pula, walaupun bermula baik pada dua tahun pertamanya namun pada masa ini mulai dihantui dengan pelbagai kontroversi berhubung politik dalaman PKR.

Menjadikan keadaan lebih malang lagi apabila kerajaan PR Selangor bukan sahaja terpaksa menghadapi serangan tanpa henti dari pihak lawan dari luar, malahan kewujudan ‘parasit-parasit’ di dalam kem lebih banyak menyumbang kepada kerosakkan dalam parti.

Sekiranya PR gagal mempertahankan kerajaan di negeri terkaya negara ini, ianya bukanlah sekadar disebabkan serangan bertali arus atau kebangkitan Umno dan BN Selangor tetapi juga disebabkan pertelagahan sesama mereka sendiri.


Gangguan dalaman terhadap Khalid

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim dianggap oleh sesetengah pihak di Selangor gagal menjalankan tanggungjawab sebagai Menteri Besar dengan baik disebabkan terdapat gangguan daripada pihak dalaman PKR sendiri.

Antara teori yang menjelaskan keadaan tersebut ialah tindakan Khalid yang tidak bertanding dalam perebutan jawatan Timbalan Presiden PKR walaupun sebelumnya telah menawarkan diri untuk menyertai persaingan itu.

Khalid dikatakan menerima ‘wahyu’ supaya menyatakan kesediaan untuk bertanding jawatan Timbalan Presiden dengan tujuan memancing Datuk Zaid Ibrahim keluar dari pertandingan jawatan nombor dua itu sekaligus memberi laluan mudah kepada Azmin Ali.

Sebelum itu, Zaid berkata dalam satu kenyataan medianya, beliau akan menarik diri sekirannya Khalid turut menyertai persaingan tersebut dan memberi sokongan kepada Khalid.

Bagaimanapun helah tersebut tidak berkesan apabila Zaid masih meneruskan hasratnya untuk bertanding dan memaksa Khalid menolak pencalonan di saat-saat akhir bagi mengelak perpecahan undi di cabang-cabang negeri Selangor dan menjejaskan peluang kemenangan Azmin.

Dari sudut kelebihan yang ada pada kerajaan PR Selangor pula, pada masa ini tertumpu kepada beberapa program yang dijalankan oleh kerajaan negeri khususnya berkaitan isu kembalikan hak air Selangor yang masih belum dapat dimuktamadkan lagi.

Melalui isu air ini, masyarakat di Selangor lebih cenderung untuk memberikan sokongan kepada kerajaan negeri kecuali penyokong tegar dalam BN dan golongan kelas atasan.

Juga merupakan bonus bagi PR apabila bekas Menteri Besarnya, Dato Sri Dr Khir Toyo terjerumus dalam dakwaan kancah rasuah dan bakal didakwa pada bulan Jun nanti.

Harapan PR Selangor untuk kembali berkuasa selepas PRU-13 tetap masih ada walaupun mereka sendiri telah memilih jalan paling sukar dengan membiarkan permainan politik dalaman menguasai pentadbiran kerajaan negeri itu.

The 24th December Meeting Between PAS-UMNO Leadership: Views of a Staunch PAS Supporter - Wan Nasuha

I refer to the letters by Goh Soon Sin and Abas Azizan on the 24th December 2010 meeting between the PAS and UMNO leadership.

Both letters contain all kinds of accusations (Goh) and speculations (Abas).

I would like to categorically state here that it is wrong for non-Malays and non-Muslims to portray any move or effort to politically unite Malays/Muslims as a negative development. It has been my observation that very frequently the prospect of a united Malay/Muslim political front is depicted as a threat to the position of non-Muslims. This is unreasonable and it is a belief that is unfair to Malays/Muslims in general.

First, politics is not necessarily a zero-sum game whereby Muslim unity will automatically mean a setback to non-Muslims. There is no basis for such a view, in my opinion. In fact, many of the myriad problems of the nation can be resolved were the Muslims to unite. Excessive politicking can be avoided so that more time and energy can be devoted towards improving the socio-economic status of the rakyat, regardless of race and religion. The enhanced political stability of the country surely will benefit all, no matter Malay or Chinese or Indian or Kadazan etc.

Second, if non-Muslims truly believe that Muslim political unity is detrimental to them, this can only mean that all strategic and tactical maneuverings of non-Muslim parties have but one overriding objective which is to keep Malays politically split. Do the MCA, DAP, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and the others want Malays to arrive at that conclusion? If the answer is no, then surely it’s in everybody’s best interest to refrain from trying to negatively stigmatize any prospect of Muslim unity in this country.

Third, non-Muslim political parties, in the government and the opposition coalitions, very often adopt similar or common stands on issues deemed important by and for the benefit of the non-Muslim community. This they do openly and unabashedly. They consider it reasonable to expect Muslims to accept such commonality among the non-Muslim parties. That being the case, it is only reasonable when PAS and UMNO sit together openly to discuss common issues for the benefit of Muslims, for non-Muslims to accept such meetings with an open mind and not feel threatened by the joint PAS-UMNO action.

Tuan Guru Nik Aziz has confirmed that the said meeting actually had taken place and also unequivocally stated that he is not prepared to reveal the issues discussed. We should respect his stance on the matter.

It is common knowledge by now that Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself has had secret meetings with Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak in the not too distant past, all conducted without the prior knowledge of PAS and DAP. I cannot recall anyone demanding that he disclose the subject of his discussions with Najib.

As a staunch PAS supporter right from the beginning, I have to state herein the anxieties and concern that PAS supporters and members have with Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the turmoil within PKR and the sodomy charges against Dato' Seri Anwar.

PAS has had to compromise and drop some of the demands and objectives that the party traditionally held upon joining PR. DAP however since joining PR has not in the slightest toned down it’s ‘Malaysian’s Malaysia’ rhetoric and demands on issues such as local government elections which are hardly priorities for PAS. PAS meanwhile cannot even express any support for the idea of an Islamic state or the implementation of Islamic law since becoming part of PR. In short, in Pakatan Rakyat the compromising attitude and sacrifices of PAS have not been reciprocated in like manner by DAP.

I do not wish to elaborate at length on the internal problems of PKR. It is PAS’s official stand to respect and not to interfere in the internal affairs of PKR. However, as an ordinary observer, let me just say that the recent elections for party posts conducted by PKR has been known by all and sundry to be full of flaws and shortcomings. Till now, voices of dissatisfaction and unhappiness about the party elections can be heard coming from within PKR itself. To me, the cause of all these is the failure of leadership in PKR.

Currently, in the controversy regarding the appointment of the Selangor state secretary, only the PAS president has come forward to issue an official statement on the matter. In contrast, PKR’s de facto leader, president and deputy president, all three of them have remained mute and not issued any official party stance even though the Selangor MB is from their party. The Selangor MB is left alone to fend for himself in dealing with the issue. It is no surprise that he appears to be surrendering. Is the PKR leadership so frightened and cowardly to take a stand that might risk incurring royal displeasure? How can ‘Ketuanan Rakyat’ be achieved if such is the attitude of the PKR leadership?

The failure of leadership in PKR, to me, has its root causes in the sodomy charges that Dato’ Seri Anwar currently faces. It is more than likely that the bulk of his mental and intellectual energy has to be devoted to the ongoing case, so much so that he cannot give the proper input to issues that are besetting the party and PR. He has often been depicted as the one individual who has managed to put together the parties within PR. However, his reputed influence does not appear to have been used to coax DAP into toning down their very vocal demands in issues which are not shared by Muslims. This seems to me to be due to his current sodomy trial.

The anxieties within PAS are that the problems plaguing PKR will adversely impact PAS, its partner in PR. On top of that, PAS supporters often wonder if it is reasonable or fair for a problem-ridden leader of a problem-ridden party to be chosen as the prime minister were PR successful in its bid for government.

These are my honest views that I wish to share with everyone.



WAN NASUHA BT. WAN HASSAN
(Translated from the original in Bahasa Malaysia)

Perjumpaan 24 Disember 2010 Pemimpin PAS dan UMNO: Pandangan Seorang Penyokong Kuat PAS - Wan Nasuha

Saya merujuk kepada surat-surat dari Goh Soon Sin dan Abas Azizan berkenaan perjumpaan yang dinyatakan di atas.

Kedua-dua surat tersebut mengandungi beberapa tuduhan (Goh) dan spekulasi (Abas).

Saya ingin katakan di sini bahawa adalah tidak wajar untuk orang-orang bukan Melayu dan bukan Islam untuk mengungkit atau cuba menggambarkan apa-apa usaha untuk menyatukan suara politik orang Islam/Melayu sebagai satu perkembangan negatif. Saya perhatikan kerap topik itu diutarakan sebagai sesuatu yang boleh menggugat kedudukan orang bukan Islam. Itu amatlah tidak wajar dan satu pendirian yang tidak bersikap adil kepada orang Melayu/Islam amnya.

Pertama, politik tidak semestinya satu ‘zero-sum game’ yang mana kalau orang-orang Islam bersatu, maka secara automatisnya orang-orang bukan Islam akan rugi. Pandangan sedemikian, pada hemat saya, tiada asasnya. Permasalahan negara mungkin akan banyak selesai sekiranya orang Islam bersatu. Politik berlebihan (excessive politicking) di dalam arena politik negara mungkin dapat dikurangkan supaya masa dan tenaga semua pihak dapat ditumpukan kepada penaikan taraf sosio-ekonomi rakyat jelata tanpa mengira kaum atau ugama. Penambahan kestabilan negara juga pasti akan menguntungkan semua, tak kiralah orang Melayu atau Cina atau India atau Kadazan dan sebagainya.

Kedua, andainya benar orang bukan Islam menganggap penyatuan orang Islam sesuatu yang akan merugikan orang bukan Islam, maka ini bermakna segala tindak tanduk parti politik bukan Islam adalah bermatlamat untuk orang Islam terus berpecah belah. Mahukah MCA, DAP, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP dan lain-lainnya sekiranya orang Islam membuat kesimpulan sedemikian? Sekiranya tidak, ada baik sekiranya penyokong-penyokong mereka tidak cuba memberi stigma negatif kepada apa-apa prospek penyatuan orang Islam di negara ini.

Ketiga, parti-parti politik bukan Islam, baik dalam barisan pemerintah mahupun pembangkang, kerap mengambil pendirian yang seiring dan sejalan dalam isu-isu yang mereka fikirkan akan menguntungkan orang bukan Islam, secara terang-terang dan tanpa segan silu. Itu sesuatu yang mereka anggap wajar diterima oleh orang Islam. Oleh itu, sekiranya PAS dan UMNO pula duduk semeja secara terang-terang untuk berbincang isu-isu yang akan menguntungkan orang-orang Islam, parti-parti bukan Islam wajar menerimanya dengan fikiran terbuka dan tidak merasa tergugat dengan tindakan PAS dan UMNO itu.

Tuan Guru Nik Aziz telahpun mengesahkan perjumpaan tersebut berlangsung dan terang-terang telah dia telah katakan bahawa isi perbincangan adalah sesuatu yang rahsia yang beliau tidak mahu hebahkan. Kita harus hormati pendirian beliau.

Kita pun semua tahu Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim sendiri pernah mengadakan pertemuan sulit dengan Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak pada suatu masa dahulu tanpa diketahui PAS dan DAP. Tidak pula kedengaran suara-suara yang mendesak Anwar untuk menerangkan apakah isi perbincangan beliau dengan Najib dalam pertemuan sulit itu.

Sebagai seorang penyokong kuat PAS dari mula, harus saya nyatakan perasaan bimbang dan tidak puas hati di kalangan keahlian dan penyokong PAS terhadap halatuju Pakatan Rakyat (PR), kemelut dalaman PKR dan tuduhan liwat terhadap Dato Seri Anwar.

PAS telah banyak melenyapkan tuntutan-tuntutan tradisonalnya sejak menganggotai PR. Akan tetapi parti seperti DAP tidak sedikit pun mengurangkan pendiriannya sejak jadi ahli PR. Ia masih kuat memperjuangkan ‘Malaysian’s Malaysia’, pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan dan lain-lain perkara yang susah untuk PAS anggap sebagai mustahak. PAS pula tidak boleh langsung bersuara tentang ‘negara Islam’ ataupun usaha menegakkan undang-undang Islam sejak menjadi ahli PR. Pokoknya, pengorbanan oleh PAS tidak dibalas dengan pengorbanan yang setimpal oleh DAP di dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Kemelut dalaman PKR tidak perlulah saya huraikan dengan berjela-jela. Secara rasminya, memang PAS menghormati dan tidak pernah menyentuh tentang apa yang berlaku di dalam PKR. Bagaimanapun, sebagai seorang pemerhati biasa, biarlah saya katakan pemilihan jawatan parti untuk PKR yang telah dijalankan tahun lepas memang diketahui umum sebagai kucar kacir dan penuh kepincangan. Hingga sekarang masih kuat kedengaran luahan rasa tidak puas hati dari dalam PKR sendiri. Pada saya, ini semua berpunca dari kegagalan kepimpinan PKR sendiri.

Terkini, di dalam isu pelantikan setiausaha kerajaan negeri Selangor, hanya presiden PAS yang telah mengeluarkan kenyataan rasmi pendirian PAS berkenaan isu tersebut. Ketua umum PKR dan presidennya mahupun timbalan presidennya, ketiga-tiganya hingga sekarang membisu enggan memberi kenyataan rasmi walaupun MB Selangor adalah dari parti mereka sendiri. Maka terkonteng-kontenglah bersendirian MB Selangor menangani isu itu. Dia pun kelihatan macam dah ‘surrender’ dalam isu ini. Adakah kepimpinan PKR takut dan gentar untuk mengambil risiko memurkakan pihak istana? Macam manakah ‘Ketuanan Rakyat’ boleh diperjuangkan sekiranya begitu sikap kepimpinan PKR?

Kegagalan kepimpinan PKR, pada saya, asal dan puncanya adalah tuduhan liwat yang terpaksa diharungi oleh Dato’ Seri Anwar. Kemungkinan besar tenaga intelek dan mental beliau terpaksa ditumpukan kepada kes liwat itu hingga tidak dapat diberi inputnya kepada isu-isu lain yang melanda PKR dan PR. Beliau sering diwar-warkan sebagai individu yang berjaya memantapkan talian parti-parti di dalam PR tetapi tidak pula pengaruh beliau digunakan untuk memujuk DAP supaya jangan terlalu lantang dengan tuntutan-tuntutan yang tidak dikongsi oleh orang Islam. Ini semua pada saya disebabkan oleh tuduhan liwat ke atas Dato’ Seri Anwar yang berlangsung sekarang.

Keresahan di dalam PAS ialah permasalahan di dalam PKR akan memberi impak negatif kepada PAS sebagai rakan juang di dalam PR. Di samping itu, orang PAS juga sering tertanya-tanya adakah adil atau munasabah pemimpin yang bermasalah dari parti yang banyak masalah dilantik menjadi perdana menteri sekiranya PR berjaya menubuhkan kerajaan.

Begitulah luahan hati saya buat renungan kita semua.



WAN NASUHA BT. WAN HASSAN

Christmas eve secret meeting: Why? - Goh Soon Sin

I am very disappointed to learn that on Christmas Eve PAS leaders, Nik Aziz and Hadi Awang had attended a secret meeting with two UMNO leaders, Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin, without informing the other coalition partners in Pakatan Rakyat.

The reason offered that it was to comply with a royal command may be plausible but the PAS leadership’s subsequent evasiveness about giving a fuller explanation to fellow PKR and DAP leaders of circumstances leading to the meeting and what was discussed in it is causing much uneasiness, anxiety and suspicion. Many questions are now being asked.

• Was Nik Aziz aware that UMNO leaders were going to be at the meeting?
• Did Hadi persuade Nik Aziz to attend without telling him who else was coming?
• If so, why?
• Why was Hadi so interested in having Nik Aziz meet with Najib and Muhyiddin?
• If both Nik Aziz and Hadi knew it was going to be a meeting with UMNO leaders, why didn’t they inform their Pakatan partners beforehand?
• If they were ‘ambushed’ and didn’t know UMNO leaders would be in attendance, why didn’t they inform their Pakatan partners immediately after the meeting?
• What was the King’s role and participation in the meeting?
• Above all, what exactly was discussed and what transpired at the meeting?

PAS needs to tell all to its partners without delay. Otherwise, the suspicions that UMNO wants to create within Pakatan will have been created.

As usual, UMNO uses the “Malay unity” card to entice PAS. The same wornout card that UMNO had used to hoodwink the Malay heartland for the past 53 years to cling to power. Alas, the power they got from the Malays is not for the benefit of ordinary Malays but to prop up the kleptocracy that is plundering the nation.

UMNO is in a state of panic since more Malays are becoming enlightened and can see the charade of this “Malay unity” card. It is desperate enough to offer part of the loot to the PAS leadership in order to retain the support of the Malay heartland.

I have no worries that Nik Aziz would fall for such trickery. He is a man of principle and would dismiss such enticement summarily. What worries me is the other PAS leaders such as Hadi Awang, Nasaruddin Isa, Mustafa Ali whose major concern may be their ministerial pensions.

I sincerely hope that PAS leaders would reject any future overture from UMNO. The only hope for Malaysians to be rid of the kleptocracy is for Pakatan Rakyat to remain strong and united.



GOH SOON SIN

Perjumpaan PAS-UMNO: Apa yang telah dibincang? - Abas Azizan

Saya amat tertarik dengan berita perjumpaan antara pemimpin-pemimpin PAS, Nik Aziz dan Hadi Awang dengan pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO, Najib Razak dan Muhyiddin Yassin yang di pengerusikan oleh YDP Agung, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin pada 24 Disember, 2010.

Walaupun Nik Aziz enggan mendedahkan intipati perbincangan tersebut, ini tidak dapat menyekat rakyat jelata dari membuat sebarang spekulasi mengenainya.

Saya rasa tidak mustahil perjumpaan tersebut bertujuan untuk menyakinkan Nik Aziz tentang penglibatan Anwar Ibrahim dengan kegiatan homoseksual. Kebanyakan pemimpin-pemimpin PAS dan ABIM barangkali telah yakin dengan salah laku Anwar dan hanya Nik Aziz seorang sahaja dalam barisan pimpinan PAS yang masih belum dapat menerima hakikat ini.

Pada perjumpaan tersebut ada kemungkinan Nik Aziz telah ditunjukkan bukti-bukti teknikal seperti video, gambar-gambar, rakaman suara dan SMS serta e-mel yang telah dipintas. Ini, sekiranya wujud, akan mengesahkan penglibatan Anwar dalam kegiatan homoseksual. Adalah munasabah bukti-bukti tersebut tidak dapat disebarkan kepada orang ramai kerana ia akan mengaibkan orang Islam di negara ini.

Perjumpaan tersebut digunakan untuk menyediakan minda Nik Aziz dan penyokong-penyokong Anwar di dalam PAS supaya dapat menerima hakikat bahawa memang Anwar terlibat dengan kegiatan homoseksual dan tuduhan-tuduhan yang dihadapi beliau di mahkamah bukanlah fitnah.

Nik Aziz telah diminta untuk memujuk Anwar supaya mengundurkan diri dari arena politik tanah air dan menerima tawaran suaka daripada kerajaan Turki. Ini adalah penyelesaian yang terbaik kepada semua pihak kerana jika bukti-bukti teknikal ini disebarkan, orang Melayu beragama Islam yang akan hilang air muka.

Ini hanyalah spekulasi saya berdasarkan maklumat-maklumat yang saya terima daripada kawan-kawan yang berada di barisan pimpinan PAS dan UMNO. Sesungguhnya hanya Allah SWT sahaja yang lebih mengetahui.

Wallahuallam.


ABAS AZIZAN

Wikileaks and the PKR response - Wan Nasuha

The Wikileaks expose on what Singapore officialdom thinks of its Malaysian counterparts and politicians, both government and opposition, have been unflattering to the latter. To most Malaysians, that’s not surprising. We too have dim views of our politicians.

The Singaporeans are of the view, among others, that our country lack competent leadership, that Najib Razak continues to be haunted by a murder scandal and that nobody likes Khairy Jamaluddin because he got where he is through family ties. So what else is new? That sounds blasé but it does not mean we don’t expect those in government to address one or two of the above issues. We do and they should - Wikileaks or no Wikileaks.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) however appears to be particularly stung by the revelation that Lee Kuan Yew and his intelligence services have told the Australian Office of National Assessments that Anwar Ibrahim, the party’s de facto leader, 'did indeed commit the acts for which he is currently indicted'. Apart from the ongoing sodomy trial, a leader who is ‘God’s gift’ to the people should never ever be pictured to be engaged in homosexual sex. Hence, the indignant responses that followed from the party.

The whole thing, however, is in the nature of ‘overheard conversations’ and this complicates matters quite a bit. Had the Singaporeans or Aussies or Americans trumpeted out loud that ‘Anwar did it’, it would have been a bit easier to deal with.

As it was, we weren’t supposed to know but we knew anyway, thanks to Wikileaks and the thing is, people tend to be more honest and frank in private conversations than in public. Consequently, the party’s responses, apart from being indignant, have also been silly.

As expected, there is the almost obligatory ‘we-are-the target-of-a-conspiracy’ response, such a conspiracy this time is between the Malaysian and Singaporean secret police.

And as usual, no evidence was provided to support this claim. Suffice it seems that it is well-known there had been police co-operation in the past between the two countries. The implication is also that the Singaporean side would just swallow everything that the Malaysian Special Branch fed them about Anwar. I leave that to the reader to decide on its plausibility.

Moreover, we only knew what the Singaporeans think of Anwar through Wikileaks. Does this then mean that Julian Assange is part of the conspiracy against PKR and Anwar? Well, that’s bound to give a few moments of mirth to Assange in the gloom of his British lock-up.

And what about the two Australian newspapers which published the revelations on Anwar? They too must be co-conspirators, going by PKR’s logic.

Asking that the precise nature of the ‘technical intelligence’ to be explained to the public may sound good but it is actually very silly. Those involved in gathering the said information are not paid to justify their findings to the public but only to their political masters which, in this case, is the Singapore government who will see even less reason to engage with the Malaysian public in a discussion over operational intelligence matters.

Finally, yes, much of what is exposed is in the realm of personal opinions. But there are personal opinions and there are personal opinions. A finding or conclusion reached on the straightforward question of ‘did he or didn’t he’ has to be based on facts and a conclusion conveyed in private and confidential communication carries with it the presumption of being frank and honest, unless otherwise proven.

And it’s these two characteristics of the disclosure I believe that is causing so much angst within PKR right now.



WAN NASUHA WAN HASSAN