Sigh. I feel like these are defining times for me.
I feel called to respond to Uncle Zorro’s blog post that was written in response to my article.
As you can imagine, in this line of work, I get a lot of criticism. It doesn’t bother me too much, and I don’t often feel the need to respond much – I strongly believe everyone is entitled to their opinions.
Uncle Zorro is someone I care for and deeply respect however, and more importantly he has struck me as one of the kindest men I know. His opinion can be considered one of the few that matter.
At some point in the post Uncle Zorro asks “So Nat, does John SCWen fit the bill as Grima?”
As I think you can see from my previous post, the answer is clearly a yes. Had circumstances been slightly different, I might not have bothered with codenames at all. TMI is TMI, my blog is my blog.
My long absence from full time work with PKR was mentioned, and truly, 2 years is indeed how long I’ve been away. I think though I have kept in touch with friends across various spectrums more than many people.
As for the rest of Uncle Zorro’s post, I confess I’m really not sure what the comments are supposed to mean, or what I’m supposed to take away from reading them.
Nonetheless, I take all teguran with an open heart.
*
At this juncture, allow me to write a little bit about a phenomenon I observe.
A good many activists and writers have completely lost faith and patience in Anwar.
I think most people do not see how much I can sympathise and empathise with this position.
I have seen him too many times in purely Malay audiences – big public and small private ones – to believe that he is the closet racist some say he is and like I wrote, I will always be grateful for the way he came to the police station when I was in the lock up.
That said, I also wrote in my article that many people (both inside and outside the party) are understandably frustrated and impatient (think tearing hair out) at the way the party has been run these last few years in terms of management, structural cohesion, allowing questionable elements in and so on.
That said, I think we must be wary of jumping on the first semi-credible anti-Anwar bandwagon we see.
Tangentially, those in the party who were anti-Azmin were keen to back his challengers – right until the point they saw the appalling campaign Zaid and his team were trying to run.
Some call it speaking truth to power, and that is their right. I have read the statements Zaid has released – both in and between the lines, and I fear that it sounds like a man who has been fed too much poison, too much vanity, by a Wormtongue.
I have singled out Soh in part because of his keen ability to find out what your interests are and manipulate them.
To some, I imagine instead of money he sold a tale of how Zaid was the one who could really put PKR back on the right path – and how if you could just get on board, we could really bring the change we finally want to see in Malaysia.
I’d just as soon buy in to the idea of Najib’s 1Malaysia.
It comes down to the trustworthiness and sincerity of the man. We judge a tree by its fruits, and Soh’s fruits bear nothing but poison. Tun Ling, Mr. Tiah, Anwar himself – how much longer a list of badly hurt victims do we need?
I think Zaid is a man who has in the past demonstrated great character. At this point of time, I cannot say that I see in him either wisdom or humility. But that is merely my opinion. I could be wrong.
The party and/or the movement does need fixing. Trust me, I’m with you on that one. I’m not here to tell you that Azmin is the one to do it. But I do know I’m not going to support anyone who is consorting with Soh. All of us deserve better than that.
*
In any case Uncle Zorro, I continue to respect and look up to you. Please don’t put me in your fart chamber :)
I leave the rest of you with what I listened to last night before I slept. Perhaps these are defining times for us all.
I feel called to respond to Uncle Zorro’s blog post that was written in response to my article.
As you can imagine, in this line of work, I get a lot of criticism. It doesn’t bother me too much, and I don’t often feel the need to respond much – I strongly believe everyone is entitled to their opinions.
Uncle Zorro is someone I care for and deeply respect however, and more importantly he has struck me as one of the kindest men I know. His opinion can be considered one of the few that matter.
At some point in the post Uncle Zorro asks “So Nat, does John SCWen fit the bill as Grima?”
As I think you can see from my previous post, the answer is clearly a yes. Had circumstances been slightly different, I might not have bothered with codenames at all. TMI is TMI, my blog is my blog.
My long absence from full time work with PKR was mentioned, and truly, 2 years is indeed how long I’ve been away. I think though I have kept in touch with friends across various spectrums more than many people.
As for the rest of Uncle Zorro’s post, I confess I’m really not sure what the comments are supposed to mean, or what I’m supposed to take away from reading them.
Nonetheless, I take all teguran with an open heart.
*
At this juncture, allow me to write a little bit about a phenomenon I observe.
A good many activists and writers have completely lost faith and patience in Anwar.
I think most people do not see how much I can sympathise and empathise with this position.
I have seen him too many times in purely Malay audiences – big public and small private ones – to believe that he is the closet racist some say he is and like I wrote, I will always be grateful for the way he came to the police station when I was in the lock up.
That said, I also wrote in my article that many people (both inside and outside the party) are understandably frustrated and impatient (think tearing hair out) at the way the party has been run these last few years in terms of management, structural cohesion, allowing questionable elements in and so on.
That said, I think we must be wary of jumping on the first semi-credible anti-Anwar bandwagon we see.
Tangentially, those in the party who were anti-Azmin were keen to back his challengers – right until the point they saw the appalling campaign Zaid and his team were trying to run.
Some call it speaking truth to power, and that is their right. I have read the statements Zaid has released – both in and between the lines, and I fear that it sounds like a man who has been fed too much poison, too much vanity, by a Wormtongue.
I have singled out Soh in part because of his keen ability to find out what your interests are and manipulate them.
To some, I imagine instead of money he sold a tale of how Zaid was the one who could really put PKR back on the right path – and how if you could just get on board, we could really bring the change we finally want to see in Malaysia.
I’d just as soon buy in to the idea of Najib’s 1Malaysia.
It comes down to the trustworthiness and sincerity of the man. We judge a tree by its fruits, and Soh’s fruits bear nothing but poison. Tun Ling, Mr. Tiah, Anwar himself – how much longer a list of badly hurt victims do we need?
I think Zaid is a man who has in the past demonstrated great character. At this point of time, I cannot say that I see in him either wisdom or humility. But that is merely my opinion. I could be wrong.
The party and/or the movement does need fixing. Trust me, I’m with you on that one. I’m not here to tell you that Azmin is the one to do it. But I do know I’m not going to support anyone who is consorting with Soh. All of us deserve better than that.
*
In any case Uncle Zorro, I continue to respect and look up to you. Please don’t put me in your fart chamber :)
I leave the rest of you with what I listened to last night before I slept. Perhaps these are defining times for us all.
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