Now that Saiful's medical report has been released (or leaked like the Pusrawi version?) showing no signs of him ever being buggered, I hope that the government will do the right thing - that is to boot the charges against Anwar out of court and spare the nation the sandiwara of the hearings. Besides, it is also a waste of taxpayer's money if the prosecution do not have a case.
Najib and gang now have 2 weeks to think about this matter. I doubt if anybody can guess what their final decision is going to be. After all, history shows that BN and UMNO are quite persistent in pushing forward their master plans. Even if it requires them to pusing sana and pusing sini.
But for the good of the nation and the rakyat, the charges against Anwar must be dropped. Kuala Lumpur should not be allowed to be turned into another Bangkok. And it is not within the means of the Malaysian government to decide this. The government just cannot fight off the might of the rakyat.
A quick re-visit of the late 1990s; the ousting of Anwar is nothing but a tiny version of what can take place today. Malaysia has changed a lot since. Back then, the internet as a medium for information was at its very infancy with limited access. Malaysians generally believed the media and bought the spins only to see the farce in it years down the road. The media is not going to be able to spin UMNO's sandiwara this time around. In fact, I am certain that most rational Malaysians have already made up their mind that this Saiful episode is nothing but another conspiracy against Anwar. But today, the rakyat will not accept this conspiracy and watch by the sidelines like they did in 1998 because Anwar now represents much more. He is now the hope for a new Malaysia to be led by a new government. Whether he will be the Prime Minister is something else all together. What is clear is that he is now a symbol for change in this country. To quash him is to quash the hopes of these rakyat. Hope is a very dangerous element in men. Hope is the reason there is a tomorrow. Never take on anyone who has lost hope for men without hope are very dangerous. And I am fearful of this.
I am also quite sure that most of the participants in the street riots to protest against the government's brutality against Anwar back in 1998 were mostly young Malays. Today, a repeat of street protests will see the other races of all age groups joining in although I will have to say that the number of Chinese on the streets will remain small. The mindset of Malaysian Chinese is such that such open protests are 'inviting trouble'. Please don't judge the Malaysian Chinese's patrioticism, but if you understand them, you will see that they have been adapting and adapting to all sorts of challenges thrown at them since 1969 to the extent that they have been forced to learn to survive on their own. So to openly 'invite trouble' is totally against the survival mode they have been brought up with.
Back to the streets. Hindraf has shown that the Malaysian Indians are ready to take on the government heads on. There are now more Malays against the UMNO led government then ever before and many are not fearful to show the government their thoughts. The Bersih rally is a sampling of what Malaysians are capable of. Malaysians are a peaceful lot. But there are always the emotional ones. And as is the herd mentality, it is these emotional ones who will ultimately lead to trouble. Again, I am fearful of this.
And what about the international medias? Many have been following Anwar since his release from the prison. Honestly, nobody believed that he was guilty then. And I am also pretty confident that none believe that he is guilty now. The term 'trumped up charges' is so freely used. A combination of suppression of freedom of the people, hard handed tactics against opposition leaders, civil unrest, and government tyranny is not going to go down well with international medias and leading countries such as the US and the UK. Censorship of news out of the country is not going to work in Malaysia. We are not Myanmar. Be well assured that Malaysians at every level will keep the international medias well informed even if international journalists are barred from getting off their planes. Dissemmination of information in the 21st century is a different ball game.
And it is also no secret that Anwar is very popular in the international scene. His friends on the international front is aplenty. If Najib pushes ahead with this ill plan, he should be expecting harsh international criticism. But is Najib prepared for economic sanctions? Economic sanctions imposed upon Malaysia may seem like a laughable idea now. But not when the country is topsy turvy upside down with chaos ruling the day. Like I said, the scale of retaliation from the rakyat this time will not be one we have previously seen in this country. And it will not be Anwar's fault but Najib's.
I am a Malaysian who wants to see changes in this country. But I am also a Malaysian who wants to live peacefully. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, please don't turn our country into a Pakistan. Are your personal gains and political ambition more important than the welfare, livelihood and safety of 27 million rakyat Malaysia? You have the mandate to run the country but you do not have the mandate to put our lives at risk. There are times when you just have to accept that your time is up. In this case, your's come 2012/2013 along with UMNO's and BN's. Of course you are allowed to fight for your survival all the way to that time but please do it in a fair and just manner. Learn when to say no to your aides and advisors. Learn when to say no to UMNO's warlords. And the rakyat will thank you when your time to step down comes.
-saltpepperandalittlekicap.blogspot.com
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