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| Posted: 19 Jun 2013 10:44 AM PDT By FARAH HARITH, Malaysian Digest  IT shocked the nation when he was arrested back in 1998. Such was the influence he had that a major split in support took place the minute he formed his 'Reformasi' movement.Suddenly, families started arguing, friends debated, colleagues got into heated discussions, either in defending him or defending the move to sack and arrest him. It is undeniable that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been a tour de force in the country, however whether he is a good or bad force, somehow that still remains to be seen. What exactly is Anwar fighting for? From the first time he took to the streets crying out 'Reformasi' and declaring that he had been wronged, one thing for certain, what he did would go on to change the political landscape in Malaysia like it has never before. During the time he was in prison after his sodomy indictment, the political party he started, Keadilan, which later became Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), was helmed by his wife and daughter, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah Anwar. However, former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in an act of goodwill released Anwar from prison before his sentence finished. From then on, Anwar began his 'crusade' so to speak to become the next Prime Minister. He made several promises about taking over Putrajaya before the 13th general election, however nothing materialised. The support he garnered from the public, however, continued to grow. Calling themselves Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the marriage of convenience that came about between PKR, PAS and DAP made Anwar and the coalition he is leading, stronger. This was further proven when they garnered more popularity votes in the 13th general election, compared to Barisan Nasional (BN) who retained the ruling government, after winning on parliamentary seats. What is obvious is that, Anwar and his coalition are popular amongst the rakyat. However, this still leaves the question of what exactly is he fighting for unanswered. If Anwar is truly devoted in his fight for free and fair elections, must he be at the helm? After 15 years, is the fight to seat himself in Putrajaya still relevant? Wouldn't it be better to advise and pass the baton to someone else? While it can be seen that Pakatan Rakyat is popular amongst the rakyat, with more than 50,000 attendees at any one of their rallies, it begs the question of are those people attending to support Anwar or the cause? If they are supporting the cause, then it would be high time for Anwar to sit back and probably groom someone else to take his place, for instance his own flesh and blood Nurul Izzah Anwar. It is obvious that Nurul Izzah, having been dubbed Puteri Reformasi, will be a hit with the rakyat who are crying out for new blood. Most of those supporting Pakatan Rakyat, and want BN toppled, are those who want to see the old dogs gone. Isn't Anwar himself an old dog? Having been apart of BN himself before his arrest and sacking in 1998, Anwar is actually far from being the new blood the public is craving for. Going back to the question of what is Anwar fighting for, one can't help but think of two important figures in the annals of world history; Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Mahatma Gandhi. Reverend King fought for black equality during the African American Civil Rights Movement, and it is understood that he would go to the ends of the earth to see his people get the same treatment as any other race. The blacks were oppressed. They couldn't get on the same bus as white folks. They couldn't drink from the same water fountain. They couldn't sit at the same table. Their houses were torched by the Ku Klux Klan. Their children lived in fear. Reverend King fought for equality and went on to conduct rallies to garner support for his cause. He fought to his last dying breath. This was the same case for Gandhi. Like King, Gandhi employed non-violent civil disobedience. He led India to independence from the British and was a prominent figure in Indian nationalism. He fought to free his people. Gandhi too persevered till his last dying breath. This brings us to Anwar's perseverance. While his persistence in taking over Putrajaya can match the persistence of King and Gandhi, are their fights on the same level? Malaysia has its fair share of problems, however we are not oppressed like the blacks in America were. We are no longer colonized. The fight for free and fair elections and the fight to end corruption does not necessarily need to be helmed by one Anwar Ibrahim. Before GE13, Anwar promised that if he lost in the elections, he would retire from politics and move on to a career of lecturing. That has yet to happen. Anwar has instead opted to conduct one rally after another, apart from attempting to boycott the parliament's opening session next week. What is he hoping to achieve through these rallies? If enough people gather on the streets, BN will willingly hand over Putrajaya to Pakatan Rakyat? If they believe the election was tainted, the best course of action would be to take it to the courts and sort it out there. If that fails, serve the rakyat and wait for the next general election. With that said, must Anwar still be the one leading the fight?  |
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