Why is Anwar NOT an extremist?
18 July 2024
PEOPLE HAVE been talking about Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as an extremist.
While I will not dispute that on certain issues he may be considered "extreme" in his views by some, particularly in his younger days, I will let you judge for yourself if his character is so extremist that he should be removed from office.
I am not naive. And, like most of you, I can see through some of the mischief. For example, not every child sits for 10 subjects in SPM; therefore, those who made it with all A's in eight or nine subjects would still be deprived merely because of the race factor.
The only difference is that I do not categorise him with the likes of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad or Abdul Hadi Awang.
I agree that it is time for Anwar to realize he is the Prime Minister of a multi-ethnic Malaysia, not just one particular race that he is forced to conform to.
In my opinion, he must realign his policies to reflect what he once said, "Anak Melayu, anak saya; anak Cina, anak saya; anak India, anak saya; anak Iban, anak saya; anak Kadazan, anak saya." Beyond just these few races, he also needs to take care of the Orang Aslis, Eurasians, Sikhs, and other minorities. In short, every Malaysian.
Judge for yourself: Is Anwar an Extremist?
Watch this video which Mr Elvis Presley of Malaysia, HT Long sent to me tonight. I remember this event very well because I was the one who arranged for him and Anwar to sing on stage.
This was in 2013 when Nurul Izzah Anwar was campaigning for Pantai constituency.
"DS," I wrote in an email to him, "would you want Mr HT Long who is also known as Mr Elvis Presley of Malaysia to sing together with you?"
I told him that HT Long had sung for my wedding day, and he was very good. Many of my uncles and aunties just enjoyed the evening and dancing away till late that night.
To my surprise, he responded promptly. His answer was a simple "Yes." Not even an exclamation mark!
That's all he wrote. I quickly contacted HT Long to let him know that Anwar wanted to perform with him on stage. Anwar is an Elvis fan. I also informed Nurul Izzah since she was the host.
Everything went well, and fortunately, Chan Chee Kong of Mediarakyat captured this on video. It only occurred to me later that this video proves beyond doubt that he is far from the extremist some people make him out to be.
If you observe carefully the fun he had that night, you'll see what I see: he is not the extremist often depicted in various media. Anwar is not the kind of extremist you see in videos of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, before he became prime minister, exhibited even more extremist tendencies to the point that I now call him the Father of Racism and Disunity. He is the one who tore the social fabric of a Muhibbah Malaysia.
The Misunderstood Man
Anwar may have certain leanings towards Islamic fundamentalism, much like many evangelicals and fundamentalists. What's wrong with that?
If there are issues facing a church in Kajang, for example, Anwar would go to the church to assist them. He spoke about this at one of his ceramahs, expressing his disappointment at the false accusations hurled against him by the Opposition after that one visit.
Since Merdeka, which prime minister has allocated RM50 million as financial assistance to registered non-Islamic houses of worship in the country? And yet, you call him an extremist?
We need to give Anwar more time to restore the country and make it the real Asian Financial Tiger once again through prudent and sound fiscal policy.
The so-called Paper Tiger of the 90s was reduced to ashes after the Asian Financial Crisis hit in 1998, as the mega projects, tall skyscrapers, and heavy industries initiated during Dr. Mahathir's premiership proved to be unsustainable.
Trust me, Anwar is focused on building a legacy of his own. At this stage in his life, he is no longer interested in accumulating more wealth, especially since he has chosen not to draw a monthly salary since becoming prime minister.
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