I got convinced by you, Ku Li
This country of ours has been sunken into a mudpool, and that is why Ku Li, like many of us, must sternly voice up the need of reviewing and revamping this corrupt mechanism of ours.
By LIM MUN FAH/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily
In the past one week of despondency, a certain politician's remarks have struck a chord in my heart.
Not Tun Mahathir. Not Lim Kit Siang, Not Anwar Ibrahim. But Tengku Razaleigh!
Several days ago, on 22 July, Sin Chew Daily's Op-ed section carried an article by Ku Li, We want answers to MACC death.
That was a truly powerful piece, one that conjures up the conscience of the Malay intelligentsia.
I carefully read the article, and was overcome by a mixture of feelings especially having read earlier the remarks published on some of the Malay and English dailies.
Through his truthful words, Ku Li's factual and rational approach in putting forward his arguments has totally convinced me.
When Tun Dr Mahathir, a former prime minister who used to be immersed in massive popularity in office, tried his utmost to fry up emotions between the Malays and non-Malays with his pen, Ku Li stood up and howled at the acts of evading truth by means of manipulating despicable racial issues.
This country of ours has been sunken into a mudpool, and that is why Ku Li, like many of us, must sternly voice up the need of reviewing and revamping this corrupt mechanism of ours.
| "His candid admonitions today have earned him the respect of a lot more people vis-à-vis Tun Mahathir's gibberish statements." |
We are well aware that we cannot demand other people to act and think the way we do, or hold identical political positions as we. However, we believe that democracy, human rights, righteousness, morality and truthfulness are among the values that the entire human race should cherish.
Because of such "universality" in values, we weep with all the innocent souls which have perished in natural or human-induced calamities, and feel infuriated by the injustices and inequalities anywhere under the sun.
Ku Li was defeated by Mahathir by a thin majority of only 47 votes in the race for UMNO presidency back then. While Mahathir has made waves in politics over the past twenty over years, Ku Li was down and out. If history could be rewritten, could he have also lost himself in the intoxicating sea of power?
If we were to judge a person by his or her achievements, perhaps Ku Li could be classified as a loser. But in the long race of politics, his candid admonitions today have earned him the respect of a lot more people vis-à-vis Tun Mahathir's gibberish statements.
In another article in response to the invitation to crossover to PKR, Ku Li slammed UMNO for having turned towards fanning of racial emotions and abuse of government institutions in a last ditch effort to cling on to its power. Having said that, he still insisted that as an UMNO veteran, he chose to go through the thick and thin with UMNO and hoped the party could be brought back to the right track again.
I salute his insistence. Unfortunately, this "last person on earth still having fantasies over UMNO's reforms," is already 72 this year!
