What is RPK to you? (UPDATED)
Why is RPK’s latest offering a big hoo-hah? I mean, seriously? In fact I am rather equivocal of RPK’s latest interview. I find that there is nothing to get upset about. I am not here to defend RPK as I think he feels he is a big enough person.
By AsamLaksa
I, AsamLaksa, am an infrequent commentator and contributor on Malaysia Today.
I check MT regularly mainly for laughs mainly arising from the BN jokers and religious nuts. I am nobody in Malaysian politics and use a pseudonym. I do not reside in Malaysia. I am an atheist. I am occasionally moved to share my opinions with fellow MT readers as I have strong ties with Malaysia. I like Malaysia and have high hopes for Malaysia. If there is one thing I want from Malaysians is for Malaysians to think for themselves.
Now that I have got all that out of the way let me get back on topic. Why is RPK’s latest offering a big hoo-hah? I mean, seriously? In fact I am rather equivocal of RPK’s latest interview. I find that there is nothing to get upset about. I am not here to defend RPK as I think he feels he is a big enough person.
Let me share some of my thoughts and feelings on Malaysia in general first:
1. Pre-2008 GE, I posted that I suspected PKR is the weak link in PR.
2. Pre-2008 GE, I posted that I do not trust Anwar Ibrahim and that I decided later to give him a chance to prove himself as I recognised the uniting role he plays in PR. After that I again stated my reservations on Anwar as he did not live up to expectations in leading PKR.
3. A few months after PR ruled Selangor I posted my reservations on some of their policies which are populist in nature and their lack of long term planning. I also posted my lack of faith in Khalid Ibrahim.
4. I have nothing against leaders who have extra-marital affairs or being homosexual. Thus I am against the call for Chua Soi Lek to resign as a minister and I am against the persecution of Anwar Ibrahim with Sodomy 2 and the sex video. I also have no qualms of Najib having any extra-marital affairs though I can’t speak for his wife. I am more concerned about how the leaders perform their roles.
5. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. This has proved to be a big source for laughs.
6. I personally think Anwar and many of those that surround him do not have good morals or principles from their deeds and speech. You will get my meaning when you read the reactions from PKR spokespersons on many issues where they have displayed inconsistencies. In fact most of them are overly defensive without facts to back them up. Simply not impressed.
7. I think leaders are replaceable but not the good cause.
8. I personally could not care less who is the PM as long as the government brings positive changes.
9. I do not really care what sort of government Malaysia has be it an Islamic, communist, republic or pariah state as long as it promotes and protects fundamental human rights. Labels have little meaning for me.
10. I like Zaid Ibrahim. I think he does what he says. He got PR registered which I think is a task which many in PR would not give priority to. Zaid appears not to depend on handouts from BN or PR. He is his own man.
11. I think MCLM is a good idea but unlikely to succeed because Malaysians are not ready to accept a new political culture mainly due to lack of imagination. What’s not to like about Pop MP Idol?
12. I have reservations about ABU as it does not address core principles that would protect fundamental rights of Malaysians and is again overly populist in nature. But I understand the reason for it mainly that UMNO and BN are incapable of changing according to times unless you give them a big scare like kicking them out of power.
13. I think many Malaysians have no principles lauding someone when they say the things they like but quick to denounce when the same person says something they don’t like.
14. I think many Malaysians make baseless assumptions too quickly because they don’t read or listen. I have been accused of being an UMNO Malay Muslim cyber trooper and I got a big laugh out of it.
15. I think Malaysians are very passionate and often this impairs their reasoning.
16. I think the religious fanaticism impedes development of ideas because it discourages straying from norms.
17. I have posted that real change comes from bottom up – it has to come from the lay people and not the leaders. Thus I do not really care whether such and such a leader goes to jail or talk crap as long as the lay people are strong. Let Malaysians on the ground take charge such as during Bersih 2.0 which made me feel proud for Malaysians.
Now many will have their own thoughts and many will disagree with mine. But I am a nobody thus I have the luxury so say what I like. Who cares what I think? But many care what RPK thinks. I disagree with many of RPK’s thinking and I posted unflattering words about him. I even went so far as posting that RPK needs you more than you need him. The reason is simply that he is replaceable and that
you only need him to give you a head start in opening your minds and he needs you to make the hard choices from the day of awakening till the end of your lives. There are no shortcuts in positive social reforms.
Everyone is replaceable but the cause must remain in Malaysians. The cause does not only reside in a select few good Malaysians but in everyone that believes in the goodness of it which is worth fighting for.
By the way, I have never met, seen or spoken to RPK and have no plans to.
What is the point of all this? I am simply pointing out that every one of you MT readers should think for yourselves and challenge your entrenched values. Don’t let others think for you.
Many of you are so wrong and you don’t know it. Take time to develop self-awareness, finding out where your real values lie and what the reasons behind your thoughts and feelings are. I used to defend the NEP saying that it prevents another May 13 but my wife pointed out that you can’t use a wrong to right a wrong and it is simply cowardice to accept such an excuse. It took me 2 days to
realise that I was so wrong.
So please use your reasoning, discover your principles and uphold them and do not let situations and sentiments sway you.
Let me end with – Hoi! Ada guna otak ke?
