Causes are not static; they are dynamic

Anyway, political alliances are not static. They are dynamic. They change depending on changing situations, as what Pakatan Rakyat has shown us. Anuar would like to see alliances cemented in stone that must never change come what may. That is not how it works.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

“itu lah dia – semalam Raja Petra Kamarudin adalah musuh Najib Razak hari ini adalah kawan – membela – esok kita tidak tahu arah – semua kerana sokongan pada kuasa – sokongan pada kehendak – bukan nilai kebenaran – bukan rakyat – apa pun pengajaran buat semua kepimpinan – kawan hari ini adalah lawan esok – lawan hari ini mungkin kawan esok”

That was what Anuar Mohd Nor a.k.a. ‘Jesus’ wrote in Facebook.

Anuar used to be my friend and what he said is very true — I confess to that ‘crime’. Anyway, when I say ‘used to be my friend’ I do not mean he is no longer my friend or is now my enemy. It is just that, since the Reformasi days of 1999, I have not been in contact with him.

In fact, many of us who used to be very close and met quite regularly 15 years ago at the height of the Reformasi movement sort of just drifted apart when we became disillusioned with what was going on and the way the politicians had hijacked the movement.

But the parting of ways was not overnight. It sort of slowly deteriorated over a few years from 2000 to 2004 until Anwar Ibrahim was released from jail and he made a decision to kill the Reformasi movement in case it ends up becoming PKR’s greatest enemy.

Yes, Anwar was already concerned 11 years ago back in 2004 that the Reformasi movement might become what the Malays would say senjata makan tuan. So, before that happens, he made a decision to tumpulkan that senjata.

And it worked when the Reformasi movement soon enough mati tidak berkubur, as how the Malays would describe it.

The height of my disgust was in 2004 soon after I launched Malaysia Today when I punched one of Anwar’s bodyguards during PKR’s annual assembly in Ipoh. I then walked off in a huff after telling Dato’ Kamarul Baharin Abbas that I resign from Suara Keadilan, the party newspaper, with immediate effect.

To show solidarity, my wife, Marina, also resigned and Dato’ Kamarul pleaded with both of us to discuss this back in KL once everyone has calmed down. I told Dato’ Kamarul there is no more discussion. My decision is final. Anwar can go fook himself for all I care.

Yes, that was 11 years ago back in 2004.

In 2007, Ronnie Liu of DAP asked me to help Bersih in its effort to hand over a Petition to His Majesty the Agong. Because of my links to the Palace I agreed and I made sure that we obtained consent from the Palace to present that Petition to the Agong.

We marched to Istana Negara with Petition in hand but when we reached the Palace gates we were told to wait outside. It seems the ‘party leaders’ were on the way. Party leaders? What has party leaders got to do with this? This is an effort by Bersih, not the party.

After waiting an hour or so, Anwar and the other opposition leaders arrived and they took the Petition from us and walked into the Palace. Again they had hijacked the movement. First it was Reformasi. Now it was Bersih.

In 2008, Ronnie Liu asked me to help campaign for him in the Pandamaran state seat in Kelang. This was a MCA fortress and the Malays in the neighbouring Kampung Raja Uda, named after my grandfather, have always voted Umno since Merdeka — while the Indians in neighbouring Port Kelang were all staunch MIC supporters.

I told Ronnie I would only agree to campaign for him and not for any of the others. I received many invitations to ceramah in other places but I turned them all down and just focused on the Pandamaran state seat, the Port Kelang state seat, and the Port Kelang parliament seat.

I am happy to say we won all three seats when the prediction was that Barisan Nasional was going to take those seats. And, for the first time since Merdeka, the Malays in Kampung Raja Uda voted opposition.

I also campaigned in the Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu by-elections, both which we won with pretty impressive majorities. Soon after that I left the country, of course.

Anyway, political alliances are not static. They are dynamic. They change depending on changing situations, as what Pakatan Rakyat has shown us. Anuar would like to see alliances cemented in stone that must never change come what may. That is not how it works.

As I have written many times before, I supported the Iranian Islamic Revolution when it first started back in 1979. I even went to Mekah in 1982 and joined the anti-US and anti-Saudi demonstrations organised by the Iranians.

But when I eventually saw the brutality of the Revolution, which was worse than what even the Shah did, I no longer supported the Iranian Revolution.

I supported Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and was anti-America during the First Gulf War. But when I saw what Saddam did to his own people, especially the Kurds, I became disgusted and celebrated his downfall.

I supported the Islamic State and felt that it is time the Muslims take back control of the Middle East. Today? Well, after seeing what they are doing I feel I can no longer support a cause such as IS or ISIS.

So you see, when you fight for a good cause I support you. When you deviate from the cause or prove worse than those you are fighting, I no longer support you.

And is this something that Anuar cannot understand? After all, he, too, has changed causes many times over the last 16 years since 1999. And he knows what I mean and I know why he changed causes through those 16 years.