Not only proves involvement in the Altantuya murder but also abusing Executive powers!!!

Very interesting article this, taken from Malaysia Today blog. Do read cause it does some what prove beyond doubt of Najid's involvement in the Mongolian murder mystery.

Enjoy.....

*Article starts*
The following text message correspondence is between YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Dato' Shafee Abdullah, a Malaysian lawyer who initially represented Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda who is on trial for abeting the murder of Mongolian national, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

While it does not answer lingering questions about Najib's alleged past relations with Altantuya, the text messages show clearly Najib's active intereference in the case very early on. The messages highlight Najib's willingness to speak with both members of the Attorney General's Chambers and Inspector General of Police about the case, something that suggests an abuse of executive power.

What is particularly revealing and troubling is that the counsel, Shafee, keeps asking Najib for details indicating some political intervention that may have influenced the case. This observation is strengthened by Najib's message to Shafee on 16 November 2006: "Pls do not say anything to the press today. i will explain later. RB will have to face a tentative charge but all is not lost." This message raises a lot of questions about Najib's role in this case. Why did he mention "tentative" charge and that "all is not lost" for RB (Razak Baginda)? How would Najib know this before Razak was charged? Is there already a deal in place that will see Razak aquitted? These are important questions which will have ramifications not just on this case but far beyond.

The text messages were transmitted between Najib's personal mobile phone (+6012 2143177) and Shafee's mobile phone (+6012 3257052).

Those who seek the truth should challenge Najib and Shafee to deny that this correspondence took place between them. Perhaps a record of the messages still resides in the server of the relevant telecommunications company.
The truth is buried somewhere. Those who know what truly happened hope that the truth has been buried deep with Altantuya. But the funny thing is, the truth always finds its way into the hands of those who fight for justice – sometimes in the most mysterious circumstances.

The SMS-Chat Begin ....

Wednesday 8/11/2006
Shafee to Najib (S2N) Date: 8/11/2006 02:59:31
--> Dato Seri, The Razak Baginda thing is troubling me.Can I help? Salam, Shafee

Najib to Shafee (N2S) Date: 8/11/2006 03:45:05
--> I will speak with u later tonight.

S2N Date: 8/11/2006 03:45:31
--> Thank you

S2N Date: 8/11/2006 06:28:56
--> Met the investigating officer today.Position is serious for RB.The 3 are highly implicated.RB's case can be fought.There are redeeming features for him.But we need to meet Dato Seri as there are other looming issues at large.But not to worry. Salam > Shafee

N2S Date: 8/11/2006 21:06:11
--> I have spoken to IGP. U can represent n meet RB in court.

Thursday 9/11/2006
N2S Date: 9/11/2006 12:45:30
--> If RB's remand is upto Sunday, does it mean that he has to be charged by Fri or be released? i hope it is looking better for him.

S2N Date: 9/11/2006 13:11:23
--> 3 things can happen.Firstly, they can ask for more time for detention.We will resist.Second,they have to release him by Friday or thirdly charge him by Friday.Police took him to his office for document search.Nothing incriminating found.Now they are recording stmt from him.Later search in house.Under control so far Dato Seri. Salam, shafee

S2N Date: 9/11/2006 14:09:03
--> Dato Seri, Re RB need to meet up with you today. shafee

N2S Date: 9/11/2006 14:17:47
--> 630 pm at my house in PJaya this evening.

S2N Date: 9/11/2006 14:18:21
--> Thank you

Friday 10/11/2006
N2S Date: 10/11/2006 15:14:31
--> Any news about RB ?

S2N Date: 10/11/2006 15:19:40
--> Dato Seri, Negotiating for conditional release.If not police need 2 or 3 more days extention.I suspect its an exercise in public relation as they do not want public to think a VIP was given an easier time.Being a vip under these conditions is a liability.Otherwise we are on track according to plan. Salam, Shafee

N2S Date: 10/11/2006 15:27:01
--> Thanks, he is very stressful according to his wife n would be a huge help if he could get a conditional release latest by sun.

N2S Date: 10/11/2006 21:35:52
--> Saw the news on tv. RB was sent for DNA. Not sure it was neccessary.

S2N Date: 10/11/2006 21:40:19
--> Unnessasary.But I think its on his lung infection.He has just been sent again to HUKM.Will know more later from inside contacts.

Saturday 11/11/2006
S2N Date: 11/11/2006 03:17:56
--> Dato Seri, I was at ghkl ccu 4th floor.RB was admitted due to lung infection:mild pneumonia and asthmatic.This was the pain he was suffering in the chest and unexplained coughing for months.He is under an able physician Dato Dr Jeyaindran Sinnadurai(head of Dept of Medicine)Its good he is resting there than in the lockup.Dna was done to eliminate that he was at scene of crime(paternity can be ruled out as well).Need to see Dato Seri on some concerns. Salam. Shafee

N2S Date: 11/11/2006 08:54:17
--> ANy chance of a release by sun ?

S2N Date: 11/11/2006 08:58:14
--> Police should release him by then except that I think the police is disturbeb by Media and public pressure.Other factors need be coomunicated to Dato Seri in person. Investigation wise we are on track for release.

S2N Date: 11/11/2006 09:26:52
--> It is clear that the Police will ask for extention t'row.I will resist strongly in view of the fact that the last few days investigation on RB have completed investigations that require RB's presence in custody.Secondly, from yesterday the Police has done nothing much with him except to do the dna.Thirdly, I am concerned with the Police carelessness yesterday in allowing the 3 other suspects to be freely mixing and therefore tainting their subsequent stmnts as they could be 'group coached'.But it also show Police no longer need to isolate the suspects.Even RB was handcuffed to the C/I. Salam . Shafee

N2S Date: 11/11/2006 11:46:48
--> I Can see u today at my Taman duta hse at 6 pm.

S2N Date: 11/11/2006 11:59:08
--> OK Dato Seri.Insyaallah I will be there.

Sunday 12/11/2006
S2N Date: 12/11/2006 13:53:41
--> 2 days extention to Tuesday.They must release him by then maybe conditionally.Police asked for full 14days.He has message.

S2N Date: 12/11/2006 14:06:23
--> Will give Dato Seri in a while

S2N Date: 12/11/2006 15:10:17
--> 0320949418

Monday 13/11/2006
S2N Date: 13/11/2006 15:53:36
--> Am in his office now.Another search. AG will be unwilling to charge and lose a case yet again.It is agood idea to suggest to AG to hood on and let investigtion proceed with Razak Released on Bond.

N2S Tel: 60122143177 Date: 13/11/2006 16:23:29
--> How was the search ?

S2N Date: 13/11/2006 16:25:56
--> We provided them everything,including old pda and note books and a couple of bills.Nothing incriminating.

Wednesday 15/11/2006
S2N Date: 15/11/2006 13:21:32
--> Things going as expected.2 male officer charged for murder in common intention.Razak's name not in. Lady officer released but rearrested under Emergency Ordinance to be used as Crown witness(exactly as predicted). I am expecting RB to be released on Bond.4 of my lawyers are watching brief the proceedings in the murder case.Rb matter prob t'row. Pl call. Shafee Ps coming back now from Taipei.

N2S Date: 15/11/2006 23:31:09
--> So hopefully he will be released tmrw?

S2N Date: 15/11/2006 23:34:38
--> Dato Seri, I am driving up from S'pore ,no more flight to KL tonight.Hope for th best.Any indication? Shafee

N2S Date: 15/11/2006 23:36:52
--> Not heard anything untoward yet.

Thursday 16/11/2006
S2N Date: 16/11/2006 10:52:43
--> Anything Dato Seri? I am already in Court.

N2S Date: 16/11/2006 10:53:50
--> Pls do not say anything to the press today. i will explain later. RB will have to face a tentative charge but all is not lost.

S2N Date: 16/11/2006 10:54:30
--> OK, TQ

Friday 17/11/2006
S2N Date: 17/11/2006 10:50:30
--> Dato Seri, Its important you speak toYusoff Zainal Abidin as he knows the law a lot better in the Chambers.I am confident he is concerned with the negligible evidence agst Razak.The Raja Mahani and Tengku Ariston cases ought to be the guiding critera for AG.They cannot afford another scandallous loss by the Prosecution as in Norita, Ariston,Dato Balwant etc.

N2S Date: 17/11/2006 11:39:46
--> OK will try. Meanwhile try to console the wife. She is hysterical.

S2N Date: 17/11/2006 11:41:29
--> I know Dato Seri.I will do everything I can.Salam, Shafee

S2N Date: 17/11/2006 12:57:49
--> Dato Seri, Razak has not been sent to Hospital.He is clearly not well.He is refusing to take Prison's medicine for fear of sabourtage.The chief Physician of GHKL Dato Dr Jaya Sinnadurai is shocked that they have not brought Razak back to GHKL.I have spoken to Haji Darussalam,Sg Buloh's Prison Director.Can You sound this to Dato Radzi Shek Ahmad?Need to see you of s'thing that I think had happened that led to her death.Utterly shocking if I am right. Shafee

S2N Date: 17/11/2006 15:45:34
--> Dato Seri, I am at Sg Buloh Prison.I have organised Razak to be in HUKL,He is on his way there now. The Pengarah Hj Darussallam and deputy Supt Gunasegaran very helpful. Shafee

N2S Date: 17/11/2006 21:27:02
--> My regards to him. He Is always in my thought.

S2N Date: 17/11/2006 21:34:44
--> Will tell him

Sunday 19/11/2006
S2N Date: 19/11/2006 16:25:08
--> Dato Seri, I need Dsp Musa ,your ADc to call me to clarify a point.He is not answering Shafee

Monday 20/11/2006
S2N Date: 20/11/2006 13:02:33
--> Any developement Dato Seri? Shafee

N2S Date: 20/11/2006 14:30:20
--> Not yet.

S2N Date: 20/11/2006 14:30:38
--> Thank you

S2N Date: 20/11/2006 21:05:17
--> Dato Seri.Razak is being transfered to Sg. Buloh t'row.Can Dr. Jaya do anything?

N2S Date: 20/11/2006 23:04:50
--> When is he being transffered?

S2N Date: 20/11/2006 23:05:48
--> T'row

N2S Date: 20/11/2006 23:07:01
--> What time?

S2N Date: 20/11/2006 23:08:01
--> Probably late morning

Thursday 23/11/2006
N2S Tel: 60122143177 Date: 23/11/2006 13:46:51
--> Your message read" Najib released on personal bond!".

S2N Date: 23/11/2006 13:50:00
--> Razak released on Bail of 1 million. On personal bond undertaking. Shafee?I am terribly sorry for that mistake.Whole night tak tidur preparing. My profuse apologies Sir. salam. shafee

N2S Date: 23/11/2006 14:00:25
--> ALhamdullillah , at least he is on bail.Big relief for him n family.

S2N Date: 23/11/2006 14:02:02
--> Dato, I need to brief you urgently b4 you speak to him.Shafee

N2S Date: 23/11/2006 14:12:32
--> OK but not intending to speak to him as yet.

Saturday 2/12/2006
S2N Date: 2/12/2006 18:59:15
--> Dato Seri, Got some info that are troubling.Quite serious.Are you in Taman Duta?Can we meet? Salam, Shafee

8x8 concrete box...

Today, 19th September 2008, marks the 1st week anniversary of Raja Petra Kamaruddin's arrest on the 12th September 2008 under the ISA.

Marina Lee Abdullah, RPK's wife, and her 2 daughters were allowed to visis RPK on the 16th September 2008 at 11am. That is about 4 days after the arrest.

Here are some of what RPK had to say about his detention under the ISA as narrated by Marina;

• RPK has been sleeping on the floor on a wooden platform without any pillow or bedding and his cell is a windowless 8x8 concrete box.
• RPK id drawn and drained but still alert.
• RPK has lost weight and his sugar level has dropped from 8 to 4.
• RPK has not eaten much as the food supplied there is such that even his cats would refuse to eat it.
• RPK is very tired from the frequent interrogations.
• RPK said they will harrass him at all hours of the day and night.
• Sometimes they will just come to RPK's cell every half hourly, look into his cell by opening the loud clicking peep hole just to keep him awake.
• RPK has been interogated on all his articles and has been mocked for not living like a proper Muslim.

During Marina's whole visit, she and the husband was recorded by video the whole time. There was also the presents of 2 officers inside the visiting room.

It is saddening to hear that this true Malaysian is being treated like an armed and dangerous terrorist while under the ISA detention. It is hard to imagine the physcological emotion of Marina having to see her husband in such a state.

We should all give thanks and salute Marina for being brave and strong, willingfully, never complained or ever holding back RPK in his quest to fight for justice and rights of the Rakyat by opening our eyes and minds of this corrupted and racist present Government. Let us all mention Marina Lee Abdullah in our prayers.

The ISA as we now was drawn up during communist insurgent times and was only to be used against such terrorist or anyone who has intention to topple the Government by force. So what grounds does ISA have in detaining RPK as he is none of the above mentioned?!!

The call for the ISA to be abolished or ammended has once again fallen on the deaf ears of the Government led by DSAAB. Just a simple addition or clause is needed that the ISA should and can never be used on civillians.

As proven by the recent spate of arrests, the ISA is nothing but a constitutionally legal weapon of the Government that they may and will misuse and abuse its power to counter any individuals who are against them.

ISA.....the licensed power abusing Gestapo Mafia of the Government!!!

The truth behind the May 13 tragedy!!!

The expected and unavoidable day has dawned. On the 12th September 2008, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin was arrested under the Internal Security Act or ISA.

Raja Petra's wife Marina Lee Abdullah said her blogger husband was arrested at 1.10pm at their residence in Sungai Buloh by a team of 10 police officers. She informed that Raja Petra and some 17 cds along with a computer was taken away at about 1.50pm but whereabouts of the detention was not known.

RPK was arrested under the ISA Section 73 (1) which deems him as a threat to national security, peace and public order further intensifies the 3 years party membership suspension of racial remarks loose tongue shotgun mouthed Datuk Ahmad Ismail as light weighted and pretty much nothing.

In light of this injustice by the corrupt and racist government of DSAAB, we hope and pray that RPK will be treated well and with dignity while under the ISA detention.

To madam Marina Lee Abdullah and all the family members of RPK, you are in our hearts and prayers. We hope that you will be strong in enduring these trying times.

The Government and UMNO led by DSAAB has become so obsess with the fear of the rapid rise in support for DSAI and the Pakatan Rakyat coalition that they are now resorting to the most dispicable and inhumane tactical move of all, playing the racial card. The recent Datuk Ahmad Ismail racist slur and the irresponsible behaviour of his supporters coupled by the DSAAB and UMNO Supreme Council so said to be 'stern action' against Ahmad further proves that racial politics does exist in the present Government.

Let us all remain calm, be rational and keep our emotions and statements in check. A repeat of that fateful bloody day of May 13 is not what we the modern, civilised Rakyat of Malaysia wants.
Let us not let the pea-brained DSAAB and his cronnies out smart us unlike the unfortunate relatives of ours in the past.

They say those who forget history are condemn and doomed to repeat its mistakes. History is something not to be forgotten and buried but should be made a lesson to us all so that we may refrain ourselves from the mistakes made by the ones before us.

In consideration to this, I bring to your attention an article by RPK. Please do read it and read it well. It is the truth of what actually conspired which led to that dark and bloody tragic day in Malaysian history.....13 May 1969;

In 1968, Umno fanned racial sentiments in a bid to 'unite' the Malays under its banner. Umno realised that the Malays were abandoning it in droves and it needed an issue to reunite the Malays. Further to that, the Prime Minister was being blamed for what Umno perceived as a loss of Malay support and the Young Turks in Umno wanted to also use this issue to pressure the Prime Minister into resigning.

Twenty years later, in 1988, Umno again went into turmoil with the emergence of Team A and Team B, which eventually split into Umno Baru and Semangat 46. Again, just like twenty years before that, the Malays had become disillusioned with the Umno leadership and there was a danger that Umno would suffer the same fate it did in 1969 if the general election was called.

The Umno leadership very cleverly got the Umno Youth and MCA Youth leaders to raise racial issues and bring the country to the brink of another ‘May 13’. This was when that infamous gathering at the TPCA padang in Kampong Baru was held and when Najib Tun Razak, the Umno Youth Leader, raised the keris and threatened to bathe it in Chinese blood.

Of course, this second ‘May 13’ never happened. What did happen instead was that Operasi Lalang was launched and more than 100 opposition leaders and activists were detained under the Internal Security Act. Najib and the MCA Youth Leader, Lee Kim Sai, however, were spared detention, although they were the two main players in the whole episode.

The ploy did not quite succeed though. In the 1990 general election, half the Malays swung to the opposition and Umno lost most of the Malay heartland to Semangat 46 and PAS.

Twenty years on and history is, again, being repeated. It appears like every twenty years Umno takes the country to the brink of a race riot in its effort to 'unite' the Malays and to ensure that it does not lose Malay support. And the 8 March 2008 general election, as well as the recent Permatang Pauh by-election, is proof that Umno has lost Malay support.

"The current situation is a repeat of 1969," said Umno in its brainstorming session held at the Umno headquarters to conduct a post-mortem of the election results. "Therefore, a 1969 'solution' will also be required."

This is very dangerous talk indeed. And Umno has been doing nothing but talking dangerously since March 2008, as evident in the recent episode in Penang. Maybe the culprit has since been punished. Yesterday, Umno’s Supreme Council decided to suspend Ahmad Ismail for a period of three years. But the damage has already been done and the suspension can’t turn back the clock. Racial sentiments have already been fanned and Malaysia, again, is being pushed to the brink of a race riot.

Malays, Chinese and Indians need to know how May 13 started. They must be made aware of what May 13 was really all about. They must be made to realise that the current sabre-rattling is nothing but the same ploy that Umno used back in 1968 and 1988 whenever it felt that it was losing Malay support. May 13 was not about race although it is being touted as so. May 13 was about ‘reuniting’ the Malays and about ousting the Prime Minister from office.

To forget history would be to repeat its mistakes. Let us not be taken in by Umno’s shadow-play (wayang kulit). They know they are rapidly losing power and they want to retain power through foul means by raising the spectre of May 13. Malaysians need to be matured and clever enough to reject this ploy. Umno can try, but whether it can succeed will all depend on whether we get suckered into this very dangerous race game.

Let me take you down memory lane and recap what I wrote nine years ago so that we may learn from this dark history and not repeat what went wrong. As follows is what I wrote in Harakah on 24 September 1999.

***********************************************************

A REPORTER’S ACCOUNT OF AN INTERVIEW WITH TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN ON THE 13 MAY INCIDENT

The following statement is a factual account of the above-mentioned event given to me by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman (first Prime Minister of Malaysia) during an interview at his residence in Penang in 1972. I requested to discuss the above incident and was surprised when the appointment was given within three days.

His Secretary, a Chinese gentleman, allotted me one hour and advised me not to go into too much detail as this would tire the Tunku unnecessarily. In fact, the interview lasted three and a half hours. Because of the very surprising details provided to me, I think it would be best to report in a first-hand manner based on my notes written immediately after the interview.

"It was clear to me as well as the police that in the highly charged political atmosphere after the police were forced to kill a Chinese political party worker on May 4th, 1969, something was bound to happen to threaten law and order because of the resentment towards the Government by the KL Chinese on the eve of the general election. This was confirmed at this man’s funeral on the 9th May when the government faced the most hostile crowd it had ever seen.

Therefore, when the opposition parties applied for a police permit for a procession to celebrate their success in the results of the general election, I was adamant against it because the police were convinced that this would lead to trouble. I informed Tun Razak about this and he seemed to agree.

Now, without my knowledge and actually “behind my back”, there were certain political leaders in high positions who were working to force me to step down as a PM. I don’t want to go into details but if they had come to me and said so I would gladly have retired gracefully.

Unfortunately, they were apparently scheming and trying to decide on the best way to force me to resign. The occasion came when the question of the police permit was to be approved.

Tun Razak and Harun Idris, the MB of the state of Selangor, now felt that permission should be given, knowing fully well that there was a likelihood of trouble. I suppose they felt that when this happened they could then demand my resignation.

To this day I find it very hard to believe that Razak, whom I had known for so many years, would agree to work against me in this way. Actually he was in my house, as I was preparing to return to Kedah, and I overhead him speaking to Harun over the phone saying that he would be willing to approve the permit when I left. I really could not believe what I was hearing and preferred to think it was about some other permit. In any case, as the Deputy Prime Minister, in my absence from KL, he would be the Acting PM and would override my objection.

Accordingly, when I was in my home in Kedah, I heard over the radio that the permit had been approved.

It seems as though the expected trouble was anticipated and planned for by Harun and his UMNO Youth. After the humiliating insults hurled by the non-Malays, especially the Chinese, and after the seeming loss of Malay political power to them, they were clearly ready for some retaliatory action.

After meeting in large numbers at Harun’s official residence in Jalan Raja Muda near Kampong Bahru, and hearing inflammatory speeches by Harun and other leaders, they prepared themselves by tying ribbon strips on their foreheads and set out to kill Chinese. The first hapless victims were two of them in a van opposite Harun’s house who were innocently watching the large gathering. Little did they know that they would be killed on the spot.

The rest is history. I am sorry but I must end this discussion now because it really pains me as the Father of Merdeka to have to relive those terrible moments. I have often wondered why God made me live long enough to have witnessed my beloved Malays and Chinese citizens killing each other."

This was a conspiracy at the highest level and nothing short of a power struggle, with the 'Young Turks' then forming the pressure group. To achieve their ends, they very cleverly used race to make the Malays rise and push the Tengku aside.

Today, they are doing it again. This is dangerous politics. It may backfire and, instead, it may make the Malays rise against the non-Malays, like what happened in 1969 -- a fire raging out of control with no fire extinguisher in sight.

We must never allow our country to be turned into a racial battlefield again. Let politics be issues concerning policies, civil rights, good governance and justice. Let us not allow anyone to bring race and religion into our politics lest we suffer the fate of many countries around us where mass murders of entire families are made in the name of ‘bangsa’ and ‘agama’.

Could be RPK's last article before ISA gets him...

Is Anwar Ibrahim unstoppable?

With the big margin he attained in the by-election, it does look as if Barisan Nasional (BN) will have a hard time stopping him. But then, as Anwar himself said, a week is a long time in politics, meaning that nothing is definite.

He is stoppable as a person, but I think what has happened to him is that he has become the focus of a lot of hope for Malaysians disillusioned with the BN system. Because he is a wily politician — or a chameleon, as critics like to say — he has been able to remake himself in the image of the reform movement that his arrest 10 years ago inspired and that developed more intensely than he could have expected. That movement has aligned itself with other oppositional forces and that new combined force now places him as its front man. In turn, he has become indispensable to that force.

Understood that way, Anwar does look unstoppable. The long-term way BN and the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) can take the wind out of his sail is to reform themselves radically, and in the process, change Malaysian politics to the extent that the polarised situation that makes someone such as Anwar so iconic disappear, or weaken. As long as BN refuses to change, the situation that created the strong opposition that adopts Anwar as its front man will continue.

His court case relating to a sodomy charge, starting on September 10, is a big worry for the opposition. A lot of resources will be focused on defending Anwar, and on weakening the prosecution's case, including proving that the charge against him is politically motivated.

What is Mr Abdullah's future?

History will perceive Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as the accidental politician and will forgive him for many of his failures because of that. But for the moment, many Malaysians on both sides are simply exasperated by his weak leadership and his inability to adapt to changes. No one mistakes his reticence for astuteness any longer.

His time is up. He has to realise how critical reforms actually are to the future of the country.

If Anwar's attempt at toppling the government does not materialise, then the attention will turn to Umno's general assembly in December. Many Umno leaders are not willing to allow Abdullah to bide his time while they run the risk of being sidelined forever. One goes into politics to gain power, and if the power pyramid that one is part of is sinking, then at some point, one decides that it is every man for himself.

What about Umno's future?

One day quite soon, Malaysians will learn to see political coalitions as temporary solutions to imbalances in power, and not as monolithic and eternal beings that become a goal in themselves. There are no permanent allies and no permanent enemies.

It will be nearly impossible for Umno to regain its former glory. That glory depended on the BN model. Today, it is like the Kuomintang of Taiwan in the '80s. It must go through a radical change, and to do that, it may have to leave the seat of power for a while. Its members have to realise that Malaysia's wellbeing is not necessarily Umno's wellbeing.

Even if the party loses power, it can return, but in a new shape and in new alliances. The worst-case scenario is that Umno may go the way of the Communist Party in Yugoslavia and disappear. The fear then is that the country will disintegrate along with it. The best-case scenario is that politics in Malaysia will mature to the extent that political opponents no longer wish destruction on each other.

Losing will not be everything; winning will not be everything.

From now to September 16 and December, what are the signs to look for?

Abdullah presented his budget on August 29 and Parliament is now in recess until the fasting month of Ramadan is over. In the meantime, we have Wednesday to watch, when Anwar goes on trial. Should the sodomy charge be dropped, then BN admits that its tactic has backfired and it withdraws to fight another day. Should it stick, Anwar's camp will try its best to keep him out of jail.

Given how Anwar was treated the last time he was in detention, his closest supporters fear that some serious harm will come to him while in jail.

September 16 is the day to watch — Malaysia Day, the day 45 years ago when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the federation. Anwar chose that day as a day of reckoning because it is very symbolic to the East Malaysians who feel let down by the federal government. He promises them a better deal, a simple enough strategy.

Even if Anwar cannot convince 30 BN Members of Parliament (MPs) to cross over to his side, he is expected to mark that day in a dramatic fashion. What he could do is perhaps to get some defectors to announce their intention publicly on September 16, and then hope for a snowball effect from there. He could also announce a defection by Umno MPs. Should nine of them defect, it would mean that Umno loses its majority within the ruling BN coalition. A bigger scoop would be to get a whole party to defect, threatening the existence of BN itself.

Also important to watch will be the Umno's division elections next month. What support Abdullah still has will become clearer from that. The main challenger to Abdullah within Umno, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, will also be gauging his own strength during that time.

If Anwar were to be Prime Minister, what kind of leader would he be?

His rhetoric seems to echo the wishes of a large segment of the Malaysian population at the moment, and that segment will be dictating what kind of PM he will be. Malaysia is suffering from a leadership problem at the moment, and many are putting a lot of hope in him.

Anwar has to balance the aims of the parties in his coalition, and we will see compromises being made. That is the reality in Malaysia. But I think a culture of dialogue will be developed under his watch and that will be a great achievement indeed. I think at least that can be accomplished by him.

Anwar can be expected to use a global economic focus to expedite institutional changes and minimise differences in the agendas of various parties. There is a lot of room for change, and with the political support he seems to enjoy, he should be able to do a good job. I think the new democratic atmosphere in Malaysia will see to that.

The writer is a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. He is the author of Lost in Transition: Malaysia under Abdullah and The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail and His Time.

*************************************************************

16 September 2008. That is Malaysia Day. That is also the day Anwar Ibrahim is supposed to take over the government. Today, some well-known personalities are joining Parti Keadilan Rakyat. From thereon, more are expected to follow, culminating in the final exodus of Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament.

Stay tuned for the announcements to follow.Many just can’t believe that Anwar will really take over on 16 September 2008.

Some just wish it were true. Some say it’s too good to be true. Others say Anwar is just playing poker. The sceptics say Anwar is laying the ground for a self-fulfilling prophecy. What is foremost in everyone’s mind is: is Anwar playing a high-stakes poker game or will this be a gunfight at the OK Corral?

At this point of time, Anwar can no longer just play poker. No one asked him to take over the government. No one set 16 September 2008 as the deadline. This was entirely Anwar’s own choice with no pressure or cohesion whatsoever on anyone’s part. It was Anwar who 'volunteered' the entire exercise. No one forced him into the situation.

Taking all this into consideration, there is no way Anwar can renege on his ‘promise’. To do so would result in a serious erosion of credibility. If Anwar fails to deliver his 16 September 2008 promise, he might as well disappear from the scene. If 16 September 2008 comes and goes as a non-event, Anwar too will become a non-event and will have to throw in the towel and call it quits.

Anwar is no novice. He is not an amateur politician. He is as seasoned as they come. And no seasoned politician like Anwar will commit Hara Kiri. And Hara Kiri it will be if Anwar turns around on 16 September 2008 and say, "I was just joking lah."

So my money is on 16 September 2008 happening. Not happening would mean the death knell of Anwar Ibrahim. And Anwar is not ready to die just yet. If Anwar fails to deliver, that would trigger the beginning of the end for Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Parti Gerakan Rakyat is on the verge of leaving the ruling coalition. No, it is not going to join Pakatan Rakyat. It is going to remain as an ‘independent’ party. And from there it is going to re-build its lost fortunes and revert to what it used to be when it was first launched 40 years ago in 1968.

Gerakan is going to be a most attractive party once it leaves Barisan Nasional and it launches its 'remaking' exercise. Hell, even I might get attracted to it once it transforms into what it started out in 1968. Gerakan will of course need to attract not only many professionals but from amongst all the races as well. And if Anwar falls short on 16 September 2008, Gerakan will be there with open arms to receive all the disappointed ex-Anwaristas who no longer have any confidence that Anwar is true to his word.

So, the stakes are too high not to succeed. This is not a game. It is not even a high-stakes poker game. It is a fight to the finish. It is a winner-takes-all situation. It is a last-man-standing duel. It is a gunfight at the OK Corral. And only one walks away from such a fight. And that one will be Anwar. My money is on that happening. Hell, my freedom is on that as well.

Today, I received many phone calls from concerned friends who told me that the government is considering detaining me under the Internal Security Act ‘very soon’. If that does happen, then this could probably be the last article I write, at least until 16 September 2008. So I too need Anwar to succeed. If not I will be in Kamunting for quite some time to come and you will not hear from me over the next couple of years.

Yes, I too have placed, not only my money, but also my freedom on Anwar. And if Anwar fails to deliver his promise on 16 September 2008, not only he but I as well am headed for a fall. But I have confidence he will do it. And I have confidence that my stay in Kamunting will not be for two years but for a mere two weeks.

But if I am wrong…..well, then see you maybe in six or seven years time, because for sure Najib Tun Razak will not release me in 2010 when he becomes Prime Minister. What he would do, instead, would be to rollover my two-year detention another two years, and another two years, and another two years, until I am too old to think and write anymore.

Till we meet again, if we do meet again, take care and keep the flame burning. There is still a long fight ahead of us in bringing reforms to this beloved country of ours.

Abdullah and Anwar — flip sides with the same thinking

The Bukit Bendera Umno division chief reminded Malaysian Chinese that they are immigrants and assigned them second-class status. He has not apologised for his comments which have upset the MCA and Gerakan, many of whom want him to be suspended or hung out to dry by Abdullah and the Umno leadership.

The Malaysian Insider Commentary

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim share several similarities. They both call Penang home. They both have managed to get on the wrong side of their former mentor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

And it seems they both will go the extra mile to protect their own political comrades, sometimes even sacrificing their principles and convictions about Malaysia, and tenets of the Federal Constitution.

No?

Let’s consider the facts. When Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Zulkifli Nordin led the mob against the Bar Council for organising a forum on conversion to Islam, he was slammed by many from his own party for his thuggish behaviour. Except Anwar.

The Bandar Baru Kulim MP went into hiding after the incident and emerged more than a week later, defiant and unrepentant. He said that he had explained his actions at the forum to Anwar and had been cleared. He then lashed out enemies of Islam and said that he would reprise his role in breaking up the forum if necessary.

The silence from Anwar was deafening. Incidentally, no action has been taken against Zulkifli, despite threatening noises from Dr Syed Husin Ali, Sivarasa Rasiah and Tian Chua who were upset at the force and language used by protestors to disrupt the forum. Among other things, the demonstrators told the Chinese in not so polite terms to return to the land of their ancestors.

On hindsight, it is easy to understand why Anwar did not come out strong against Zukilfi.

He knew that though the MP’s actions were slammed by the chattering class and non-Muslims, they were hugely popular with Muslims who felt that Zulkifli and the protestors were standing up for Islam and its special position in Malaysia. He also had his eye on the Permatang Pauh by-election where ground reports suggested that he had the full backing of Chinese and Indian voters but had yet to win over a significant portion of the Malay vote.

So the best solution: stay clear of the Zulkifli controversy and hope that the controversy goes away.

Political consideration was also pretty much on Abdullah’s mind when he responded meekly to the controversy surrounding Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s comments about the Chinese at a political rally on the eve of the by-election.

The Bukit Bendera Umno division chief reminded Malaysian Chinese that they are immigrants and assigned them second-class status. He has not apologised for his comments which have upset the MCA and Gerakan, many of whom want him to be suspended or hung out to dry by Abdullah and the Umno leadership.

Abdullah has attempted to diffuse the situation by saying that Ahmad did not mean to offend anyone, adding that the he would tell the division chief not to repeat those words. This assurance is akin to applying. minyak angin on an open sore — it just worsened the situation.

On the face of it, it is difficult to understand why Abdullah is going out on a limb for Ahmad. Ahmad was a staunch Anwar soldier in the old days and enjoyed rubbishing the prime minister when he was not elected as one of Umno’s vice-presidents in 1993.

Abdullah’s loyalists still remember Ahmad’s choice words against Abdullah when the PM was a political nobody.

So why is Abdullah not prepared to chastise this man whose arrogant comments only serve to entrench the antipathy that non-Malays feel towards Umno and the Barisan Nasional?

Put it another way. Why is Abdullah prepared to stand by and watch the stature of the MCA and Gerakan sink further among Chinese? Every time an Umno leader makes a stinging comment about non-Malays or their religious practices and it goes unpunished, stronger is the view among Chinese and Indians that the MCA, Gerakan and MIC are political weaklings, and not worth supporting.

Abdullah knows this very well. But the fact is between now and December only one thing matters to him — obtaining the bulk of nominations from 191 Umno divisions and being re-elected as the party president.

Everything else is a distant second. And that includes pushing through legislation for a Judicial Appointment Commission (which incidentally is also unpopular with the Umno crowd). Or disciplining a party warlord, who comments about the status of Chinese just happens to be the majority view in the ruling party.

It is an open secret that many Umno politicians feel “betrayed’’ byChinese and Indian voters and want to punish them for supporting Pakatan Rakyat in Election 2008. They also believe that the non-Malays have become too vocal since March 8 and need to be put in their place.

So Ahmad Ismail’s comments are not isolated thinking. It is the majority view in a party that will not accept that non-Malays also have an ownership stake in the country.

Abdullah is not prepared to challenge this view and risk upsetting the support of party warlords like Ahmad Ismail. His survival comes before anything else. Between now and December, political consideration trumps everything else.

So maybe Abdullah and Anwar have got more in common than they wish to acknowledge. They both are prepared to leave their ideals of a Malaysia for all by the wayside if it means keeping the support of their home constituency.

Sad but true. -RPK (author of Malaysia Today blog)