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A political earthquake Anwar owes it to Malaysians to stand true to reformasi's ideals
by Anil Netto
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Though the Federal Court subsequently dismissed his appeal on his corruption conviction on Sept 15, Anwar nonetheless definitely remains a politician to watch. Some five and a half years ago, when Anwar was sentenced to a total of 15 years in jail, I had the nagging feeling that he would not serve out his entire jail term. The campaign to seek his release had begun from day one and persisted over the years despite flagging resources and daunting obstacles. But in the end, it succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of many. Our mainstream media and some political pundits have much egg on their face. They had consistently maintained that Anwar was irrelevant, that he was a fading force in politics �� perhaps they fell into a trap of their own making. The mainstream media blackout and the marginalisation of Anwar in their reporting and in their analyses in the months and years before 2 Sept 2004 had inadvertently fed this belief that no one was interested in Anwar any longer. A force to be reckoned with But the truth was there for all to see � from the euphoria outside the Federal Court to the thousands who thronged his Bukit Damansara residence to the some 10,000 reformasi-chanting Malaysians who jammed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to wish him well for his surgery in Germany. The rousing reception he received must have jolted his detractors in a way that cannot be described. To their consternation, Anwar remains a force to be reckoned with � there is no doubt about that. What remains to be seen is whether he will use that force to create a more just and democratic Malaysia or to serve his own political ambitions. Even now journalists, editors and political pundits continue to delude themselves by saying that UMNO�s refusal to allow Anwar to return to UMNO spells the end of Anwar�s political career and advancement. In my opinion, UMNO needs Anwar more than Anwar needs UMNO. If UMNO had accepted Anwar and Anwar had rejoined UMNO, his credibility as a reformist would have been shattered and his reputation would have been in tatters. Now that he is without a party position, Anwar is well-placed to act as a unifying force for change and to offer hope for opposition politics. Anwar was after all the rallying point for the reformasi movement and acted as a catalyst from his prison cell. But certainly he was not bigger than the reformasi movement. The ideals and values of the reformasi movement � the struggle for justice, freedom and human rights for all � was an on-going one and long preceded Anwar�s ouster from government. They were there persistently even when Anwar was in power as deputy premier, unfortunately on the wrong side of the struggle. In truth, the reformasi phenomenon owes its roots to the struggle of countless nameless - and often forgotten - idealistic Malaysians struggling for justice, democracy and liberty over a few generations � courageous Malaysians who paid a heavy price for these ideals. But what was Anwar�s contribution to the struggle then? The circumstances and the manner of his ouster brought into focus the stark authoritarian streak of the Mahathir administration. His ordeal and unjust treatment highlighted the injustices in the system to a whole new generation of Malaysians who had until then not bothered about these issues. His cruel beating in police custody and the terrible black eye he sustained revealed the depths to which the human rights situation in Malaysia had sunk. The bizarre court trials brought into focus the pathetic state of our judiciary, revealing to what extent the independence of the judiciary had been compromised after the judicial crisis in 1988. The way the media was enlisted to tar Anwar�s name only showed up the deplorable lack of press freedom in Malaysia. His protracted attempt to seek medical treatment abroad revealed a distinct lack of compassion by those in power. His resolute defiance of power and brute force and his (and his lawyers�) steely resolve against formidable odds showed how over time, the forces of oppression could be challenged with some results. His plight brought together different groups of Malaysians of all ethnic origins who believed that our country was capable of better things. Some plunged into party politics, others got involved in NGO work, still others set up alternative media especially on the Internet to counter the official propaganda and provide a different perspective to the news.
Many reformasi sympathisers fell by the way-side, as the costs of the struggle mounted. Those who could, soldiered on, even as their numbers dwindled, never giving up hope. On Sept 2, they achieved a rare victory and great satisfaction and how they celebrated. It was a collective effort: the brave individuals who had to contend with FRU trucks; the alternative media which strove to present the other side of the story, despite being strapped for resources; the NGOs and human rights groups that campaigned valiantly against great odds; those who were detained under the ISA for refusing to back off; the anonymous �lone-ranger� webmasters who kept the struggle alive. Tested by fire It would not be appropriate to attribute all these struggles and sacrifices to any one person even if that person was Anwar. For his part, Anwar simply cannot forget these people who struggled on the frontlines and sacrificed so much for their principles to highlight his cause. In turn, they expect the same from Anwar � not to betray their cause, not to abandon the commitment to the reform process. Quite simply, he owes it to all those who sacrificed so much to stand true to the reformasi aspirations. In a sense, Anwar has to prove himself, to show that he wasn�t just using people to serve his own ends but is truly committed to bringing about reforms. The mainstream media � and some Malaysians who have grown so cynical over the years after witnessing all those kataks lompat-ting all over the place - are so fond of saying that in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies. Machiavelli would have been proud of them. In truth, principles, ideals and the quest for justice and greater democracy do matter and principled politicians should choose their friends very carefully. Politicians who ignore ideals and principles in their pursuit of power and wealth betray the people. They say that suffering and incarceration can change a person. Once a person has been tested by �fire�, and has had to wrestle with the demons within, in solitude for months and years on end, he or she can emerge from �the dark night of the soul� either disillusioned or stronger, either fired by vengeance or purified by a larger more magnanimous vision of justice and truth. In a way, Anwar�s inability to re-enter politics immediately could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. He has the luxury of starting afresh on a clean slate; his reformasi colleagues will no doubt overlook his past transgressions while he was in government. Anwar could use the time he has at his disposal now to dialogue with a whole spectrum of groups to gauge the pulse of society six years later. This will help him to refine reformasi�s aspirations. Much has changed since Anwar�s incarceration in 1998 � we are on the threshold of AFTA and the dangers of unbridled free trade and globalisation; on the brink of an uncritical wholesale acceptance of biotechnology and the threat it poses to our biodiversity and food security; we are immersed in a divided post Sept 11 world plunged in the midst of acts of terror committed by terrorist groups and terrorism mounted by states and faced with the critical need for dialogue. The �war on terror� has set back the struggle for human rights by several years. Anwar has his work cut out for him. All eyes will be on him now to see if he can live up to the expectations of so many reformist-minded Malaysians who have sacrificed so much in the struggle for a more just and democratic Malaysia. They have every right to expect him to be part of that struggle and play a leading role to advance the cause of justice. Now e-mail us and tell us what you think. Your comments might be published in the Letters section of our print magazine, Aliran Monthly. | |||||||||||||||
Many Malaysians stood on the frontlines, silently, stoically, heroically � braving the charges of the FRU and their water cannons. 