The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- Anwar no more Raja Petra’s hero
- US nasyid group coming to Malaysia next month
- Ikim to launch Islamic TV channel
| Anwar no more Raja Petra’s hero Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:08 PM PST Raja Petra Kamaruddin, in an interview with the media, gives his take on Pakatan Rakyat and its leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a man he once admired and supported wholeheartedly. BLOGGER-in-exile Raja Petra Kamaruddin has emerged to give an interview to several media representatives, during which he spoke on a wide range of topics covering the future of Pakatan Rakyat, its leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the prospects of the coalition in the next general election. The interview appeared yesterday in The New Sunday Times, Berita Minggu, Mingguan Malaysia and online news website Malaysia Today. His emergence at this crucial juncture is a boon to Barisan Nasional as it prepares for the hustings. In a nutshell, what he spoke about can be summarised in his own words: "I can support the Opposition, without supporting Anwar. "It is not a sin or crime if I don't support Anwar," says the political pundit who is more popularly referred to as RPK. That statement summed up his current position vis-a-vis politics and the big battle for power ahead. He has lost confidence in Anwar as Pakatan leader. He believes Pakatan cannot capture Putrajaya and he says the Opposition must look beyond to a time when it can exist and keep going without Anwar. The key to politics today is to create a two-party system, to lay the foundation for it and not to capture power now. On a personal note, he believes the Sodomy II trial was fair compared with the first sodomy trial in the late 90s and that Anwar is a victim of a honey trap in the latest tribulations. Raja Petra is certainly no ordinary blogger. He was the first man in the country to combine digital technology with a flair for writing and place it at the disposal of the man he admired and supported wholeheartedly Anwar. He kept the Anwarites' flame alive through the dark years of Anwar's sacking by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the reformasi struggle and Anwar's imprisonment, with his Free Anwar website. After Anwar's 2004 release, Raja Petra set up the Malaysia Today website which, with his talent for story-telling, turned into the foremost political news blog. He "escaped" from the country and ended up as an exile in Britain following several warrants for his arrest. In addition, several people have also obtained bankruptcy petitions against him. In Britain, he set up the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) with lawyer Haris Ibrahim and they proffered several independent candidates, i.e. lawyer Malik Imtiaz but their scheme did not take off because of criticisms from Pakatan leaders and supporters. The Opposition saw the third force, as MCLM wanted to be, as a trojan horse of Barisan. His Malaysia Today website is not as widely read as it was before but Raja Petra, as an activist and commentator on political development, remains influential as this wide-ranging interview suggests. His take on Anwar remains his most important contribution to contemporary politics, as he was such an ardent supporter previously. He says if Pakatan does not capture Putrajaya, and he gives reasons why it can't do it, Anwar would slide into irrelevance and eventually into oblivion. The struggle has always been to bring change and not to free Anwar as in Nelson Mandela's case, to fight and bring down apartheid and not to seek his release. While Raja Petra is by no means a supporter of Barisan, he reserves his harshest criticism to Anwar's failure to lead Pakatan. He faults Anwar's leadership shortcomings. He says Anwar is a great speaker at ceramah but he is not an administrator and points to the many times Anwar has gone overseas since he was appointed economic adviser to the Selangor government three years ago. "Shouldn't you be staying home, running the state? Running the party? Running the coalition?" he said. He also urges Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to take the "bull by the horns" in introducing reforms and not just scratch the surface or indulge in cosmetic changes. "Najib must be prepared not only to take a knife but a chainsaw and cut whatever he needs to cut." Being who he is, supporters of Pakatan would be unhappy with Raja Petra's criticisms of the coalition. The three parties of the coalition seem to be fighting each other for the spoils of victory in the next general election, he says. It is a coup for the Government to get no less than Raja Petra himself to line up against Pakatan and its leader Anwar. His influence on Pakatan supporters was seen in the 2008 general election. He was out campaigning, asking voters to vote for change. This time, he is asking voters to not to vote blindly for any "donkey or monkey" but to pick candidates, from either side who would truly serve the rakyat. In justifying his criticism of Pakatan, he says he is not supporting Barisan and he is not saying Barisan is the best government. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| US nasyid group coming to Malaysia next month Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:07 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR: American nasyid group Native Deen and Kareem Salama, known as the first American Muslim country music singer are heading here for concerts to promote peace, especially to the young. However, Nizal.Com Sdn Bhd, which will be bringing the two acts here next month, has yet to set the dates for their performances. The music of Native Deen, from Washington DC, combines a hip-hop style with lyrical themes grounded in Islam. The trio, comprising Joshua Salaam, Naeem Muhammad and Abdul Malik Ahmad, use percussion and synthetic sounds. Their music, produced under the Mountain of Light label founded by Yusuf Islam (previously known as Cat Stevens), seeks to inspire young people to keep their Islamic faith amid the pressures of daily life. Kareem, whose music is a hybrid of country, pop and rock music, has released three albums; Generous Peace (2006) This Life of Mine (2007) and City of Lights (2011). He has been featured in major publications and performed at the Global Peace and Unity Event in London in October 2008. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Ikim to launch Islamic TV channel Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:06 PM PST Monday January 2, 2012KUALA LUMPUR: Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) will launch a television channel, TV Ikim, next month, said its director-general Datuk Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan. He said the broadcasting station would not only propagate Islam but also enhance understanding of the religion. Currently, Ikim runs a 24-hour Islamic-oriented radio station, IKIM.fm. - Bernama |
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