In announcing my resignation as MCLM president on this blog on 2nd January, this year, I had this to say :
“…under the heading “RPK – Anwar may become irrelevant”, also reproduced in full on Malaysia Today, RPK is reported to have said that “the Egypt-style people’s revolution was not an answer for Malaysia due to the delicate racial balance. “They (Chinese voters) don’t want Tahrir Square type of change”.”
These comments just referred to greatly undermine efforts I am making, albeit through MLCM, in the ABU initiative.
It also saddens me that even as initiatives like SABM and so many others continue daily to undo the ill-effects of UMNO /BN’s 40 over years of race-based, divide-and-rule, my friend should continue to see us as Malays, Chinese, Indians, dll .
I remain committed to all efforts to see this a nation of a single people, all equal.
And I am fully committed to the cause of ABU.
In the circumstances, I find it impossible to continue to serve MCLM as its president”.
In his latest post, ‘The hidden racist agenda‘, RPK shares his concerns with us about his having discovered racists in the opposition parties.
Heck, Pete, they are everywhere.
In civil society and NGOs too.
The result of over 40 over years of UMNO’s race-based divide and rule, Pete.
Actually, as my good friend Jaya from SABM says time and time again, there’s a little bit of racial prejudice in all of us that we each need to get rid of.
Aren’t we all guilty of racial stereotyping, however seemingly trivial?
Classic case in point was RPK’s suggestion that the Chinese do not want Tahrir Square type of change.
Racial stereotyping, no, and quite baseless at that, if you remember the make up of the crowd at BERSIH 2.0 during 709?
Well, he was not there on 709, so he would not have seen and felt what we saw and felt, would he?
RPK’s latest post is another case on point.
He says he campaigned during the 2008 GE for the ‘Chinese cause’, and that his heart then was with the Chinese.
Geez!
And I thought we were out there campaigning for the betterment of the 40% marginalised and poor, regardless of colour or creed!
Silly, naive ole me!
Go on, Pete, yank the beam out. You’ll see better.
And undistracted, Pete, you’ll see that ABU’s on the right track
Middle path
March 24, 2012
hehe… RPK is just going thru to the old man syndrome … FEAR
He is getting old and the fear inside him cannot be shaken off
cos that is the way of getting old.
Minkmink
March 24, 2012
Dear En Harris,
I’m with you all the way! As I read your post…I can feel your honesty in speech that comes from the depth of your sincerity…You give us all hope where those we had hope to help us have abandoned the cause and backstabbed ABU! You are a good man. I pray that you’ll always remain true to your calling in fighting for justice…
May Allah/God/The Good Lord be with you always….. AND May ABU forge forward full speed ahead thus making our dreams of a better “MALAYSIA for ALL”.. come true…!!!
Antares
March 24, 2012
Stay the course, Haris. Your heart is true.
Jamal Majid
March 24, 2012
RPK’s game plan is already out in the open. He though he could ride on the reformasi wave and carried on to reach the inner circle in PKR. When Anwar continue to keep him at arms length, he started lashing out at Anwar and his inner circle which he once coveted. He has to look for another platform and MCLM was born.
He is painting PKR as being tainted with UMNO blood in its vein but RPK is just as tainted. While living in Terengganu, he was also very close to the UMNO circle. His involvement in the Malay Chamber of Commerce then, was already a telling tale.
He is just someone out for power. After his failed attempt to reach the inner circle in PKR, MCLM is his next vehicle. He sees himself as Malaysia’s Nick Clegg but he is not a man of principles. He takes a leaf from UMNO’s book and use racial issues. At times he hit the Malays to get Chinese support and at times he hit the Chinese. Now all of a sudden there is this Chinese agenda to hit at Tian Chua and gang. Soon he will come up with an Indian agenda to hit at Surendran and gang.
He is also now prominently using religion to put both UMNO and PR in a tight spot.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/48212-i-will-debate-najib-and-anwar-on-the-subject-of-islam.
He brags that he is a master political strategist but in his relationship with Mahathir, he is a fool if he thinks he can out-maneouver the great man. Mahathir is using him just as he is using MCLM.
I am not ashamed to admit I was also taken for a ride by RPK. But RPK’s thirst for power has made him shown his slips more and more. Many have already realized that he is just a false political prophet. Let us leave him to his fast fading grandiose delusions…
sampalee
March 24, 2012
Anyone willing to give the kithab a chance.Our world and secular knowledge about it is in actaul fact Samsara.A dance of lila [maya] a cosmic movie which unfold according to the script of god.
As a character in a movie,his will and destiny are already canned in the movie reels.As the movie unfold there appear to be choices made by the various characters that lead to following events downstream of the movie.The individual frame of the flim is continually moved to give the illusion of movement and choice making when in essense all the different appearance are nothing but the ONE projector light.This is a samsaric analogy to the Al-nur of the kithab,the un seen light of source[Allah] itself that allow other lights of different colour to appear and disappear
The light of awareness [self existing] reveal all other worldly lights,all of which need a cause such as an oil lamp,the sun,the electic bulb and the worldly light allow appearance to be seen [object of awareness including our body,sensations and thoughts]Who is the subject then?We will simply called it the seer.As a subject the seer can not see it self for then it will become the seen[object of seeing and not the subject the seer]
Is it not mentioned in the kithab that Allah is also known by the name of light and seer.
A character in the movie just play out as per script and if he think his will should prevail,then he is a non-believer of TRUTH
You and RPK are mere characters that comes out of God’s imagination.Good and Evil is the script of God,A n actor playing villian is no different from a character playing Hero.The one WHOLE that is beyond seperation [Tawhid] is the unmoving screen on which the story of god is enacted.All that come to pass are nothing but HIS[story]which we ignorently took as as past facts
The world is a stage for God and how well we played our role will be rewarded after the show[hereafter]Actors can improvised as long as in line with love care and forgiveness,but never with hatred and foolishness such as ABU which can mean it is OK to have satan then umno
According to buddhist the world is a burning house.The sutra state specifically the fire cannot be out out,the only option is to leave samsara.It is like trying to make hell less hellish and turn it into heaven,then we have now an additional heaven to take refuge.
RPK have deep insight in Islam and his courage stem from there.Most readers are ignorent of the Truth which Jesus said will set us free.The buddhist have its liberation upon REALisation[knowing the real truth]and the hindu have Moksa.
Suffering bring us to yearn for freedom from it and the kithab says it can be done when you see the Truth.Religions must replace politics.Even if this is not heeded God have its just ending and a leader with mandate from heaven will be sent to us to clears the scums of politicians
The way out ahead is to have all of us return to our respective religions enmasse.Jesus say,if you are not agaist me,you are with me [notice the develish twist Bush gave to such word of wisdom not much different from ABU]
Malchindian
March 24, 2012
Missing the plot people! The bloggers are irrelevant. Read to stay informed and take a pinch/cup of salt if what they write doesnt sit well with you. There will come a day when we will have internet blackout and confusion will reign (testing has been conducted twice- source a friendly telco). And the coppers are already sounding the alarm over twitter and FB.
My vote is firmly Opposition but I will hurry home after voting and stay indoors. These desperate bumnos will steamroll anyone in their way and unleash the Rela goons to make trouble.
What needs to be debated and educated to the masses is how to communicate without mobiles,tv and the Internet. These are luxuries we take for granted.
I would like to think I jumped the gun pressing the panic button but I would be happy to be proven wrong.
Onwards and ABU!
My2cen
March 24, 2012
Ditto! and stock up food b4hand. Go vote at 8.30am, then go home & watch for the results online. Skip national tele. Last GE, the rempits patrolled my area from polling day right thru the night & next day. Vroom, vroom all night long, trying to instill fear in our area. ABU! ABU! ABU!
lizziewong
March 24, 2012
Now and again, racist thoughts and prejudice do come to my mind, but, the difference between now and the past is that, I realise it and know it is wrong. I try to remove that thought and prejudice and even if I do not succeed at first, I would not verbalise it or let my actions be influenced by it. If we all work at it, we would be color blind in no time.
Shila
March 24, 2012
Spot on! And we need to help each other with this, with a new government, new laws , new education approaches and society initiatives etc.
Malaysianatheart
March 24, 2012
RPK a Master political strategist? Even if, – whats the point when no one listens to you?? Really Haris, why bother with his posts? Except for you, I don’t think anyone else pays any attention whatsoever. Why is it so difficult for you to let the man just ride away into the sunset and just disappear!
Jong
March 26, 2012
Just let go Haris, that bugger is a fake, can’t be trusted anymore! Don’t bother to waste time on him.
Piqued
March 24, 2012
None of us truly believed all of RPK’s postings. We just hoped that his postings had some element of truth in them.
Pre-2008, we needed a hero, and YM Raja Petra Kamaruddin fit the bill. Someone who would stand up and say the things we wished we could say, but were afraid to. He stood up when it mattered and in doing so, achieved something greater than himself. He became the voice of the silent many and for that, I sincerely thank him.
RPK no longer speaks for the silent many. Perhaps not even for the silent few. He is that hero no longer.
To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson ” Every hero becomes a bore at last.”
And in this specific case “Et tu, RPK”
Joachim Thayalan
March 24, 2012
Dear Bro Haris,
This is a big issue now with members of MCLM , RPK & Public.
Should we just ask RPK to disband his movement or should we resign enbloc from MCLM coz our struggle is for rakyat’s.
I am personally felt attacked by RPK in response advocate BN-Najib regimes.
Wish you could come up with wishful ideas or reformation of MCLM without RPK
cherrypicker
March 24, 2012
I think RPK’s dreams and intention never changed since before and is similar to MCLM but i think that his methods are just a bit extreme and also maybe he’s just doing what old men normally do: moan, rant and complain! I think his words are still important. Not all of us who wants change in this country really deserve it. RPK has now become the voice that makes sure that those of us who only know how to demand without changing ourselves first be told that there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. Plus his attacks on PKR is quite understandable. He has the choice to keep quiet if he wants to. But look at how PKRians treat him? No respect at all.
Wira2020
March 24, 2012
Cherrypicker, RPK does not deserve to be respected…RESPECT have to be EARNED not DEMNDED by Any form of THREAT!
rainbowman
March 24, 2012
It is saddening to read RPK’s latest post. A clue to the motive of that post is found in the reply to a comment in the same post, read as “..shake the tree and see what falls out of it..”. Seems like playing mind games to expose friends or foes.
But I’m afraid that post has drawn down a large part of the goodwill account he has accumulated during his truly heroic days.
Sad.
ACR
March 24, 2012
It is quite apparent that RPK’s involvement in all these matters, unlike yours, is really for himself. There is no higher purpose. That explains why he is inconsistent in his pronouncements.
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)”….Sura 49 – Al-Hujraat (MADINA) : Verse 13
queenie khoo
March 24, 2012
bro, all the more to bury differences and move onwards and upwards still together.
LChuah
March 24, 2012
>It is quite apparent that RPK’s involvement in all these matters, unlike yours, is really for himself. <
It could be something as simple as enjoying the limelight – while it lasts. Audience behavior, too, plays a part: the general reader tends to be uncritical and the best ones seldom pay much attention to what he writes. Harris, I think, is responding to the article because he thinks, correctly, that the general reader is also a potential voter and should not be diverted from the ABU thesis.
Leithaisor
March 24, 2012
I’d like to think that I am not racist.
Indeed, from my teens, and especially my early adulthood, I’d come to realise that racism was not right.
But even so, from time to time, I have had cause to check myself and take corrective action as some hidden racism in me became evident.
Perhaps the need for such correction is not that uncommon. None of us is perfect.
As for RPK, I have alreasy stated before that I do not like him nor trust him, and why. Enough said.
I think you are a good man Haris, and believe that you are striving honestly for a better Malaysia for all. Wish you all wisdom and strength in the snake-pit world you have to go into. ABU!
ongohing
March 24, 2012
Thank you, brother for taking this important decision which could not have been easy but in fact painful. By this you show us the way forward. The combined work and contribution of SABM and ABU is breaking down the walls that should be left standing because such walls stands in the way of integration. We do not rejoice at wrong by any quarter but we must not let wrong thinking stand in the way of the building of what is right which requires the the kind of sacrifice which you show, even to the point of parting ways with long term comrades. Thank you.
ongohing
March 24, 2012
Sorry my sentence in earlier comment should read: “The combined work and contribution of SABM and ABU is breaking down the walls that should NOT be left standing because such walls stands in the way of integration.”
mickie
March 24, 2012
Bro Haris,
RPK wants to be in the limelight all the time and he’s just being spiteful for not getting the attention from Anwar which he desperately seeks. Let him be and let him continue with his tirades against PR from his little safe haven in Manchester. He has already declared he wants to be buried in Surrey so it proves really where his heart really is. He’s a chameleon and despite his rebuttals in his posts, we can see through his disguises.
You just stick to your principles. ABU all the way.
ACR
March 24, 2012
Deeply, Simply, he who cannot love, cannot understand.
….Tariq Ramadhan
sampalee
March 25, 2012
PR can do no wrong and bn can do no right.Is it the sermon that is inspired by the kithab.I say this is the work of the devil for the malays to divide the non malays and the non-malays to divide the malays.Both will failed as God have what is coming for the politicians,
Most people speak and boast from hindsight.LGE dosenot even know dap can win big in 308.It is RPK who say he will be the next Chief Minister as many umno members will vote opposition just to set the fall of Pak Lah.If my memory is intact,Tuan haris was there too.
Baba
March 25, 2012
The thing that disappoint me most about RPK is not that he has changed tune, but the fact that he has continuosly potrayed himself as being the voice of the rakyat who is critisising both sides of the political divide. This is very misleading. RPK is now clearly detached from what is happening on the ground after being away for so long in Manchester.
Firstly if he is going to continuosly run down Pakatan (especially PKR in Selangor) or ABU, at the very least he should be up front and stop being a hipocrete. Just say that he is now fighting for UMNO and BN instead of potraying himself as critisising both sides while his writings have clearly shown to be undermining Pakatan and ABU since the Sarawak state election. RPK’s silence on the cowgate scandal, Najib’s alleged use of public funds for his private use and many more UMNO shenanigans is definitely deafening.
And secondly, I find it comical that RPK thinks he is the ‘voice’ of the rakyat and potrays himself as being loyal and always fighting for the rakyat. Seriously, after being away for so long from the rakyat, does he think that he is still relevant to the rakyat? RPK is lost.
KLcitizen
March 25, 2012
You really must watch this msiakini video. — Teacher sees purple at white glove rally.
Beholdest thou the mote that is in the opposition?
shakuntala
March 26, 2012
Give over talking about personalities who do not matter anymore, the diversion .ie talking about racism is just a waste of time.and energy.
And evil-minded people will lead us on to talk about each other in the worst light, just so that they can enjoy seeing us hate each other. And help UMNO/BN perpetuate its race based poiitics.
RPK, cannot and will not give up talking about race. Racism is food for his own selfish thoughts.
Ivy
March 26, 2012
“Beholdest thou the mote that is in the opposition..” – Klcitizen
We shouldnt become frighten or distracted and start to hit at a few emotional ladies while we allow the likes of not only UMNO-BN elite plunder the wealth of the nation. They use underhand tactics, gangsterism, physically abusing people at peaceful ABU gathering and opposition ceramahs while we whine and make a mountain out of a molehill of a few emotional ladies?
Now, we’re even allowing the BN-UMNO crooks children to treat the poor rakyat and the lower category Malaysians with contempt? Who do they think they are?
“minister Nazri Abdul Aziz was alleged to have assaulted a security supervisor at a plush condominium at Mont Kiara on Tuesday night” – Malaysiamkini
So we continue to allow this feudalistic BN-UMNO to run amok and go rampant after >50years in power? So we continue handing them power while we make mountain of molehill of a few emotional ladies? Where’s Justice?
Santalia
March 26, 2012
Well said Haris.
Rob Roy
March 26, 2012
If Botak talks about eroded Malay power and brings up Chinese conspiracy in passing that might not say all. His bragging about his ancestors being some Malay lanuns in Menado or Mindanau does not beg further attention though he wants some legitimacy. If you wanna talk about real liberties union do, you’ll have to stay out of active direct politics to stay objective otherwise form another political party. Not everyone has to be a PR member although the principal reform agenda is similar. Not everyone has to agree with everything otherwise we’ll be back to square one.
The less people pay attention to Botak, the more they are “themselves”. But of course, there is just that little room where people maintain privacy.
But what power of the Malays that Botak complains of that UMNO themselves did not **** themselves off with? If you’re a robber you’re a robber. You might console yourselves being a robber baron! :))
KH
March 28, 2012
Thank you Haris for your honest opinions on racism and I cannot agree more. Everyday is a day where I kick a little racism out of me… making sure I am not found stereotyping races… little by little… we’ll all get there…
Sam Chye
March 28, 2012
Its quite clear in his posts, rpk screams, shouts and whine his whacking-of-people syndrome according to race/ethnicity…he can’t see or think beyond that…he repeatedly screams and shouts that he whacks all races and religions fairly and equally, albeit distinctly and separately. As I have said it in many comments – he has lost it. The man in manchester is just simply out of touch of the malaysian realities. In a recent post, he even takes on, at length another commentator, stating that “…My mission in life is to prepare for my death”. I pray he will hasten his mission and not sabotage our ABU mission.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/48188-supporters-are-for-the-weak
freddie
March 28, 2012
RPK may be irrelevant to fair minded people but his ‘stories’ and gossip and some plain lies about PKR are lapped up by umno bloggers and MSM media. And they make the rounds in the blogosphere..Even Free Malaysia Today carries his stories …with as alleged by…… RPK
Its all part of UMNO’s preparing the ground plan to discredit the present selangor govt so it goes back to UMNO come GE13