It is called a bye when one advances to the next round without playing an opponent. Malaysiakini said KT a do or die battle for Umno and Najib. I will nonchalantly regard the next by election as a bye. We can construe it as "given" [another golf term] or a bye as someone is very melancholic about leaving.
2. When was our last by election? Late August 2008 was a bloodshed between brothers. Anwar was having a fun time, drawing dagger and dancing with brothers he knew for decades. They were together once upon a time, planning things and executing strategies together. It was long phase in Umno that witness memali incident, Musa's departure to London, a judicial reform when a CJ was sacked by peers, a royal showdown and new Umno. Everything seemed to roll along the industrial dual track platform persuading proton to be one of the many houseold items.
3. Those were years when Malaysian yelled "Malaysia Boleh!". Then slowly everybody become politically conscious. The year 2008 saw a funny kind of political awareness when a young videographer was sent to the parliament. For a minute, I thought folks were doing the right thing, giving the young guy credit for his endeavour, videotaping a guy talking fully dressed!
4. The whole scenario was centred on an important element in life called lobbying. Everyone will do abit of lobbying sometimes along the way. Anwar went wild lobbying MPs to jump ship. Kids cycled all the way to the parliament to lobby for a cause. Older guys waited at the parliament lobby to receive the memo, a lobby.
5. Permatang Pauh saw a deliberate by election because someone wish to be full time housewife and a husband wish to get out of self-imposed retirement. So, at the end thousands went to polling booth to state their stand. Issues were thrown like a ringgit a piece. Copters, dynamites, dead body were flung aimlessly. Very sad, the very same person who claimed to be victimised politically during the heyday of economic downturn, say little to another victim of a sodomy case.
6. The Jews like to say this "everything is fine in chaos". But over here, there are believers of chaotic endeavor. Just sharing with malaysiakini readers, chaos can infact be created! Like a hero that has to kill thousands to grab the title "the great", a politician will do the same, creating chaos to simulate a heroic return!
7. I dont see many issues in hand as far as Terengganu is concerned. A term with Hadi years ago, saw little of him as a statesman material. He took things for granted, hugging the ruler as if there was no protocol at all. The moment he poked fun at another political friend as "Obat habis tempuh" [he said obat not ubat], viewers like me started counting the days left.
8. Wan Farid is a steady guy. He made it clear that he has no time for personal attacks. To him it boils down to party and its political agenda. It is nice of him to say that. When vultures are flying low over Sarawak, I find it hard to imagine if Anwar will land in Kuala Terengganu to state his stand on Hudud. Anwar is good at making promises but when things start boiling, nobody is sure anymore.
9. It is not about wan farid coming out as winner, but it is about a junction when Anwar could simply be left out cold or allowed to fly low over sibu and bintulu for a peep.
Good Luck Farid, and be more tactful with local folks. See you on the eve of 17th january 2009.
beritadarigunung
