| 2,000 gather to pledge loyalty to Kelantan Sultan KOTA BARU: About 2,000 people stood in front of Istana Mahkota here yesterday to pledge their loyalty to the Sultan of Kelantan. Organised by the Kelantan People's Action Council, the gathering which began at 11am, dispersed without any incident at 1pm. Led mostly by Umno members, the council, formed less than a fortnight ago, claimed it represented at least 30 non-governmental organisations in the state. Besides Umno, members of the Barisan Nasional component parties also participated in the gathering. The demonstrators held cloth banners proclaiming Daulat Tuanku and shouted the same as the Sultan's motorcade arrived at 12.40pm from the airport. Back home after a week-long private visit to Dubai, the Sultan and Raja Perempuan, in a departure from the norm, alighted from their car and walked 300m to enter the palace while the demonstrators cheered them and shook their hands. According to Pasir Mas Umno division chairman, Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali, who played a very visible role in the gathering, the Sultan was very touched by the reception given to him. "And this proves that the rakyat is loyal to the Sultan,'' said Ibrahim. |
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| Saturday February 17 The croak of destiny THE OTHER MALAYSIA Farish A Noor 4:13pm, Sat: Ibrahim Ali is no stranger to any of us by now. The man who was detained under the ISA in 1987 for his part in raising the political temperature of the country was recently in the headlines once again, this time for organising yet another combustible Malay gathering. (Where, of all things, the leadership of Umno became the target of popular frustrations.) With friends like these, some might say that Umno doesn't need enemies- and indeed, some of Umno's real enemies probably regard him as their best asset. It had to happen someday, and it finally has. At long last, a rare, brave soul has summoned all the courage and literary skills necessary in order to write what has to be the masterpiece of the era: the biography of Ibrahim Ali. The author in question is none other than Zainal Epi, and this writer for one believes that the man deserves the highest honour of the land - perhaps even to elevate him to the same status as the author of ‘Shit’, Shahnon Ahmad. Malaysia now has two bright stars in its constellation of literary sages, and we should all be thankful for that. The gem in question is entitled ‘Crossing the Waves’, and Epi himself notes that it is an appropriate label for the subject that he has chosen to address. Why was this book ever written? Was it necessary at all? What infernal motives could have compelled the writer to put pen to paper? These are questions that remain unanswered, and we shall probably never know. But Zainal himself remains adamant and unrepentant. He notes that his was an attempt “to analise (sic) with rational mind Ibrahim's actions” (pg 96) and that “‘Crossing the Waves’ is not a book about politics or a love story” (pg 15). The book, in fact, is about “a normal human being with high ambitions” (pg 15). But surely Zainal is being all too modest here about his subject. For Ibrahim Ali is far from an ordinary man, and perhaps we can all be grateful for that. Being one of the few politicians in the country who has managed to change parties more than anyone else is a rare privilege and honour not shared by many, and it is this that has added to the charm and uniqueness of Ibrahim himself. As Zainal notes: “Ibrahim is called with so many names (sic). Frog by friends and foes”. (pg 20) “He does not need ushering and pushing to be recognised. Mention his name and they will remark: ‘Ah, that man who jumps from one party to another, like a frog’” (pg 20). The portrait of Ibrahim Ali that Zainal paints is one of the frustrated genius who is misunderstood by all. It is this enigma of Ibrahim Ali, the riddle that does not stay still long enough in any single party and which continually jumps across party-political boundaries, that Zainal hopes to understand: “To think of it, who is this man Ibrahim Ali in reality? His political record is full of dirt and some good too” (pg 22). Better understanding Some clues can be found in the man's personal life and history. Zainal spends some time talking about the relationship between the man and his father. Indeed, when we begin to understand what kind of family background Ibrahim Ali had, we may well come to have a better understanding how and why he evolved to become the sort of person he is. Courage, according to Zainal, is something that one has in one's genes (pg 67) and apparently Ibrahim Ali's family had quite a lot of it. (This may also account for his party-hopping tendency, though Zainal is silent over the question of whether Ibrahim Ali's political behaviour is genetically-determined). Ibrahim Ali's late father Ali Muhamad (commonly known as Tok Gawa) “was one fearless village chief and also sort of a ‘gangster’” (pg. 69). Zainal points out that Ibrahim's father had even slapped a policeman once (pg 70) and was feared by friends and foe alike. (Those were the days when civilians could slap policemen and not vice versa). So tough was Ibrahim's father that both PAS and Umno wanted him on their side, in their effort to win control of the state of Kelantan. These endearing qualities have now been passed down to the fortunate son, Ibrahim: “Looking at Ibrahim's face and character, one will see similarities between the father and son” (pg 73). Even as a child, Ibrahim was already showing signs of leadership potential: “He was already a leader when he was a young kid. He loved being a leader in every game they played. He was a fearless boy. He had physically fought with eight people against him alone”. (pg 74) Ibrahim Ali's early days in student politics showed just how much he was his father's boy. In the chapter bearing the prosaic title 'Campus hero', Zainal recounts how Ibrahim and his fellow Malay-Muslim students would go around patrolling the campuses (of ITM), checking up on others in order to make sure that they would ‘behave themselves' and not indulge in any immoral activities behind closed doors (pg 55). This was a time when Ibrahim Ali was part of the Malay-Muslim student movement, and groups like Abim were busy protesting against the government for not implementing policies that were more aligned with Malay communitarian interests. Ibrahim demonstrated his concern for maintaining proper Malay-Muslim manners by kicking one of his friends who was caught indulging in such indecent behaviour (pg 56). Ibrahim Ali entered the world of politics at the same time as his other contemporaries in the Malay student unions and organisations like Abim. A contemporary of Anwar Ibrahim (another fiery student leader known for making loud speeches), Ibrahim entered the world of politics in the 1970s after he was released from detention under the ISA. (He was detained, incidentally, along with Anwar too). First big break His first big opportunity came when he led the demonstrations against the PAS leader Asri Muda during the Kelantan crisis of 1977-78. As a result of the demonstrations, the federal government of Hussein Onn was able to declare a state of emergency in Kelantan and install an Umno chief minister soon afterwards. Ibrahim then joined the Berjasa party of Muhammad Nasir, who was then the arch-rival of Asri Muda, president of PAS. But Ibrahim was not destined to stay long in Nasir's Berjasa party. The world of politics was, for him, a shifting terrain that had to be negotiated constantly. As Zainal puts it: “politics itself lacks stringent laws such as religious laws” (pg 116). This suited Ibrahim quite well, as “he has never dreamt of being (a politician) and therefore has never follow any ideology on politics (sic)” (pg 78). In 1981, he made his first political 'hop' by jumping from Berjasa to Umno. He was followed suit by another (albeit less erratic) 'hopper', Anwar Ibrahim, who jumped from Abim to Umno without the knowledge of his followers. But Ibrahim's hop turned out to be a boon for him, and many more were to follow: “That is Ibrahim Ali, the frog turned prince. He jumps but into a pot of gold” (pg 26). In the years that followed, Ibrahim would make his presence felt on the Malaysian political scene by his spectacular political acrobatics. He hopped from Berjasa to Umno, then from Umno to Semangat '46, then from Semangat '46 back to Umno. During these troubled years, while other mortal politicians met their untimely end, Ibrahim Ali's star continued to rise higher and higher. It seemed as if the man was truly blessed by fate itself: “What more can one ask from Allah the Almighty if one is fated to be like him” (pg 21) asks Zainal, in a rare moment of reflective understatement. But for Zainal, Ibrahim was always a leader blessed with a sense of higher purpose and meaning in life which transcended the mundane world of realpolitik: “Ibrahim was viewed as a leader with an Islamic soul” (pg 55) and by jumping from one party to another he was continuing “his jihad or holy war in the field” (pg 37). At one point, Zainal even compares Ibrahim Ali's constant jumping from one party to another with the famous hijra (migration) of the Prophet Muhammad himself: “Migrating can open one's mind, exposes one to other cultures and in a way part of the strategy to expand one's experiences (sic)” (pg 119). Such is the moral calibre of this misunderstood prodigy, who has only received the abuse of the uncharitable rabble around him. The aim of Zainal's book is nothing less than the rehabilitation of Ibrahim Ali, the “people's hero” who has been so badly misunderstood by his adversaries: “It is not fair to compare him with others who have reached the top level of position. The comparison is just like comparing the perfect with those that are handicapped” (pg 40). Against the tide of bile and venom that has been thrown in Ali's direction, Epi points to his redeeming qualities: “He is shrewd at raising a particular issue, to popularise himself” (pg 44). And potential employers should take note of the fact that “Ibrahim is a very dedicated and loyal worker” (pg 44). Feudal politics Ibrahim Ali is also the embodiment of true Malay feudal politics at its best. A great believer in helping the masses, he is always there to share a cup of tea with them, while discussing personal matters like business contracts and concessions: “Ibrahim's office in Kuala Lumpur is always packed with people seeking help. The kind of help needed ranges from clearing summons right up to lobbying for big projects to the prime minister (sic)” (pg 74). The final word should go to Zainal himself, who has carved his own niche in world of Malay journalism and literature thanks to this novel offering. His laudatory paean to the politician of amphibian qualities sums up the manifold distinctions of the Ibrahim Ali we have all come to love: “Many love to hate him and many hate to love him but many cannot do without him and just as many cannot ignore his existence.” (Which leaves very few people left, one supposes). “He does not make waves or headlines but he is news. Whatever he does is news, whatever he talks is news, whom he meets and whatever he does is news. ...He is remembered for his contributions and his non-contributions (sic)” (pg 19). On this point Zainal could not be any clearer: “A legend in his own right? Probably” (pg 20). As a book which offers us a rare insight into the convoluted mind of a highly complex and controversial figure who till now has only been approached with barge pole in hand, Zainal Epi's ‘Crossing the Waves’ is the first of its kind, and some might hope, the last. His own justification for writing the book offers little solace to those who have had to review it: “I hope this book can be a reference for all of us when confronted with a man named Ibrahim Ali” (pg 16). (So next time you confront the man, make sure you have the hardcover copy with you). To sum up: A one-off timeless classic that will hopefully remain singularly unique. A must for one's friends and enemies alike. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zainal Epi’s ‘Crossing The Waves: A Biography of Ibrahim Ali’ is published by Trade and Industry Media, Johor Baru. May 2000. 211 pages. RM20.00 (hardback) |
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| To <sangkancil@malaysia.net> From "Shaike" <shaike@tm.net.my> Date Mon, 23 Nov 1998 23:08:09 +0800 ------------------------------------------------ Dear All, For those who had missed tonights Dateline over NTV7 you missed one hell of a funny show. The forum consisted of one En Adi Satria from UM student affairs, IIU Student Council Leader En Nazim and none other than Dato Ibrahim Ali.The topic revolves around University students and politics. Here are some highlights from the discussion The talking point was the College and Universities Act which prevents students from actively participating in politics, the point being made by Nazim and Adi was that the relevant provisions was too subjective and ambigous, then Christine posed this question to Ibrahim whether the said provisions were really ambigous to which Ibrahim confidently replied " in a way it is ambogous and in a way its not...", Christine then said "that's an ambigous answer". The other issue was on overseas students who are allowed to form political clubs, Nazim questioned whether it amounted to double standards on the part of govt, Adi stressed that the idea would be more relevant for local students. Again Christine posed a question to Ibrahim, " Dato, What's the difference between overseas students and local students, is there double standards?" Ibrahim replied, "the difference is they are overseas!.....We cannot impose our laws in a foriegn country!" Christine's facial expresison summed up her thoughts on Ibrahim. regrads shaike |
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