Pak Lah: The fate of a man worthy of our adulation

I would not be sad nor be sympathetic towards Pak Lah if he was driven-down to the abyss, being dumped and stoned by his own Umno members, because he brought it unto himself the outcome and thus should be brave to face the consequences.

He was a good man and was made by Heaven to be a good prime minister. When the bastion was passed to him by Dr Mahathir on 1st Nov 2003, he gave the nation great hope and a strong sense of belief that they would be seeing the daylight after being inside the tunnel of darkness under the Mahathir regime beginning from 1988. During Mahathir's time, money politics was born in wedlock and the system began manufacturing greedy cadres led by Daim who spearhead the gravy train ride with a group of selected pedigrees. At this era of authoritarianism, the monarchy lost their immunity and the Sultans were derogated to be mere rubberstamps. The efficacious judiciary system was blasted, crushed and replaced by nose-chained judges. The constitution was amended so many times to suit the convenience needed and executive power was made superior over the supreme constitution. New laws were enacted to circumvent constitutional provisions of rights of liberty, freedom and equality. The use of ISA becomes a necessity at all times, and was made indispensable to judicial review even by the highest court of justice, and OSA was enacted to provide cover to informations that are obnoxious to the public.

When Pak Lah took over, the people were much relieved as if a tyrant had died. Pak Lah gave the people a lot of hope that all those injustice, inequality and unfair laws and rules would be rectified and he gave the rakyat high aspiration to see a new beginning where all Malaysians would no more be divided by skin color and that we can expect a clean government, free from corruption, a clean and efficient police force, the restoration of the judiciary and to put in place a justice system which hold steadfast to the rule of law and natural justice.

The first thing he did when he came into power was to suspend and scrapped all those mega projects that are not beneficial to the people or those that are tainted with cronyism and nepotism. Double-track Railway project, Putrajaya Monorail project, Penang 2nd Bridge, Johor Crooked Bridge, Dedicated Highway, West-coast Highway, and many other projects were scrapped or suspended.

He preached and acted in frugality, making efforts to reduce national debts and appointed professionals to take charge of various ministries.

Pak Lah went further to inculcate Islamic-virtuous values of equality among all races ("I am a PM for all races), liberty for all ("I welcome criticisms"), "Work with me and not for me" (cooperation, not connection), "Walk your talk" (performance and productivity), "Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin" (he admonished the arrogant Nazri Aziz for challeging the deputy ACA chief).

Pak Lah even did not allow his son-in-law to become the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Khazanah to avoid any misrepresentation or questionable behaviors of a good leader. Khairy was upset and resign from being the PM's special assistant.

But it didn't take long and the good work and virtues didn't last. Endon passed away; his life changed and he began to be surrounded by his son, daughter and son-in-law. He became a tool for them; they used him to the optimum but he allowed it. There were a good number of special intellectual advisors and financial experts who began to provide the creative wisdom to his children. The names include K, P, V, V, L, T, etc, etc. These wise men were corporate raiders, information disseminators and spin doctors, match-makers, law-reforming breakers, Oh Kui Tau, and pilot owners.

Thus, the 4th Floor Decemvirs were installed and thereon give rise the new oligarchy who served abjectly and domineered haughtily. Power and authority exercised by the decemvirs were out of all proportion greater than that entrusted. All projects would now have to be screened and approved at the discretions of decemvirs. The treasury and the EPU, and the finance minister would submit reports and recommendations for consent. Even chief ministers and menteri besars have to kow-tow and sembah these tuan-ku.

Those who refuse to pay homage and sembah tuan-ku would pay the price. Mahathir's children, Mukhriz and Mokhzani suffered; they lost some projects awarded during Mahathir's time, just before he retired. This infuriate the grand-master who then start his own crusade to destroy the Abdullah dynasty. The crooked bridge was used as an insignia to mount the agenda. Thus, the showdown began with many episodes. Mahathir was relentless and determine to fight the battle to waterloo. He tried hard, failed, tried again, failed again, and tried again and again. He knows he will eventually meet his nemesis at the waterloo or his own. Three heart bypass won't stop him.

However, all Umno leaders and many members always stood firm backing their incumbent. Loyalty and support were aplenty for Pak Lah so long as the generals of this army of bigoted backers and their coterie gets to ride the gravy train and enjoy the spoils. Many others jumped into the bandwagon and we watched the resurrection of Ali and Baba with the 40 thieves.

It is ancient knowledge that he who sets up as a tyrant and slays not Brutus, and he who creates a free government and slays not the sons of Brutus, can never maintain himself long. Wise men had taught the princes of old that they ought never out of regard for what is good, to suffer an evil to run its course, since it may well happen that the evil will prevail over the good.

Pak Lah was misled by a pre-conceived opinion, and failed to understand that ill-will is not to be vanquished by time nor propitiated by favours. And so, from not knowing how to resemble Brutus, he lost power, and fame, and is now being driven to insanity, soon to live in exile.

But where men are weak, Fortune shows herself strong; and because she changes, States and Government changes with her; and will continue to change, until some one arise, who, following reverently the examples of the ancients, shall so control her, that she shall not have opportunity with every revolution of the sun to display anew the greatness of her power.

Pak Lah did not understand that Fortune obscures the minds of Men when she would not have them hinder her Design. If we note well the course of human affairs, we shall often find things come about and accidents befall, against which it seems to be the will of Heaven. In Titus Livius pregnant words where he says, that since it was Heaven's will, for ends of its own, that the Romans should feel its power, it first of all caused the Fabii, who were sent as envoys to the Gauls, to act amiss, and then by their misconduct stirred up the Gauls to make war on Rome, and so ordered matters that nothing worthy of their name was done by the Romans to withstand their attack.

Pak Lah also did not understand the danger of trusting those who were his "close-confidantes" and include those others who were previously banished into obscurity or in exile. He partake on their empty promises and delusive hopes which they set before him that he naturally believe many things which are untrue, and designedly misrepresent many others; so that between his beliefs and what they say they believes, they fill him with false impressions, on which he was led to engage in enterprises from which nothing but ruin resulted.

The past should have our reverence, the present our obedience, and that we should wish for good princes, but put up with any. For assuredly whosoever does otherwise is likely to bring ruin both on himself and on his country.

Now, after March 8, the table had turned, and Pak Lah found himself oblivious and obscured.

This is what his own people whom he loved and cared for, has this to tell him:

"Kami sayangkan Pak Lah.
Tetapi kami lebih sayngkan Umno'

Segerakan peralihan kuasa kepada
Dato' Seri Najib & Tan Sri Muhyiddin

Daripada: Gabungan Ahli Umno Selangor

Umno of Johor, Kedah, Perak, and now Selangor have all began to betray their leader and have conspired to install a new leader. Men commonly deceive themselves in respect of the love which they imagine others bear them, nor can ever be sure of it until they have died with the loyalty intact. It is observed that the remedies resorted would accelerate the destruction of the institution itself.

Such would be the fate of a man who is worthy of our adulation had he not let himself be led into the corrupt affairs of the family members, friends and close-relations. He failed to understand that one man, by art and measures, did easily prepare the ground for the universal corruption of a community. Wherefore that man had obtained absolute authority to amazed avalanche of wealth with the cooperation of the institutional body and of the States already corrupted, and corrupted by a gradual wasting continued from decade to decade.

In times of difficulty, true worth is sought after; whereas in quiet times it is not the most deserving, but those who are recommended by wealth or connection who are most in favor. Nothing now is more useful and necessary for Pak Lah as to be able to see through the intentions and designs of his adversary.

Any one comparing the present with the past will soon perceive that in all nations there prevail the same desires as always have prevailed; for which reason it should be carefully examine past events to foresee those which are about to happen and to apply such remedies as the ancients have used in like cases; or to strike new ones, such as they might have used in similar circumstances.

But these lessons being neglected or unknown to him, it follows that the same disorders are common at all times.

The weak rulers are irresolute and undecided; and that the course he had taken depended more on necessity than choice.

Anyone who undertakes to control a people and does not make sure work with all who are hostile to his new institutions founds a government which cannot last long.

For to deal with a few adversaries only, can easily and without much or serious difficulty secure himself, he who has an entire people against him can never feel safe; and the greater the severity he uses the weaker his authority becomes; so that his best course is to strive to make the people his friends.

The prince who seeks to gain over an unfriendly people should first of all examine what it is the people really desire, and he will always find that they desire two things: first, to be revenged upon those who are the cause of their servitude; and second, to regain their freedom.

To effect a gradual reform requires a sagacious man who can discern mischief while it is still remote and in the germ.

Start acting radically using virtue; meet Salleh Abas and all those who were ruined by the tyrants; restore their integrity by openly apologising to them and to the whole nation; release those who were wrongfully detained or put them on trial; demolish the 4th floor and remove all tools of corruption; enact the IPCMC; declare a Malaysian supremacy encapsulating all citizens and pursue all the virtues as exalted by the Prophet with determination and dedication; this will save you from being extinguished and extinction.

After a strong prince, a weak prince may maintain himself; but after one weak prince no kingdom can stand a second.

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