SEPT 20 — Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, the man whom I called Umno’s Wyatt Earp, is an enigma. How do we handle him? Supporters of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would like to hang him by his testicles, if they can. He once called Datuk Ibrahim Ali his friend or Barisan Nasional’s friend. But he will not hesitate to mix it up with Ibrahim Ali if the situation demands it.
I don’t agree with the vitriol and caustic retorts he gave Dr Mahathir as I think they are not civil. And I will not hesitate to slam him for that.
But lately, he has redeemed himself over so many things. What he has said over the last few months seem to have earned him grudging admiration. To me, it proves one thing, which is very important: All Umno and BN leaders need to do is to show some leadership to lessen the opposition’s credibility. By speaking politically correct things. He is undercutting much of the opposition-speak.
Nazri has been a consistent Rottweiler-ish critic of Dr Mahathir. He has spoken against the seemingly “racist” headmistress even though I believe he hasn’t got all the facts. He has shown gumption when other Umno and BN leaders were timorous souls.
He has spoken against the capital punishment, saying that is inherently wrong for another person to take another’s life. Whether he is correct or not, that is another matter. He seems to embrace as morally wrong for the state to take another’s life. It would be interesting to see how he sees when another person — not a state entity — takes another’s life.
Most important, he has been an unwavering supporter of the 1 Malaysia concept. Perhaps among the many Umno leaders, he is the only one who understands what 1 Malaysia is.
For that, the Umno president calls him brother. Others call him chief. Maybe Najib needs more people like him in the Cabinet after all. If Najib is wimpish, he needs others to provide him with the sinews to his bones. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com
* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Hj Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.
