11 January 2012

Anwar will make a great PM....

NONEWhile BN leaders are proudly trumpeting that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's acquittal has proven that the judiciary is fair and independent, a former minister and Umno veteran begged to differ.

"That is not enough... but I hope it is a good start. It is a golden opportunity for the judiciary to put things right and all of us can sleep well," said Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, who is also deputy president of NGO Amanah, in an interview with
Malaysiakini yesterday.

Soon after the announcement of the stunning verdict that found Anwar not guilty in his second sodomy charge, BN leaders and BN-controlled mainstream media have been trying to convince Malaysians that the judiciary, which is seen as subservient to the executive, has
regained its independence.

Surprised by the verdict, Abdul Kadir hoped the "historic decision" will be the beginning of a new chapter for the judiciary to redeem its image under the new chief justice, Arifin Zakaria.
Unlike his predecessor Zaki Azmi, who was an Umno legal advisor, Arifin is not affiliated with any political parties and is a "God-fearing judge", he said.

NONEHours before the judge delivered the verdict on Monday, Abdul Kadir visited Anwar at his house in Segambut and followed his entourage to the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Asked whether the action reflected his support for Anwar, Abdul Kadir replied that Anwar is his close friend, and that he was "70 percent sure" that the latter will go to jail.
"I have this weakness, I'm a very loyal friend... (former prime minister) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) made me very close to Anwar.

"So actually, he is a very, very close friend and I really pitied him when he had to go through all these things. I kept on seeing him even when I was still a minister," said the former minister, wearing his signature bow-tie.


Anwar will make a great PM
NONE

Claiming that he knows Anwar well, the 73-year-old Umno veteran did not hide his admiration for Anwar.

"I think he has great, great leade
rship. He can be a great Malaysian leader. When he goes down to the kampung, when he talks to the kampung people, he is a natural, he doesn't have to put up an act or drama.

"He comes from
a kampung called Cherok To' Kun, very near my constituency, Kulim; it is about 10km away. He is a real kampung man.

"If he has the opportunity one day to be the prime minister, I think he'll be a great prime minister. He naturally cares for the rakyat," he said.

However, Abdul Kadir evaded the question of whether Anwar could be a better prime minister compared to current Premier Najib Abdul Razak.


NONEThe veteran politician is now active in Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah), an NGO led by Umno Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

As the son of an Umno founding member, Abdul Kadir was active in Umno politics since the 1970s under the administration of second prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein.


He was appointed culture, arts and tourism minister in 1999 by Mahathir before being given the post of information minister by the fifth prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.


Currently, he is the Kulim-Bandar Baru Umno division treasurer.
He was a five-term MP for this constituency before passing the seat in 2008 to his brother, Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir, who subsequently was defeated by Zulkifli Nordin of PKR. Zulkifli later left PKR to become a BN-friendly Independent.








Pembebasan Anwar saja tak cukup

Ketika pemimpin BN bermegah kononnya keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur yang membebaskan Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dari tuduhan liwat II membuktikan badan kehakiman adil dan bebas, seorang bekas menteri dan veteran Umno berpandangan sebaliknya.

Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir yang kini timbalan presiden Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (AMANAH) berkata keputusan itu "tidak cukup" untuk menepis persepsi umum yang sering mempersoalkan kebebasan nstitusi badan kehakiman dari pengaruh kerajaan.

"Ini tidak cukup... Saya harap ia permulaan yang baik, peluang keemasan untuk meletakkan sesuatu pada tempatnya supaya kita semua dapat tidur nyenyak," katanya yang juga bekas menteri pelancongan dan penerangan.

Kadir menjawab soalan berhubung laporan media arus perdana termasuk kenyataan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang berkata keputusan mahkamah yang memutuskan Anwar tidak bersalah itu membersihkan kerajaan daripada tuduhan campur tangan dan konspirasi politik.

zaki azmi interview 140911

"Bersejarah tetapi mengejutkan"
Sambil menyifatkan keputusan itu sebagai "bersejarah tetapi mengejutkan", Kadir menegaskan ia peluang terbaik bagi memulihkan imej badan kehakiman termasuk pelantikan Ketua Hakim Tan Sri Ariffin Zakaria dilihat berpeluang untuk memperbetulkan persepsi itu. Dalam wawancara dengan Malaysiakini, Kadir berkata Ariffin tidak pernah terbabit dengan parti politik dan seorang yang ‘takut’ kepada Allah berbanding penyandang sebelum ini Tun Zaki Azmi (kiri) yang pernah menjadi penasihat undang-undang Umno.

Sebelum keputusan diumumkan, Kadir berkata beliau pergi ke kediaman Anwar dan menemaninya sehingga ke mahkamah sebagai tanda rasa simpati dan memberi sokongan kepada bekas timbalan perdana menteri itu.

Katanya lagi, sebelum keputusan diumumkan, beliau percaya 70 peratus Anwar yang juga ketua pembangkang akan dihumbankan ke penjara.

NONE

Kawan setia

"Saya adalah kawan yang setia... Dr Mahathir membuatkan saya rapat dengan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"Kami memang berkawan rapat dan saya betul-betul kasihan kepadanya dengan apa yang berlaku kepadanya... saya simpati kepadanya dan kali ini saya benar-benar bersimpati dengannya," katanya.

Ditanya sama ada beliau menyokong Anwar dari sudut politik, Kadir dilihat tidak dapat menyembunyikan pujiannya terhadap tokoh politik kelahiran Kampung Cherok Tok Kun, Pulau Pinang itu.

"Saya rasa beliau mempunyai bakat kepimpinan yang hebat. Beliau boleh menjadi pemimpin negara yang hebat. Dan (sikap) beliau yang natural (semulajadi).

"Apabila beliau masuk ke kampung, apabila beliau bercakap dengan orang kampung, beliau nampak natural. Beliau tidak perlu tunjuk lagaknya. Main drama kata orang," katanya.

NONE

Berjiwa rakyat

Menganggap Anwar adalah seorang pemimpin yang berjiwa rakyat seperti pengasas negara sebelum ini, Kadir menambah kampung Anwar berdekatan dengan kampungnya - di Kulim Bandar Baharu - yang terletak kira-kira 10 kilometer.

"Jadi beliau adalah pemimpin berjiwa kampung. Sebab itu jika beliau berpeluang menjadi perdana menteri, beliau menjadi perdana menteri yang hebat di mata rakyat, (sikap) semulajadinya (yang suka) mengambil berat tentang rakyat," katanya yang mengelak untuk membandingkan kepimpinan Anwar dan Najib.

Kadir, 73, adalah anak sulung kepada 12 adik beradik. Bapanya merupakan pengasas kepada Umno di Kulim Bandar Baharu.

mca agm 2005 opening 200805 keng yaik and kadir

Beliau aktif dalam politik sejak tahun 1970-an di bawah pentadbiran perdana menteri kedua Tun Abdul Razak. Pernah menjawat jawatan menteri kebudayaan, kesenian dan pelancongan pada tahun 1999 di bawah kepemimpinan Tun Mahathir Mohamad.

Kemudian, menyandang jawatan sebagai menteri penerangan di bawah pimpinan perdana menteri kelima Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Kini Kadir selaku bendahari Umno bahagian Kulim-Bandar Baharu - bahagian yang diwakili sejak lima penggal sebelum menyerahkan kepada adiknya Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir pada pilihan raya umym 2008.

Bagaimanapun, Abdul Aziz tewas kepada wakil PKR Datuk Zulkifli Noordin sebelum beliau mengisytihar diri keluar parti dan menjadi ahli parlimen bebas.

source:malaysiakini

cheers.

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