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What reforms? Zaid Ibrahim tried but he has accomplished very little. The Prime Minister was gleeful about the ex-gratia payment because it gave him a standing ovation. But was he really interested in the reforms? Lip service, just like the IPCMC, remember?
Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob is a trained lawyer and Malaysian political commentator. He writes for numerous international newspapers and online journals as well as hosts Face to Face, an interview segment of Malaysian/regional issues and personalities hosted on Malaysia Today. He also serves as Foreign Correspondent for foreign news organisations.
Ahirudin Attan, popularly known as Rocky. He is a seasoned journalist, blogger extraordinaire (www.rockybru.blogspot.com), advisor to the National Press Club and President of the protem Alliance of Bloggers. He has defined and redefined blogging in Malaysia with scoops that outsell the mainstream media. Face to Face gets the scoop from Rocky. 
1. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: I understand that you are writing a biography of Tun Salleh Abas, the former Lord President. What’s that experience like and what is your most interesting factual discovery so far?
Ahirudin Attan: 8.8.08 is the 20th anniversary of Tun Salleh's dismissal. He won't be celebrating, of course, because the thought still hurts him. It's not just the dismissal. It was also the betrayal. I've discovered that the judiciary was not destroyed by one man. Many men had a hand in the destruction of the judiciary and they included people closest to Tun Salleh back then.
2. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: Let’s talk about the judiciary. Are you at all impressed by the so-called reforms?
Ahirudin Attan: What reforms? Zaid Ibrahim tried but he has accomplished very little. The Prime Minister was gleeful about the ex-gratia payment because it gave him a standing ovation. But was he really interested in the reforms? Lip service, just like the IPCMC, remember?
Zaid didn't get the backing of his colleagues. Also, he involved the Bar Council but isolated or ignored the judges when planning the reforms. Take the ex-gratia dinner. Only the Big Four were there, and a handful of former judges.
3. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: Justice Ian Chin used the bench to make allegations against Tun. Dr. Mahathir. What’s your view? Would you support a tribunal for judicial misconduct against him?
Ahirudin Attan: Justice Ian Chin said he feared Dr Mahathir back then during the so-called boot camp era. And we celebrated his new-found bravery for attacking Dr M. But the judge used the bench to attack a former PM five years after he stepped down as PM and 10 years after that boot camp incident. How brave is that?
Judges are supposed to be fearless. If you are afraid of politicians, your superiors, and the consequences of your judgment, how do you uphold justice?
Even 20 years ago, there were very few fearless ones, really. Tun Salleh and his few brave colleagues were done in back in 1988 by their own brother judges who were too scared to stand up and defend them. They were not afraid of Dr Mahathir. They were afraid losing their position and the perks and power that go with it.
4. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: Let’s talk about Abdullah Badawi. We know that you blame him for the current political and economic mess. Do you think he can continue to cling on to power?
Ahirudin Attan: Abdullah Badawi shouldn't cling on to power. He will destroy our country. He is polarising the nation, dividing the Malays and sowing suspicion between Malays and non-Malays. He is not in touch with the people.
5. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: If you met Abdullah Badawi today, what would you say to him?
Ahirudin Attan: Does he listen? If he did, he would have sacked the leeches among his advisors who are sucking this country dry and draining his own credibility.
6. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: It is reported that Abdullah Badawi may lower prices at the fuel pump? Is this the right move? Will prices of services, goods and food ever decrease? Will inflationary pressures subside?
Ahirudin Attan: If he doesn't do it, the next PM should.
Bring down diesel prices first. Thousands of fishermen who use small boats to go out to the open sea are suffering today because they have to pay 63 per cent more for diesel. Their catch doesn't increase by that much and the cooperatives or middlemen are not paying more for their fish.
7. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: As a person in touch with the common man. What’s the level of business sentiment or confidence in the economy?
Ahirudin Attan: Bad. And I'm not talking about sentiment or confidence alone. Businesses are dying. At a shopping centre in affluent Bangsar, a shopkeeper tells me that it is a matter of time before he shuts down. He's got so much time at his hand because consumers are not buying. Some of the outlets around him have closed for good.
8. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: What’s your projection of the ongoing UMNO branch meetings? Can Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak keep their jobs?
Ahirudin Attan: There seems to be a silent revolt at the branches. Several incumbents, including some in Abdullah's Cabinet (like Syed Hamid Albar), are trailing in elections at that level. We may see some great upsets. But probably not enough to rock Abdullah's boat and the hand-over deal he announced recently.
9. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: Which UMNO Minister or Ministers in your opinion should be booted out?
Ahirudin Attan: For the first 100 days in office, I rate Shabery Cheek as the top performer among Umno ministers. He dared to make changes, as seen in the less hostile and more tolerant treatment of bloggers by the government and, later, the historic debate with Anwar Ibrahim.
If the next PM wants to boot everybody else out, be my guest.
10. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: The Pulau Batu Puteh issue. Should Malaysia send her warships over there to protect our sovereignty? There is talk that Singapore plans to reclaim land and expand Singapore’s size. Tell us what you think?
Ahirudin Attan: Singapore has been reclaiming land since the 60s. Some islets in the south of the republic are now merged as one or have become part of mainland as a result of reclamation.
They can go as much South as they please. What we should be concerned about is their expansion efforts by way of i) territorial waters and EEZ claims around Pedra Branca and ii) purchase of huge chunks of freehold land in Iskandar, Johor and iii) acquisition and control or sensitive companies, such as Pantai Hospital.
With regards to warships, if Singapore sends hers to protect Pedra Branca we should send ours for the same reason - to protect what's ours, including our fishermen and the Middle Rocks.
11. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: It seems that bloggers in general have lost the momentum in forging a unified voice of dissent against the government. Burn out syndrome?
Ahirudin Attan: More of a full-tummy syndrome to me. Before the GE, most sopo bloggers were united for change. They wanted to put new faces as MPs and ADUNS. These new faces, invariably, must come from the Opposition because the incumbents were from BN (after their 2004 landslide victory).
Now that these new faces are in, you've got to give them a bit of time to settle in. That includes the 4 new state governments and FT. The result is we see less criticisms against the pre-March 08 favourite punch bags like Selangor and Penang (because they are now governed by the people the bloggers supported during the GE).
Many bloggers who blogged for change before March were also members of DAP and PKR. It may not be very easy for them to criticize their own parties.
12. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob: The Anwar Ibrahim saga. Is he gaining popularity? Will he make it to the top job?
Ahirudin Attan: He's been losing points over assassination attempt claim and his mind games regarding the Altantuya murder and submarine/Sukhoi bribery. So far he's made accusations without being able to substantiate them.
The new sodomy claim is still being played out. If you didn't believe it back then in 1998, you won't believe it now.
Will he become PM? I don't think so. I fear lightning will strike twice in Anwar's case. He was already the DPM when he lost the top job. Now he's only about to contest a seat. He will win Permatang Pauh hands down, if he gets to contest it, that is.
13. Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob : Give us your insights into Malaysian politics spilling into 2009? Will Pakatan Rakyat hold? Civil strife possible?
Ahirudin Attan: If Abdullah is not challenged in December, we'll have to put up with him till mid 2010 at least. Umno and BN will suffer from internal crisis under his extended leadership.
Pakatan Rakyat should hold nicely. But Anwar's return to Parliament and his hastiness to become PM may also lead to problems in this new and still-fragile coalition.
The PAS-Umno talk hasn't gone away, either. Umno is still the largest single party in the country and it holds the most number of seats in Parliament. It will always tempt some quarters in PAS and some quarters in PKR.
Face to Face interviews are conducted by way of e-mail unless otherwise stated.
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