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The heroine who battled it bravely |
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Sunday, 23 March 2008 09:58 |
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Written by Kazi Mahmood, WORLD FUTURES Malaysia has the capacity to recognize the contribution of Muslim ladies, clad in scarves, and who are involved in politics. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the future opposition leader in the Malaysian Parliament is one such heroine of the modern age and World Futures explains why.
The first time I met Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was in 2001 and it was a difficult time in Malaysia, where I settled down from my home town of Port-Louis in Mauritius. It has been 9 years since I am living in Malaysia and the end of my first decade in this country was to be rich with events. There was the ‘reformasi’ and the Anwar Ibrahim trials that exposed the most undemocratic manner in dealing with a former Deputy Prime Minister. As a journalist, I was drawn towards the need for the truth to be revealed in the Anwar case or cases and this lead me to the doorstep of the house of the famous Malay leader.
Today I can say that the house of Anwar Ibrahim was also the house of a brave Muslim lady, soft spoken but very informed and well mannered as many Malay ladies in Malaysia. It was with caution that I went to the house of the man who was in jail and as I wrote in 2001 on the Islamonline.net website, it reminded me of the time when I was in the Seychelles Island, interviewing a priest regarding the activities of an Italian mafia organization in the tiny Indian Ocean republic.
It is however on my second visit to the ‘blue’ house that I learned more on the character of the lady of the house and the leader of the opposition to be. She was already an opposition leader, fighting for her husband’s release from jail and keeping a family together. She was also the leader of a newly created party now known as the Keadilaan or PKR. The one hour long television interview she granted to the Islamicity.org website was an incredible moment.
Surrounded by her young children and her son who was home from a study break in Australia, she showed qualities that made it apparent that one day she will have her own triumph in Malaysian politics. And that day is only a distance away and it will come when the House leader will face Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the opposition leader.
Often written off by the government controlled press, Wan Azizah has survived the vagaries of the political spectrum of Malaysia and headed her party with brio. I have not seen Wan Azizah Wan Ismail since 2001 less the occasional meeting in Kuala Lumpur where she would be seen with lawyers who were fighting for Anwar Ibrahim in the courts. I believe she has grown in stature since then and with the release of Anwar from jail in 2004 coupled with the incapacity for the latter to lead the PKR officially, she was given the opportunity to prove herself as the leader of a winning party. READ MORE HERE
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She's been the loner who holds PKR togather all these years. Any lesser person, male or female, would have given up long ago.
Yes she's a real Malaysian hero and I hope not only PKR but all Malaysians will remember her for that. If she give up her seat for Annur, I hope the party will appoint her to some important position so that she can continue be a beacon of hope and inspiration for all.
Annur, you are one damn lucky dude.