AS FOR FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS

Yes, the stakes are being raised up to dangerous levels built upon fallacies, desperation and the malicious invectives simply plucked from figments of delusional rage and agitation. Former colleagues who became turncoats spew forth expletives condemning Anwar Ibrahim as a traitor to the Malay race, relentlessly slandering his honour and accusing Anwar’s greed and eagerness to become prime minister has made him sell out to Jews whatever.

Now we have all heard this fanatical mantra before, and we shall continue to hear them and his arch enemies are repeating it in unison this time, over and over again. Even the country’s leaders are leading the same regurgitated tune unbecomingly. It is the usual Anwar bashing but in an orchestrated and fever pitched manner spouted profusely and spun in a frenzy by the media as if there is some frenetic mass political trance going on in the party. It is now made out in incendiary terms, extreme and as racial as one can get.

They were friends, supporters and comrades of Anwar in the hey days of the party, some were allies in the new coalition, or they were part of activism or civil society movements. Suddenly they become declared enemies and now they have emphatically sworn to remain as nemeses. Fortunately for them they do not need to suffer the tribulations that their reviled and denounced colleague had to go through because their loyalty was frail, shudder the thought of it  and they do not want anything to do with it. Actually, if they are just honest with themselves, it was they who let him down. He was not only put down but he is being made to crawl in the gutter and many would think that Anwar would never be able to come out of this horrible black hole.

Who would have thought comrades would turn out to be bitter enemies. They are there to stab your back anytime, over and over again. Why are they zealously offering themselves like a pack of attacking hounds on a crusade to crucify Anwar Ibrahim when he is already being engulfed viciously in fitnah 2? Have they lost every bit of human decency, honour and dignity? Why in the world are they celebrating in the event of Anwar's demise and second imprisonment? How do they sleep nights, contemplating and relishing thoughts of treachery and betrayal? Surely, is by doing what they are doing, the only thing that brings bread to their families' table? They shall inevitably atone for all of their actions whether they like it or not, or else be buried in shame forever.

In September 1998, at Anwar Ibrahim's former house in Damansara days after his inglorious sacking, just after maghrib prayers Sheikh Taha Jabir Alwani of the International Institute of Islamic Thought gave a short sermon. He delivered a tadhkirah, a brief exposition on the relevant verse in surah An Nur concerning the hadithat al ifk, the fitnah – the great slander. In it he reminded everyone that those who are accomplices to the fitnah shall have their testimony and their trust revoked forever - abada. Many of the  above who were once Anwar's confidants staunchly supporting him then , were there but they must have forgotten. How tragic.

As one blogger puts it aptly: - Anwar is by far the most talented of Malaysian leader in his generation by keeping an alternative political coalition together marching forward in the face of overwhelming odds and a terminator-like enemy.