Today, as Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan's Bukit Damansara residence is turned into a bizarre
combination of a mini market, crime scene and conflict zone with pro-
and anti-Ambiga groups taking their positions under the watchful eyes of
the authorities outside her house, it is business as usual at the
Bangsar Utama flat of her fellow co-chairperson A Samad Said.
In an interview with Malaysiakini on Tuesday, 77-year-old A Samad, or more fondly known as Pak Samad, said, “Ambiga
should rightfully lead, she is a lawyer with vast experience, she has
received various awards but unfortunately, she is an Indian, a
non-Muslim, that is unfortunate. If Ambiga was me, these threats targeting her would not have happened.”
Since the Bersih 3.0 protest on April 28 which organisers claimed saw some 250,000 participants taking to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, anti-Bersih groups have taken their counter-protest to the doorstep of Ambiga’s residence with burger stalls, butt exercises and now, a mini-market but the situation at Pak Samd's residence has been anything but unusual, despite his cheeky baiting of the protesters at Ambiga’s residence.
Since the Bersih 3.0 protest on April 28 which organisers claimed saw some 250,000 participants taking to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, anti-Bersih groups have taken their counter-protest to the doorstep of Ambiga’s residence with burger stalls, butt exercises and now, a mini-market but the situation at Pak Samd's residence has been anything but unusual, despite his cheeky baiting of the protesters at Ambiga’s residence.
Pak Samad said this
tale of two Bersih chiefs is likely because Ambiga is
being targeted for her race, religion and to some extent, gender; issues
that are often played up by the powers-that-be.
The national
laureate added that he, too, has faced accusations of a similar nature,
though not as severe as the harassment faced by Ambiga and among the accusations, was that he has betrayed his own race by participating in the Bersih movement.
“To say that I am not championing my race... There is no need to ask me to be Malay, I am already Malay, I want to be Malaysian,” Pak Samad said in his usual poetic tone.
Pak Samad said that he was also being labelled as senile, to which he said: “Then those who have invited me to speak, must be really foolish to invite a senile old man to talk.”
“I grow old not to become stupid, I grow old to become wiser,” the septuagenarian added.
Pak Samad added that his age has allowed him to break free of being the “slave of power”, which he described as the mainstream media when he was a journalist and editor.
He said, “At that time, I worked in the newspapers, a servant of the powers-that-be. That time, I thought, I had children to care for, a family to care for. Because of that, I swallowed whatever bitterness there was for the sake of my family... But now, I am prepared to be langgar (hit).”
The national
laureate added that he, too, has faced accusations of a similar nature,
though not as severe as the harassment faced by Ambiga and among the accusations, was that he has betrayed his own race by participating in the Bersih movement.“To say that I am not championing my race... There is no need to ask me to be Malay, I am already Malay, I want to be Malaysian,” Pak Samad said in his usual poetic tone.
Pak Samad said that he was also being labelled as senile, to which he said: “Then those who have invited me to speak, must be really foolish to invite a senile old man to talk.”
“I grow old not to become stupid, I grow old to become wiser,” the septuagenarian added.Pak Samad added that his age has allowed him to break free of being the “slave of power”, which he described as the mainstream media when he was a journalist and editor.
He said, “At that time, I worked in the newspapers, a servant of the powers-that-be. That time, I thought, I had children to care for, a family to care for. Because of that, I swallowed whatever bitterness there was for the sake of my family... But now, I am prepared to be langgar (hit).”
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