When I was younger, I often observed, with anger in my heart, how people took advantage of my father's good intentions. They spread malicious lies about him, how he took bribes from the3 Government, how he orchestrated the registering of phantom voters for BN (despite BN losing Kuantan in the last elections). We would get anonymous calls from people in the middle of the night, to give him a piece of their mind.
He took them with stride. With some degree of righteousness, as to be expected, but he was cool with it.
Then,l when some of those fuckers come to my house, to seek help on this or that, I was waiting for my father to destroy them. He didn't. He helped them out. With whatever they needed help with.
I asked him afterwards, "Why did you do that?"
Father: Do what?
Me: Help those monkeys? Why don't you just let them die?
F: Amir...berani kerana benar.
It meant that if you are in line with the truth, you have nothing to fear.
Many years after that, I was sitting down in a pub somewhere, when I was witness to some great things being done. Perhaps at the cost of one man's freedom.
I asked him, "Why did you do that?"
Dude: Amir...berani kerana benar.
He said it, half in jest, of course, but whoop there it is!
And now, Dr M is facing accusations from Barry Wain that he mismanaged or misappropriated or whatever miss it is - wasted, perhaps - RM100 billion during his tenure.
DAP's Lim Kit Siang is calling for a commission to investigate these claims.
Dr M's response? Classic.
He is for it. You can read it here.
My favourite part is the one at the end:
12. Depending upon the result of the commission, I reserve the right to sue Barry Wain, Lim Kit Siang and Malaysiakini.com for libel for a sum to be disclosed later.
13. If the Government is witholding the book: "Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times", I would request that the book be released forthwith. I am not in need of Government protection.
Now, I won't pretend to know anything about Wain's claims, or Kit Siang's. I do not know whether they are true or otherwise.
But I do know this: Dr M has balls.
People often accept that Dr M is corrupt. Like, RM100 billion corrupt. Now, he has a chance to prove his detractors wrong. Put them on the spot. You gotta back what you say.
Which goes to show that if you want to live in this world, you need to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
You need to have courage.
The cowards fire one shot and then run like roaches. The truly brave ones keep on hammering until everything stops moving. The only caveat is: you need to be in alignment with the truth. If you are, there is nothing to be afraid of. Nothing to fear.
The truth will make you invincible. Untouchable.
That's why truth and freedom are perhaps the two best things in the world. Never shy away from the truth. Because with truth on your side (and not righteousness), you will be free.
