Benazir Bhutto assassination holds grave lessons for Malaysia
By KEITH LEONG
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a terrible tragedy and a setback for democracy in Pakistan. A wrench has been thrown into the into the works so to speak, and it is not clear whether or not elections scheduled for early next year will take place.
Many scenarios have been proposed for the direction in which Pakistan will go after this, but only time can tell what will happen. What is clear however is that Bhutto, who was already a highly revered figure in her lifetime, has now become a martyred symbol for democracy. Perhaps even a legend of sorts.
The tributes and obituaries are now pouring in, each recounting the extraordinary life she lived. Her privileged upbringing in a famous political family. Her education at Oxford and Harvard. The tragedy of her father and her brothers. Her rise to power in 1988 as the first woman to lead a Muslim nation. Her fall, second rise and second fall from the Premiership on the back of corruption charges. All of these have become staple media fodder as a nation and the world struggles to come to grips with her violet death.
Benazir Bhutto was, quite simply both unique and typical of all remarkable women in history. Brilliant, mercurial and controversial. She was not a perfect leader, of course. Her governments were, as mentioned dogged by accusations of corruption and human rights abuses. For all her posturing as a “Daughter of Pakistan,” neither she, nor her father Zulfikar could shake-off the fact that they were aristocrats of the zamindar landowner class.
But she also represented the hopes and dreams of millions of Pakistanis yearning for democracy and modernity in their country. She was probably the most charismatic figure the country ever produced, only equalled or surpassed by that of her father and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Bhutto was everything that those who would have the country living in ignorance and repression despised: a strong, liberal woman with a mind of her own and a love in her heart for her people.
I think British Prime Minister Gordon Brown put it best when he described Bhutto’s killers as “cowards afraid of democracy.” Their “victory,” in my mind is a hollow one. Many analysts fear for Pakistan, but I believe her death will be the catalyst for positive change in the country and the region. Her assassination is an opportunity for those in Pakistan opposed to its Talibanisation to unite to sweep away the discredited regime of Musharraf and return the nation on the road to democracy. Benazir Bhutto’s legacy will live on in her party, and the younger members of her dynasty like her niece Fatima, who, despite her differences with her aunt is cut from very much the same mould as her.
For Malaysia, Bhutto’s assassination holds grave lessons and warnings. We must oppose the fanaticism and hatred for freedom that led to her murder. Our leaders can yak all they want about how unique or prosperous or peaceful our country is, but the fact remains that it is no less susceptible to these dangerous sentiments than any other country. They should take a good hard look at themselves and their records in public service, and ask themselves if they are willing or able to make sacrifices of the magnitude like that of Benazir Bhutto.
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KEITH LEONG is a contributing writer for theCICAK.
Keith was born in Melaka, grew up in Damansara Jaya. He recently completed a master’s degree in English from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He enjoys baroque music, grand epic movies and long walks.
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Murder blows. whoever it is. I blame Musharraf though, the slimebag. This talk of religious extremism is a bit over the top, I have to say. Sure a suicide bomber is a trademark of fanaticism, but I’m one for conspiracy theories, particularly with the contrary reports coming out now. Did anyone else note on the Al-Jazeera report how they where washing away the crime scene? Goodbye investigation.
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What I cannot understand is how you can be as corrupt as she was and still be branded a martyr. There is a lesson here: you can be as corrupt as you like, as long as people like you it’s alright.
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The obvious answer to vincent’s inability to understand the situation is simple. You can be corrupt yet still serve the needs of the people as a whole. That would make you a populist.
Anwar Ibrahim during his days in the government would be a prime example, with his education screening policy for study loans.
However, the death of Benazir Bhutto should not come as a surprise, lest we forget that close to 200 people died just as she stepped foot into the country.
We could place the blame on Musharraf, true. But did we forget that Musharraf put her under house arrest and declared a state of emergency for her own protection?
And in both times, she protested.
Being a normalized citizen, who is an ex-Prime Minister does not warrant her a security detail by the Army, plus, Musharraf at that point had resigned from his posts within the Army, therefore had no authority to place such an order.
So it is safe to say that she, albeit indirectly, had handed her life on a silver platter, especially when she decided to open the sunroof of her bulletproof car to greet her supporters in a crowded park that had no security detail.
I will say, though, that her death was a tragic loss to a country that required the moderation she brought years before.
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So it’s okay to be a corrupt populist?
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yeah it is if the majority of the country loves you. same goes for despot, dictator, warlord, democratically corrupt representative of the people….
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If that’s the case, then why is everybody constantly bitching about our present government?
I do like your point about Anwar Ibrahim though.
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haha, good one vincent!
and pls, the real lesson we should learn is politics are generally evil.
what’s the point of assasinating bhutto if in the end, everything is just futile?
the people won’t stop fighting, still be starving and stay poor.
the people should know that politics are evil. we don’t need politics. what we need is freedom from oppression and a good quality of life.
so often people forget that politicians should work for the people, not the other way round. what differences does it make if bhutto ware dead or alive?
in the end, government should be in the benefit of the people.
the people are the ones that should have power, not the government.
stop idolizing politicians, that’ll only encourage them.
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These are two articles which would make a very interesting read:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-bhutto14nov14,0,2482408.story?coll=la-opinion-center
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1192380780835&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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The reason “everybody is bitching about our present government” is a misnomer, because if “everybody” was bitching about it in the first place, they wouldn’t be the ruling party for long.
However, the reason why many of those in the urban areas are bitching about the government is simply because of the issues brought forth by the government focuses too much on the poor and rural with not much thought to the urban populous.
You have the issue of rising petroleum costs, and other costs of living, which have an extremely high impact on the urban areas.
You have the issue of mass transportation which is truly in the shitter,even after we increased the price of petrol to handle it.
You have the issues of high taxes with no oppertunity for exemptions for those who lead a life of a bachelor or bachelorette.
You have the high levels of crimes.
Then you have the higher access to information which allows most of the urban populi to access alternative news, which is not in print.
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We’re running out of topic here la.
The point is, you can be corrupt, possibly have something to do with the murder of your own brother, supported the Taliban in taking over Afghanistan, and still be well loved.
This explains why everybody still loves the current government.
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Not everybody supports the current government or ruling party and not everybody is bitching about the ruling party either.
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thnaks God folkz
msians havnt crossed d line yet
for this kind of crime
but i won’t amaze if it might have happened thou
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Well, as corrupt as some people say she was, she still did the task of upholding democracy. And as much as she tried, she failed because her life was cut short. In that was I can say she’s a martyr because she wanted to let the people decide for themselves where the country would be heading to.
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the article makes benazir bhutto sounds much holier than she actualy was, she was not fighting for democracy, she was fighting for her own political ambition by using democracy as a strategy to poison the minds of mostly uneducated pakistan who might not even know what a democracy is. She had been in power twice and both times she did nothing to improve pakistan. President musharraf actually made some improvement there during his power. She is not trying to solve a problem..she is the cause of the problem. True democracy does not exist in this world, the people in power will do anything to make sure they stay in power, the election is merely to show the world that they are democratic country, just like us.
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WHY THE CIA ASSASSINATED BENAZIR BHUTTO
The press reported that the assassination of Benazir Bhutto was carried out by terrorists loyal to the taliban and that it was a suicide bomber who carried it out. However the witnesses who were there said they heard multiple shots from buildings nearby before the bomb went off. Originally Scotland yard who investigated it said there were shots and then reversed themselves and John MacBrayne , chief investigator said that there were none.
The CIA wanted Bhutto dead, they had a contingency plan to sanction her from years back if she ever attained the leadership of Pakistan, Much of the leadership in the CIA did not like this decision and Porter Goss resigned over this issue. If Bhutto had won the election and even stating that she was the terrorists worst nightmare there would not have been a big change in the status quo however the CIA knew that Bhutto had intended to demilitarize Pakistan basically throwing out all U.S. military and intelligence advisors and operatives.
The terrosist were not intimidated by Bhutto but the CIA was. The assassination of Bhutto was typical CIA black bag operations, the suicide bomber (diversion) for the three triangular snipers in the buildings beyond. Then the facts and evidence are quickly erased.
All the bodies and evidence were cleaned up within a couple hours of the incident. Husnain and Rafaqat The two supposedly taliban terrorists being held for investigation Are CIA operatives trained by the covert assistance group wing of the CIA training Pakistan operatives in Pakistan
Thus the CIA, American Military Advisors and intelligence operatives are set in Pakistan and President Pervez Musharraf’s Cooperative to the U.S. administration is secured.
William Cullinson Manager of Racetrack, East Orlando, Florida
rewards@tracetrac.messages3.com
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