The Alternative Alphabetical Guide to Perak

By : U.N. Owen (A Perakian)

Azlan Shah, the beleaguered Sultan of Perak who misjudged the mood of the nation either because he was misinformed or misadvised and whose actions have reduced Perak to a pariah state.

Black is the ‘in’ colour and means of making a political statement. To be clothed in black however risks arrest. Baking cakes, is also an offensive act, and can lead to a time behind bars.

C is the crisis of confidence that plagues Perak. The reputation of our constitutional monarchy is at its lowest ebb and our government is crippled. The High Court declared Datuk Seri Nizar as the rightful mentri besar, a decision which was swiftly overturned by the Court of Appeal leading to the public’s contempt and condemnation of the judiciary.

Democracy, currently on trial in Perak, although many are convinced that it has already died. Despondency and despair best reflects the mood of Perakians. Those at the top are denying the people their rights; they do not sense the depth of anger felt by the masses.

Economic growth in Perak is seriously affected with foreign investment and productivity at an all time low. Perakians feel they are being punished for daring to break old taboos. To those who engineered this dilemma, the longer this ‘mess’ continues, the more severe the backlash. And remember this, 'Elephants never forget and cannot forgive’.

Frog is the derogatory and damning term used to describe the greedy, despicable and self-serving politicians who swopped party affiliations and started this horrid chain of events.

Ganesan is the self-proclaimed Speaker of the Perak assembly who commands less respect than newts in the bottom of the pondlife.

Hee Yit Foong, attention seeking MP of Jelapang, arguably the most greedy and most despised of the ‘3 traitors’.

Ipoh, the capital of Perak, where this circus portrayal of people denied the chance to exercise their democratic rights, is being played out on the stage of real life. With apologies to the legendary phrase about Nero, Perak’s own reads “While Najib Fiddled, Ipoh Burned.”

Judiciary comes out perfumed like the pong of Rafflesia. Its questionable reputation makes it just as tarred as the illegally installed government of Perak.

Key figures to solve this crisis are – the Sultan and the Prime Minister.

Leadership, or rather lack of leadership, which is being displayed by the two key people.

Malaysians the world over are following the Perak dilemma with much interest and sadness, that after 51 years, we have regressed rather than acted with maturity.

Nizar Jamaluddin the ousted mentri besar of Perak who has stood his ground with the backing of the nation and has seen a meteoric rise of popularity with his sincerity, integrity and steadfast dedication to duty.

One Malaysia, a soundbite or slogan of the Prime Minister which has no relevance in Perak as we have 2 mentri besars, 2 speakers, 2 state governments jostling for power and 3 villified defectors who are just as popular as people who have gonorrhoea.

Police force's dedication to duty and serving the public is needed, NOT brute force. People are arrested for wearing black, for holding candle lit vigils, for attending peaceful protests and for being lawyers. The police is much the problem as it is the solution. It has undergone a metamorphosis into a political force rather than a body which enforces the law.

Questionable moves by the judiciary in Kuala Lumpur have only increased the people’s scorn and contempt for them.

Respect is a rare commodity. It is something the authorities demand and conveniently choose to forget, that respect has to be earned, and cannot be forced at will. Protestations will never endear the people to those who doggedly demand respect, even if it is for their speeches. Respect functions much like trust. Once people lose respect for us or lose their trust in us, it is akin to losing your virginity. Once it is lost, it can never be regained.

Speaker Sivakumar, commands the support and respect of Perakians. He was shamefully bundled out of the state secretariat by thugs. If not for the social networking sites like twitter and media sharing facilities such as YouTube, the whole world would have been blissfully ignorant of the sickening and shocking scenes of Sivakumar’s eviction. More shame to be heaped on those who pulled the strings behind the scenes.

Tree of Democracy where on the 3rd March, speaker Sivakumar convened Perak’s historic emergency sitting of the Assembly under the rainforest tree outside the secretariat, where they had earlier been barred.

Unity is mirrored in the voice of over 91% of Perakians wanting free and fair elections to decide whom they wish to govern them and who should be at its helm.

Verdict of the Court of Public Opinion states that the victims of this debacle are the citizens of Perak and democracy. However, if this stalemate is allowed to continue, the current leadership, who currently show characteristic impotence in acting for the good of the people, may well end up being the victims.

Wong Chin Huat, political activist and lecturer who was jailed for initiating the One Black Malaysia movement. Like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, armed police then arrested his students who were merely protesting against their lecturer’s arrest.

‘X’traordinary scenes eclipsing this dilemma have ranged from women and children being teargassed outside the Ubudiah mosque in Kuala Kangsar, to the Assembly session under the Tree of Democracy, the dismantling of plaques under this tree by the city council workers, the coachloads of people from other states wanting to savour the historical significance of this tree, the shambolic treatment of the speaker Sivakumar, the euphoria of Datuk Nizar being declared the mentri besar followed by the shock sudden announcement of the one man show court of appeal in overturning this decision.

YouTube. Brilliant for capturing and broadcasting the scenes that many would not want us to see.

Zambry Abdul Kadir, the ‘other’ mentri besar who many feel was illegally installed on the 6th February, who has delusions of grandeur and is fast making himself an object of ridicule and derision by comparing himself with the world’s ‘greats’