President Barack Obama’s decision to meet civil society representatives, legal professionals and activists rather than Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during his visit may well be a mark of respect for the democratic struggle of all Malaysians instead of a snub for the opposition leader.
While some claimed it was due to pressure from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, it was probably just diplomatic courtesy from Obama, who, however, did assign his aide Susan Rice to meet with Anwar.
Anwar
But whatever the case, those Obama met were also heavy hitters in fighting for democracy in Malaysia in their own right.
Some like Bersih 2.0 former chairperson Datuk S Ambiga are also internationally recognised with foreign awards under their belt.
These are distinguished persons who have suffered much personally and striven hard in the fight for true Malaysian democracy.
In a way, there is a lot to acknowledge that the measure of the alternative view of Malaysian democracy or the lack of it is being sought, instead of just the official "all is well" spiel from Najib and gang.
For Obama was meeting with the middle ground of Malaysian politics, the religious moderates, non-partisan pro-democracy and human rights activists and legal professionals.
These are people who can comment on the state of freedoms in Malaysia, rule of law and democratic practice in situ; embedded as they are in the system, while not being part of it.
This is the Middle Malaysia, the middle ground which knows much of the reality on the ground as much as the aspirations of right thinking Malaysians.
In a way, there is a lot they have to thank Anwar for, for he made the fight for justice and democracy mainstream, but he is perhaps a victim of his own success, that he is no longer the beacon for democratic Malaysia.
Indeed it is no insult to be the man attributed with fostering such a change; it should be a badge of honour. Anwar may not have started the fight for freedoms in Malaysia, but he certainly made it fashionable and more popular.
The spirit of reformasi or reform is now embodied in the rakyat and civil society, so Anwar should be proud, even if it is no longer about his tribulations alone.
He is no longer the Odysseus who suffers the long arduous journey to go back to and for the fate of Ithaca, but more like King Menelaus who soon finds that there are other heroes and kings fighting against Troy, with his purpose if not in his name, in a war he started.
Meeting the opposition leader may be a diplomatic faux pas that Obama was hoping to navigate from but meeting with Malaysian democracy activists perhaps spoke more of the US' concern about developments in Malaysian human rights then it is diplomatically astute for him to say to Najib.
So yeah, maybe it is not really a snub against Anwar, but more like a recognition for all the Malaysians fighting for democracy.
By Hazlan Zakaria, The Ant Daily
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