Nizar : I Will Keep Fighting!!

IPOH, Feb 6 — One whole year has passed since his government fell but Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin still refuses to give up the fight.

In an interview at his rented home here in Sungai Rokam, Nizar explained to The Malaysian Insider the true purpose behind his struggle and why he would not, at all costs, give in to the Barisan Nasional.

“They (the BN) are usurpers of power. They are keeping this to themselves. Perak does not belong to them. It belongs to the people but they have shown that they do not care about this.

“The Pakatan Rakyat (PR), right from the very beginning, has been very consistent about what we want. We want a dissolution because by law, that is the best remedy to solve this crisis,” said the former mentri besar.

The Bukit Gantang MP accused his successor Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir of not respecting the Constitution and the system of democracy as well as not caring for the people.

“In fact, he has snatched the rights of the people and he has no respect for the law at all,” exclaimed Nizar.

Nizar says PR will not give up. The fiery PAS leader admitted that the impasse in Perak has gone on for too long but insisted that the PR could not afford to give up.

“If we were to do that, then we should have done so right from Day One. But because this is a case of something being stolen and we know who the thief is so we have to get it back,” he said.

Nizar joked that only an insane person would sit back and allow a thief to parade around with his or her stolen goods.

“Imagine if someone comes to your house and steals your car and you know who this person is. Are you just going to sit back and say — ‘it’s OK, I will let him drive around for a year...’“

Nizar explained that if the PR government had allowed the BN to run the administration, it would create a false sense of stability.

“Yes, things move on, businesses will run but at the very core of it, at the root of the state itself, the crisis still exists.

“So which is better? To be where we are today, identifying that there is a crisis or to be living with an artificial stability?” he asked.

Nizar, however, said that the struggle has been exhausting. The father of eight sleeps no more than three hours every night and has to juggle between ceramahs, constituency work, party work and family life.

“It is tiring but it is very rewarding. I forecast that if nothing were to happen to me, then I would like to serve Perakians for as long as I am able because I cannot stand the fact that the state is being raped by unscrupulous perpetrators.

“Until and unless dishonesty is wiped out, I will be there. I cannot afford to see the nation and the people being cruelly used as tools and stepped all over by usurpers of power,” he said.

He added that as a Muslim, he believed that his existence in the world was for a purpose, which is to establish truth and eradicate all evil.

“I believe that the reason why the Almighty had exposed me to this was because my services were needed and so I will contribute my time to helping the people — to fight for justice and truth and equality.

“Otherwise, I would be useless and miserable, just living my life enjoying the fruits of my technical knowledge,” he said, adding that as a successful professional engineer, he knew what it was like to lead a comfortable life.

Nizar said he was not clinging on to the mentri besar’s post and would be willing to relinquish the seat to any other PR representative qualified to take on the role — provided that the coalition won in the next election.

“Why not? We in PAS never once said that the post of mentri besar should be ours. If there are any other leaders of good calibre and capability, then that person can take on the post,” he said.

Without being too confident, Nizar said that he strongly believed the people still supported the PR.

“Today, even in the rural areas where Malay support is weak, things have changed. People are now coming out to ‘salam’ with me.

“Previously, they believed the malicious lies spread by Umno/BN that I had played treason with the Sultan and that I was a stooge of the DAP,” he said.

When speaking on the allegations that he was used by the DAP, specifically the Ngeh-Nga cousins, Nizar was irritated.

“Let me tell you something that I have never told anyone before. Traditionally, the strongest political party in the opposition in the Perak legislative assembly has always been the DAP. Their leaders used to take on more than 40-over Umno members in the assembly and they argued their cases with facts and figures.

“So when we took on government, the general Umno mindset was this — if we, with over 40 representatives cannot best this Ngeh and Nga, how can one Nizar control them?” said Nizar.

This Feb 9, the Federal Court will decide on who the rightful mentri besar of Perak is. Should the decision swing to the PR, Nizar has promised to seek for a dissolution of the assembly and lead the state to snap polls.

Should it favour Zambry, however, the fighter in Nizar has also promised that this would not mean the battle has ended.

“We will double, maybe triple our efforts,” he said.