Akmal Nasir

Diakui pada awalnya, sesiapa sahaja agak sukar untuk menerima apatah lagi menyokong keputusan Sdr Rafizi untuk bertanding jawatan Ketua AMK. Logik akal mengatakan ini bukan sahaja mustahil, malah dianggap sebagai kerja gila. Percaturan politik yang langsung tidak menyebelahi beliau sehinggakan ada mereka yang ‘opportunist’ mengelak diri daripada dianggap seteru dengan beliau.

Namun, ada juga pihak yang berani tampil memberi sokongan secara terbuka. Semangat untuk memperjuangkan nasib orang muda yang saban hari terus dipinggirkan yang memerlukan pendekatan berbeza dijadikan asas perjuangan. Berbekalkan kepercayaan tersebut, perbincangan sulong telah diadakan bagi menggariskan halatuju sepasukan. Kata sepakat dicapai iaitu perlunya anjakan daripada politik lama dengan suntikan semangat menuntut perubahan, maka lahirlah Generasi Reformasi.

Seperti yang telah dijangkakan apabila desas-desus  Rafizi akan bertanding mula diketahui umum, sesetengah pihak menentang keputusan tersebut. Pelbagai andaian dibuat malah ada yang melempar tomohan liar yang tidak berasas sama sekali. Sebilangan daripada kami yang mengerti keperitan yang ditanggung oleh Rafizi bersedia untuk membalas serangan tersebut namun lantas dihalang sendiri oleh beliau.

Kami diingatkan tentang tujuan asal dalam mengetengahkan isu-isu orang muda. Maruah dan adab perlu dijaga. Jangan mudah terikut dengan cara lama yang akan memesongkan niat perjuangan . Hujah beliau memberi keyakinan kepada kami  dalam mencanang definisi pendekatan politik baru.

Maka kami yang bergerak sebagai sebuah pasukan mengambil pendekatan untuk tidak  cepat melatah dan gelojoh dalam memburukkan yang lain. YB Nik Nazmi selaku orang yang telah lama mengenali Rafizi tampil memperbetulkan kesilapan tanggapan sesetengah pihak. Terbukti kematangan dan kesabaran dalam kepimpinan amat diperlukan bagi memantapkan pasukan.

Pengumuman  barisan Generasi Reformasi pada minggu lepas rata-rata mendapat sambutan yang baik daripada pelbagai pihak. Gandingan yang terdiri daripada mereka yang mempunyai latar belakang berbeza menjadi sandaran dalam kebersanan memperjuangkan suara anak muda. Kesediaan menerima tanggungjawab dan keterbukaan dalam mendengar masalah-masalah yang dihadapi oleh golongan muda menjadi aspirasi kekuatan kita. Sokongan yang diberikan ke atas Generasi Reformasi bukti soliraditi kita semua dari segi semangat, kepercayaan dan kemampuan untuk menerajui negara suatu masa nanti.

I’m fortunate to be in the right moment and place to join this unprecedented journey. My colleague Rafizi Ramli is going to run for the Chief post of Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) by forming a group called ‘Generasi Reformasi’. Being part of the team as a supporting volunteer, I have a sincere hope that not only the team will get positive outcome throughout the party election but more importantly the effort will create a new beginning of transformative and transparent political culture in our nation.

From very beginning most of the people have given no hope to this fighting cause.  Only democracy let us believe that anything is possible as we can never underestimate the wisdom of each member to choose for the best. With the revelation of ‘Generasi Reformasi’ lineup last week, there is no turning back for the team and everyone is fired up to take on this uphill task.

Few good friends have been asking me to share with them about the team progress. Well, this would give me enough reason to update my blog for their benefits and for the readers who want to know the inside stories as we go along with the process.

Till then.

I had a meaningful conversation yesterday with a good friend. Part of catching up on our life routines, we ended up talking on various issues.  He asked me why I’ve chosen to do what I’m doing now. Well I spontaneously said that this is all about ‘Empowering the People’ and then explained why blah3x. Later, I thought on it before sleep and I was flashed back to the excitement of writing my blog not so long ago. Eh? Actually It has been almost two months without new posting!

DO rehabilitate the abandon blog !!

I had previously written my experience encountering a charismatic leader, Winnie Byanyima. Subsequently, the Edge this week has published a beautiful cover story on her called ‘Rebel With A Cause’. I would like to quote her advice to youths who are keen to join politics:

“Firstly, they should examine themselves and confirm to themselves that they have a passion for the people. It’s important. I feel that there are too many people who are out there leading people but don’t have the passion for the people, people who just see the glory and the glamour of being help up there as leader.”

She further describes:

“I see this work as a vocation, something you commit yourself to because it’s something you believe in. If you are interested in pursuing a career and earning, you’re better off going into the private sector and working your way up the corporate ladder. Being in public service, I think you should feel a commitment to the community and see it as an opportunity to serve others. If you don’t feel that calling or that sense of duty, don’t do it.”

Most importantly, she defines politics as:

“… to serve, to lead, to inspire, to bring your best out there for others.”

During my time studying in the states, like many others I had spent most of my holidays on travelling. Killing two birds with one stone, such occasions also allowed me to meet and catch up with my best buddy who went to different university and then together we would explore various parts of America.

New York City wasn’t an exception for us. It has various attractions that anyone can find reasons to visit the city that never goes to sleep. As usual, my buddy and I would study our destination before we actually went there. For this trip to the Big Apple, we were rejuvenated to witness how far the human civilization has accomplished though deep in our mind, we thought about the idea to look into how the social strata works in this metropolitan area (like Obama once experienced in his youth), in particular to see the division within a society that suppose to be well developed compared to any other parts of the world (We braced ourselves to go down to Harlem in which we did against advices given to us. We went there only for half day but it left a huge impression on us about the interpretation of their life).

Recognizing their hardships and struggles, there are few men and women who had fought or are still fighting for them and for others with similar fates.  One of the platforms for the purpose is the United Nations. So, we went to the UN Headquarters in New York to instill the feeling to fight against corrupted and injustice system that forever constraint humanity from achieving the fullest potential.

Now, I’m back in a country that confuses about her identity and I feel like such hope was far in the past. But it seemed dear to me last week when I encountered an extraordinary woman who has an extraordinary life.

Such spirit was lifted up again. Mrs Winnie Byanyima was in Malaysia for a short trip to attend various events held in conjunction with Women International Day. Yet, not many of us took a time to reflect her endeavors in different spectrum as she has been recognized one of the most influential women in African continent.

An aeronautical engineer with a masters degree in mechanical engineering, she was three terms Ugandan MP. Tired with old political and cultural norms, one of her efforts was to advocate the new budgeting process amended the system inherited from British colonization to promote greater transparency and good governance. She described about her non-conventional techniques to send her message across the policy makers about the need to grow up from colonized thinking. Listen to her story, it did and didn’t surprise me how advance Ugandan Parliamentary system is compared to our country.

Politics is always tiring especially when you are in for change. There is no exception including Mrs Byanyima. She is currently taking a break from political arena and instead focusing on her international efforts to promote gender equity as well as right for women, children and disables. But, the people of Uganda have cried out for her to come back to Uganda and when she does, I have no doubt she will become the great and inspiring President for her nation.

My weekend turned upside down as I supposed to be well arranged. I had to cancel a plan of going to KLGCC for Malaysian Golf Open (I took golf lesson in state that recommends watching live how professionals play to improve my shots though I’m still struggling to hit or even touch the ball haha) as well as to cancel a road trip to Northern states for some unforeseeable circumstances. Anyhow, I rearranged my time instead to meet ‘friends’ on different occasions.

Impromptu as they were, but things went smoothly. I relished every moment of meeting each of them as they slowly revealed and shared their life aspirations. Their stories expanded the boundary of humility, that everyone plays a vital role in building the world as it is.

It is not only about telling people what we want, but more importantly it is about listening to them. Only then we will broaden our horizon.

A good learning point on how empathy supersedes reasoning and emotion.

To write my first posting after such long break from blogging world consumes lot of energy and thoughts. The idea of how to begin, how crucial it will shape the direction of future writings and what are my focus points have caused unintended pressures and burdens that almost cancelled off my intention to blog.

I need to stop thinking and settle with a short and simple note:

Welcome all!!

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