OBAMA AND IBRAHIM

Obama and Ibrahim are the last names of two men, who have been struggling for making history for their respective countries – the United States of America and Malaysia. Who are they? Yes, they are Senator Barack Obama, and Anwar Ibrahim.

Their victories will directly bring betterment for their respective countries and indirectly for Indonesia. For many Indonesians, they are not strange figures.

Obama himself spent some parts of his childhood in Central Jakarta, while Ibrahim was well known by Indonesian figures and public as Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister, who had great sympathy to Indonesia. If Barack Obama was partly educated at an Indonesian primary school, Anwar Ibrahim informally learnt from the activists of the Islamic Student Association (HMI) and noted Moslem figures in Indonesia when he was active in the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM).

The moral support of Amien Rais and other Moslem leaders for Anwar Ibrahim had never diminished when he was jailed by the Mahathir Mohammad regime. Now, Anwar Ibrahim is the chairman of the Malaysian People’s Justice Party (PKRM).

Like Obama, Ibrahim is also busy with his campaign rallies a head to the parliamentary elections this year. The road to power is not easy for them.

For Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian print and electronic media, which are generally controlled by the government, do not provide enough and equal space for him and other elements of the opposition camp.

For Barack Obama, his struggle for grabbing the Democratic Party’s presidential candidacy as a ticket for competing in the presidential election remains a long way to go because, despite his leading position, his tough rival, Hillary Clinton, remains undefeated. But their offer of trusted changes for their respective peoples is expected to get good responses from voters on the D-day.

Kevin Rudd in Australia has proven that majority of voters believe in his pledges of trusted changes and new leadership. If they win, there will be a new hope for much better future of the American and Malaysian relationship with Indonesia and the rest of the world.

In the case of Malaysia, with Anwar Ibrahim and his camp’s victories in the upcoming elections, who knows the ill-fates of millions of Indonesian migrant workers can be made history.

Indonesians and international community know well about inhuman treatment of certain Malaysian couples to their Indonesian maids.

I join a lot of Indonesians, who pray for their success in bringing new leadership through fair and transparent presidential and parliamentary elections to their respective nations. The wind of change blows strongly to America and, hopefully, to Malaysia too.