In poem, Pasir Gudang MP rues realpolitik

A rare voice of dissent on the new cabinet has emerged from within PKR, in the form of a "puisi" (Malay poem) penned by Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim.

The poem begins with Hassan (above) declaring that he was once taken in by the “reformasi” promise and ideals of not forsaking principles for power.

Hassan said he brought this message throughout the country and urged society to come on board.

"But now, I'm shocked by foreign words. I'm hearing people talk about Machiavelli and realpolitik.

"I've been rudely awakened from a nightmare," wrote Hassan, 71, a lawyer turned lawmaker currently in his second term.

Hassan wrote that he now has to file away all his leaflets and written speeches because he was embarrassed to say the word “reformasi".

"Half of my soul is dead. I feel defeated because we won without integrity," he wrote.

Hassan's poem came shortly after the formation of Anwar Ibrahim's cabinet, which included Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister.

Zahid was widely painted as Pakatan Harapan's main enemy in the run-up to the Nov 19 elections, which ended without any coalition having a clear majority to form the government.

Harapan and BN eventually agreed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's proposal to form a unity government.

Currently, both Harapan and BN have joined forces in the campaign for the Padang Serai and Tioman elections.

Hassan has been politically active since 1986 as part of Parti Rakyat Malaysia. After five failed attempts, Hassan eventually made it to Parliament in 2018.

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