BONDA REFORMASI MENYINAR DI KOTA JAKARTA

Bermula daripada 12-15hb Mei 2000, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah bte Dato' Wan Ismail, Presiden KeADILan telah menghadiri satu konferensi di Kota Jakarta yang bertajuk "Democratic Transitions in Asia : Agenda for Action".

Sambutan yang diberikan kepada beliau amat membanggakan sehingga membuahkan keresahan yang mendalam terhadap kerajaan Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.  Duta Malaysia ke Indonesia telahpun dipanggil pulang pada 20hb Mei lalu berikutan sambutan hebat yang diterima oleh Datin Seri Wan Azizah serta pimpinan Parti KeADILan sepanjang "road-show" mereka di Jakarta.

Datin Seri Wan Azizah juga sempat menyampaikan ucapan beliau sewaktu beliau menjadi ahli panel bersama dengan Dr Prakob Chirakiti, Ahli Parlimen Thailand dalam sessi Pleno pertama yang bertajuk : "Developing Democratic Institution & Processes.

Berikut adalah biodata beliau yang tercatat dalam buku rasmi program tersebut:

Since the arrest of her husband former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in September 1998, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail became a tireless campaigner for justice, transparency and change.  Whether traveling around the country addressing crowds or appearing in court during her husband's courtroom trials, she became, in the eyes of the nation, a potent symbol of the reformist movement - and equally important, of grace under pressure.

While Anwar's star was rising, Wan Azizah stayed in the background.  As the spouse of a leading political figure, she engaged in such activities as being patron of the National Cancer Council, but otherwise she left the limelight to fession when Anwar became Deputy Prime Minister in 1993.

After Anwar's arrest and jailing, she found herself at the helm of the Reformasi movement that her husband had launched to fight against what he claimed was a corrupt political system.  Many had doubts as to whether she was up to the task.  But they did not reckon with her inner steel.  Not only did she keep the flame of her husband's cause alive, she also gave organizational form to the movement by launching Parti KeADILan Nasional ini April 1999.  She cooperated with established opposition parties to form the Barisan Alternatif (BA) alliance that contested the recent general elections - the first time the government was challenged by a united opposition.

For BA members, sticking together is no easy feat, geven that they include parties as disparate as the conservative, Malay-oriented Parti Islam SeMalaysia and the secular, Chinese dominated Democratic Action Party.  That the coalition has remained intact is in no small part due to Wan Azizah.  Not only does she represent the unifying couse of justice for Anwar, she appeals broadly to Malaysian of all races.

Wan Azizah's significance, however, goes beyond just being a key opposition figure.  What has struck a chord with many Malaysians is who she is as a person.  She steadfastly stood by her husband while his name was being trawled through the mud in the press and in court.  When the goverment launched personal attacks on her during the election campaign, Wan Azizah described such eggorts as "low and mean" but did not respond in kind.

In the elections, KeADILan did not fare well as hoped: it got just five parlimentary seats, one of them won by Wan Azizah in Anwar's old constituency of Permatang Pauh.  Still, it managed to garner 11.2% of the popular vote - not bad for a party still at its infancy.