Quotations from Abdul Razak’s interview

 

1. Abdul Razak began the press conference today, by reading a two-page statement in which he cited passages from Shakespeare’s Henry IV and also Martin Luther – alluding to the lies he has to deal with and public perception.
2. Abdul Razak quoted Shakespeare: “A lie is halfway round the world before the truth has got its boots on.”
3. “The truth is the truth and nothing can change the truth.”
4. “It seems no one??? is interested anymore in knowing the truth. Some quarters have made concerted effort to twist and turn the story.
5. Lies and baseless assumptions became the basis of so-called truth and the real truth has become irrelevant and lost in translation,” stressed Abdul Razak.

1. Abdul Razak said it was human nature for people to shy away when you are in trouble.
2. “Do not take (the SMSes) at face value. Someone alleged intervention and everyone jump the bandwagon, (without questioning?) the validity on that.
3. He also struck at bloggers for spreading lies over the matter and pled to the public to be apprehensive of what they read in blogs.
4. He was scathing of the blogsphere.”For the last two years I did not realise the reach of the borderless world, the internet world and how bloggers had taken centre-stage.
5. “I had checked with my friends abroad the last two weeks and they acknowledge there as once a period in British society when bloggers ran supreme but after a while they realised that bloggers are bloggers.
6. “I cannot be responsible to what is alleged in blogs, Its just manipulation. 
7. I hope Malaysian society has developed, we should question rather then accept things. 
8. Lets be more critical in what we read, do not accept things verbatim.
9. I was surprised how easy it was to tell lies… (on the internet, blogs).”
10. Hoping to “close one chapter of my life and open a new chapter”, he expressed frustration that “many have jumped on the bandwagon of skullduggery. 
11. The innocents have become the victim while the liars are running supreme.”
12. “Everyone is lazy and did not check the facts. I fail to see the connection. These are vicious lies,” he said.
13. Remarking at how the media blows up “people power” with references to recent uprisings in Thailand, he retorted by asking: “Is that democracy? If you talk about 500 people in the streets as opposed to a population of 100 million? If I have money and I pay everyone RM10 and I get 100,000 people out in the streets to protest against the government, is that public opinion? Blimey, that is not public opinion that is manipulation.”
14. “You talk about it as if it is a coherent consensus. I do not want to pander to so-called public opinion. Can a blogger reflect public opinion? Then I can run you down as well, mate,” he sniped.
15. Lifting up a tape recorder, he said if the press chose to report him as holding a gun or whisky, he could not be responsible for that.
16. Abdul Razak, however, said he felt Najib would make a very good Prime Minister as he is a well-read person and attuned to global affairs but he was not interested in becoming a member of Najib’s staff as he is “quite happy with my freedom at the moment.”
17. He said his immediate concern now was to return to Britain as he was a doctorate student at Oxford and had submitted in September 2006 his dissertation which was placed on hold due to his arrest.
18. “Why the hell should I run away, I am innocent. You will see me back in a few months after I get my doctorate unless I get a cushy job like the Prime Minister of the UK,” he quipped.
19. Abdul Razak also expressed surprise that he has not become “a leper”.
20. “A lot of people came to wish me all the best and congratulate me. Of course, when I walk around I hear people whispering but that’s obvious.”
21. Abdul Razak said he was coming out to tell the truth because “I do not want to turn a blind eye and allow the liars to prevail.”
22. “I am caught in the damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation. But to be indifferent is to be irresponsible,” he said, adding that some people had advised him to say nothing stating that it would be futile.