Remember that awkward moment last month when Anwar Ibrahim found himself embroiled in a scandal over Raja Petra’s claim that the Opposition leader had successfully managed to bar him from participating in a video debate with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange?
Anwar was furious with RPK for making the charge, and he denied it, although he fudged the story a bit, saying he had only given his consent to a direct conversation with Julian Assange.
RPK shot back at the time that “It appears that Anwar does not tolerate and respect the independence of the media and dissent.”
The man who identifies himself in the mat salleh media as “The Voice of Democracy” seemed to be not so tolerant of an open debate with Raja Petra.
Well fasten your seatbelts, or get a good supply of popcorn ready, because now, courtesy of the Russian Government’s propaganda news channel Russia Today, we may finally get to see that televised conversation between Anwar and Julian. They are about to star in a TV talk show together, hosted by the rogue Australian.
One wit has already nicknamed the Anwar-Julian show as “Ego Meets Ego.”
Assange, who is still fighting rape and sexual assault charges in Sweden and trying to avoid being extradited there to stand trial, is still under house arrest in a millionaire’s mansion in the English countryside. But thanks to the TV station that Vladimir Putin’s government finances, Assange is launching a new TV show on Tuesday called The World Tomorrow, and according to The Brisbane Times, Anwar will be starring in one of the 12 half-hour episodes.
True to form, the self-promoting Wikileaks founder under house arrest in the UK, says the identity of the first guest is a “secret.”
Because of all this secrecy (or clever marketing) The Choice does not know in which episode Anwar will star, but we are certain it will be entertaining.
Now that nearly all major global media have hailed Najib Razak as the real reformer inMalaysia, thanks to his repeal of the ISA and plans to end press censorship, Anwar is running out of mat salleh journalists who will listen to his story about his martyrdom and oppression and a manipulated judiciary and why Malaysia is just like Zimbabwe and why we need to take to the streets and why Malaysia is ripe for revolution in an Arab Spring type event, presumably to be held at the KLCC.
Julian Assange is just the man for the job. He is also planning to try and get out of his rape charges by standing for the Senate in Australia.
The book, the film, the political career, and now the talk show too. Julian is a skillful and charismatic manager of his own media profile, as well as a man fighting sexual abuse charges in the courts.
Anwar has been acquitted; Julian has yet to face trial. Both are convinced that they are martyrs and heroes. Neither is known for humility or modesty. There are a number of similarities between the two men.
This should make for entertaining television.