KeADILan Batu division members at PAS Batu Open House
PAS Kawasan Batu held a Hari Raya Open House on Saturday night (27 Oct). The function was organized at at the Pasar Malam venue in Taman Dauk Senu.
PAS Chairperson for the Batu Parliament is Ishak Surin. I had known Ishak for many years. In 1997, I initiated a discussion among political parties and NGOs to forge a political pack. Ishak and Mat Sabu were our main contact. The discussion eventually led to the formation of Gagasan Demokrasi Rakyat in 1999. Back then Ishak and I were already working on the idea of publishing a common opposition newspaper.
Ishak in his previous political life was a member of leftist Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM). He has always been concerned with the downtrodden. At the time, Surin was in PAS Bureau for Workers and Squatters chaired by Mat Sabu.
Veteran fighters: Dr Nasir Mohamad (left), pro term President of yet-to-be-registered Parti Sosialis Malaysia; Dr Norbip (left 2), the younger brother of Independent hero Burhanuddin Al-Helmy, now living in this neighbourhood; Subky Abdul Latif (my left), a veteran journalist since Razak era and a columnist in Harakah.
Rozan Azen, the Youth Chief of KeADILan Batu, read his poetry as the final program of the night.Rozan has a great talent in poetry, though he is also a dedicated party activist. He initial interest was literature. He got influenced by the mood of Reformasi in his students days in UIA.