Tried, Tested & Trusted...

There is a small hair salon operating along Maxwell Road (now known as Jalan Tun Razak) for more than 25 years now. No folks, it's not a fancy hairstylist salon with long-legged blondes to make you feel at home. Its a typical indian barber shop. A 10 feet width and 20 feet length shop with cold air-conditioning, four barber stools, a radio tuned to a tamil-speaking frequency and plenty of out-of-date pop magazines.

I have returned to the same barber for my monthly hair cut for the last 24 years, with few exceptions. The same ol` barber in person. Chair number three. There were many attempts by friends, along the 24 years, to entice me to try those trendy hair-cut salons. I did try but I did not patronage.

But nothing beats my barber. His cutting strokes are very consistent and I don't have to explain what hair cutting style I require or how I want my goatie or my sideburn to look like. He reads my body language very well too. Sometimes, after a long stressful tense-filled day (you know, one of those days when I don't answer phone calls or reply smses) my hair cutting session would be one without any uttering word except a little thank you before I leave by each of us.

He is not perfect tho`. He did caused some painful cuts during my shaves sometimes. But the thing that I enjoyed most is our many conversations, our talk about the public grouses, hay-wire stock market, unpredictable weather, latest local rumours and many other topics. One thing for sure, if I'm at the barber shop at the same time as the tamil radio news, he will translate the news for me. He is a sources for my political information too. The grass root voice, so to speak.

Well, being a regular patron for more than two decades surely has its privileges.

But then again, I must admit, during the the height of hindraf-led-demonstrations, as a Malay, I too felt the anxiety. And my paranoia extends to my indian barber too. It did cross my mind, what if he trust the razor and slash my neck apart. Yes, its a silly thought, but it did cross my mind once.

But then yet for 24 years I have tried and tested his services with no room for dissatisfaction. My trips to my barber for hair cuts are like cozy-homecoming, a complete comfort. For 24 years I have trusted his hands to handle the unforgiving pair of sharp scissors and razors and never to have second thought of his sincerity and my safety, except for once.

And when the people of Permatang Pauh settles on Anwar Ibrahim instead of Arif Shah on 26th August and return the man to Parliament with bigger majority than Wan Azizah's five months ago, I have no qualms whatsoever. It did not even raise my eyebrows.

For 26 years the majority of people in Permatang Pauh have voted either Anwar Ibrahim or Wan Azizah as their parliamentarian and their trusted service person, and it will take more than 10 days of heavy campaign to denounce all the good deeds Anwar Ibrahim and his family have done for the people of Permatang Pauh. There are too many simple local Permatang Pauh people who are simply taken by Anwar's charming style and gestures. Anwar and his family are a tried, tested and trusted brand around Permatang Pauh, that is certain.

But can Anwar Ibrahim be the trusted brand for Malaysia?

In all fairness, apart from being a Prime-Minister-wannabe-at-any-cost, a convicted corrupt by three courts with competent jurisdiction, criminally accused-sodomizer - twice, alleged-agent-of-the-western-countries, Anwar Ibrahim is a charming dan captivating personality, above-average-able economic speaker and the hope of a new Malaysia, whatever form that new Malaysia might be. Maybe a new Malaysia with two Deputy Prime Ministers, representing non Malay and Borneo for a change.

I just cannot wait for September the 17th to see if the petrol price will revert back to the old price as Anwar had promised when he gets to fulfill his life-long ambition. But then, we are nice Malaysians. And nice Malaysians don't crucify leaders for lying, even if the lie is said in the mosque.

As for me, a small-time-bankrupt (yes, if all my creditors decide to recall all my debts, all at once) - lawyer, swear or no swear, my all time tried, tested and trusted brand for Malaysia is none other than Tun Dr Mahathir himself. May Allah swt extend him good health for many more years to come.