Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today recalled the 1974 Baling demonstration which led to his arrest under the Internal Security Act and detention in Kamunting, Perak, for two years.
He said the Baling events, which involved student demonstrations to defend the poor in the district, remained fresh in his memory.
“It was in 1974, several years after the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein launched the New Economic Policy to ensure the well-being of the people through a two-pronged approach, including the eradication of poverty regardless of race.
“Three years later, the problem of poverty emerged significantly due to the sudden drop in rubber prices. Smallholders lived in very miserable conditions.
“They got up, marched from Baling, all the way to Alor Setar and when the news reached Kuala Lumpur, we also stood up to support them. So I was given a two-year ‘leave of absence’ in Kamunting,” he said when closing a Kedah Madani event today.
The prime minister said the biggest test of a leader when in power was to carry out his responsibility as best as possible and ensure the people receive various benefits from every policy made.
The measure of a country’s success lay in how revenue was distributed to the most marginalised people and not just in being able to produce convincing figures on growth and increased investment.
“I remember that I went (under detention) for two years for the Baling issue. Why? To defend the plight of the poor. So don’t miss the opportunity, when you have power, try to implement it with trust as best as possible,” he said.
