COMMENT | Why I am defending Mat Sabu

COMMENT | Let me make this declaration first. I do not know Mohamad Sabu personally. So do not think I’m defending the Amanah president here because he is a personal friend.

Yes, I’ve seen Mat Sabu, as the man is fondly called, many times – in the corridors of Parliament, at election rallies, and during the protest years of electoral watchdog Bersih.

But I have yet to strike up a one-to-one conversation with him; don’t know why but that never happens. (Okay, the next time I see him in Parliament, I will make an effort to get up close and personal with him.)

However, that does not mean I cannot form an opinion of him, even now, since he is a well-known politician and leads a component party of Pakatan Harapan.

For a man in his position, what Mat Sabu thinks, what he does, and how he carries himself publicly matter. When his detractors criticise him, I believe I know where they are coming from.

Like all public figures, Mat Sabu...