• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • RSS
  • Archives
  • Subscribe
The Nut Graph

The Nut Graph

Making Sense of Politics & Pop Culture

  • Projects
    • MP Watch
    • Found in Conversation
  • Current Issues
    • 6 Words
    • Commentary
    • Features
    • Found in Quotation
    • News
  • Columns
  • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Found in Malaysia
  • Multimedia
    • Audio
    • Pictures
    • Videos
  • Corrections
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Vault
    • Found in Translation

Viva la Reformasi!

By Nick Choo

February 17, 2010

MANY a bored reader has sighed at the impression that there seems to be nothing of greater significance to report on than Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim‘s sodomy trial. But on some level, the proceedings of the trial — including the lurid details involving the de facto Parti Keadilan Rakyat leader, his former aide and alleged sex acts — make for intriguing reading. Maybe it has to do with human nature: our morbid desire to know more about things that are either none of our business, or unsavoury — or both.

Some would say it’s the people’s right to know, given Anwar’s status as a public personality. Others would say reading about scandals is downright entertaining. Whatever the case, the court case has captured the attention of the Malaysian population at large, as well as that of international observers.

I skew towards the opinion that scandal can be entertaining. When I consider the journey Anwar has taken, from his early days as a student activist and young politician to where he is today, I feel his life story would make terrific theatre. Granted, given that the court case is still unfolding, the timing might not be right. But one day, in the not too distant future, I can see it: Anwar: The Musical — or, my preferred title, Reformasi!.

It’s not outside the realm of possibility. See some of the other local productions that have already been mounted, with a historical figure in the spotlight: Ismail: The Last Days; Tun Abdul Razak: The Musical; even Tunku, although the latter production didn’t actually feature Malaysia’s first prime minister. The road is paved towards Reformasi!.

What to emphasise?


How much saccharine can you take?

But let’s face it, a treatment of Anwar’s story would likely be off-balanced, over-emphasising either the good or the bad plot points in his life. After all, the musical productions mentioned above extolled the achievements of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Dr Ismail and Razak — perhaps a reflection on the producers’ own opinions of and respect for these politicians.

It really depends on the producers’ agenda and intent behind the staging. Anwar’s achievements could definitely be played up in this hypothetical musical. His founding and leading of activist and political groups in the early 1980s; his rise to deputy premiership; his handling of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, leading to Newsweek calling him “Asian of the Year“; the overturning of his first sodomy conviction and his return to politics; being sworn in as a Member of Parliament again after his Permatang Pauh victory.

But honestly, the idea of all that is off-putting. See aforementioned Tunku; Ismail; Tun Abdul Razak — production-wise, they were accomplishments in their own right, but they were all too saccharine to swallow for a whole two hours. People thrive on scandal. Better to play up the contentious storylines: Sacked as DPM! Arrested, imprisoned, assaulted! Crowds of supporters chanting Reformasi! Reformasi! à la the balcony scene in Evita! Anwar singing Don’t Cry For Me, Malaysia!


The angle of the musical depends on the producers’ agenda

Sodomy charges; trial; emancipation; new sodomy charges; trial redux! The drama! The tension! The entertainment! I can already see it: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan is asked to testify. Spotlight on him as the rest of the courtroom fades to black. Music starts. He sings the show-stopping ballad I Idolised Him. Tears. Thunderous applause. Standing ovation. What terrific real-life drama — though for the musical, especially in the courtroom scenes, perhaps better scriptwriters would be needed.

Personally, I would combine both the high and low points of Anwar’s story. But that’s because I don’t have a vested interest in his political or personal life. I think his tale would someday be worth telling, but in the way of the best biographies or obituaries. That is, to show his humble beginnings and his successes, as well as his controversies, failures and failings.

The pitch

So this is how Reformasi! would unfold in my head. After the overture, we’d shift to the dramatic opening scene: the crowds chanting for reformasi; the media having a field day; Anwar handcuffed, arrested, dragged away by cops. Let the cast sing about justice and injustice, guilt and innocence. Have Anwar’s family, aside, looking on and wondering, “How did we come to this?”

people holding up three signs, I, S and A
Act One will show Anwar’s glory days and
detention
And then, flashback to Anwar’s early years. The rest of Act One would alternate between Anwar’s detainment and alleged maltreatment in the late 1990s, versus his glory days as young politician and DPM. The end of the act would have him be released, return to so-called political glory, win his historic by-election and proclaim himself Malaysia’s next prime minister. Let there then be a song about Promises Unfulfilled. And then have him charged afresh with sodomy accusations. Have sarcastic Anwar-haters look on in glee and dish up a tongue-in-cheek number: What a Pain in the Ass. Close Act One with the impending trial looming over Anwar’s head and a number from his supporters: Will It Ever End? Intermission.

Act Two would open with the trial, which would be quite substantial à la the courtroom sequence in Boublil and Schonberg‘s Martin Guerre. The rest of it? Well, it hasn’t been written yet, has it? It might take months, years, before the conclusion. Though one thing is certain: the show wouldn’t be complete without the musical number Can I F*** You?.



Excerpt of documentary on the making of Martin Guerre, including courtroom scenes

Right now, Malaysians could be following Anwar’s trial proceedings out of idle interest, or morbid curiosity, or genuine concern — or simply because there are pages and pages of advertisements and not nearly enough news stories. But it can’t be denied that Anwar is an entertainer, both at and away from the political soap box, and a goshdarn good one. Who would have thought it? favicon


Nick Choo was going to write a Chinese New Year-themed article but worried that it would end up being too angsty. Happy Lunar New Year!

Read other Merely Playing columns

The Nut Graph needs your support  
Please take our five-minute reader survey

Filed Under: Columns Tagged With: anwar, Anwar the Musical, Can I F*** You?, Malaysian, Merely Playing, musical, Nick Choo, politics, reformasi, singing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. natalie says

    February 17, 2010 at 11:47 am

    First impressions of this article: cringe in distaste.

    I get it I get it, it’s irony. But somehow I get the impression that someone didn’t want to let their time messing around on photoshop go to waste. And whilst the article is as harmless as any of Nick’s other pieces, I have to say that the pictures, and the last line , well, it’s just my oppinion, but it comes across as a little too self-indulgent a rant. Just my two cents worth.

    I love The Nut Graph by the way, keep up the good work.

  2. Kathleen Lee says

    February 18, 2010 at 1:51 am

    I love the posters the most!! So funny. The pictures on TNG are always the most interesting and fun, keep it up!

  3. truthseeker says

    February 18, 2010 at 3:36 pm

    What rubbish!

  4. erina says

    February 19, 2010 at 6:46 pm

    Hey I think it’s an awesome idea and would make an interesting musical…whether or not I’d pay good money to see it is another question (due to the title character). And photoshopped posters are cool.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Comments

  • Wave33 on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Adam on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • PSTan on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • PSTan on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Andre Lai on The Nut Graph stops publication

Recent News

  • The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Nasihat tentang sepupu yang mengganggu perasaan
  • Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: The Sunni-Shia split and the answer to Muslim unity
  • Why Malaysia needs the national unity bills
  • Challenging government in the digital age: Lessons from Kidex
  • Najib’s failure
  • Babi, anjing, pondan: Jijik orang Islam Malaysia
  • Kidex and the law – What the government’s not telling you
  • Beyond Dyana Sofya
  • Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Does Malaysia need hate speech laws?

Tags

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Anwar Ibrahim Barisan Nasional BN Bukit Selambau by-election dap Deborah Loh Ding Jo-Ann Election Commission elections Found in Malaysia Found in Quotation Gan Pei Ling government high court Hishammuddin Hussein ISA islam Jacqueline Ann Surin Khairy Jamaluddin KW Mak Lim Guan Eng Malaysia MCA Menteri Besar MP Watch Muhyiddin Yassin muslim Najib Razak Pakatan Rakyat Parliament Parti Keadilan Rakyat pas Penang Perak PKR police politics prime minister Selangor Shanon Shah Umno Wong Chin Huat Zedeck Siew

Footer

  • About The Nut Graph
  • Who Are We?
  • Our Contributors
  • Past Contributors
  • Guest Contributors
  • Editorial Policy
  • Comments & Columns
  • Copyright Policy
  • Web Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
The Nut Graph

© 2025 The Nut Graph