Rebel without a pause

LOVE him or hate him, it’s hard to ignore Hishamuddin Rais. After a life of exile and detention, street politics and independent movies, mainstream columns and conspiracy theories, he has not been tamed. Despite being part of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Pakatan Harapan war room during the elections, he is not the sort to stick loyally to a single narrative. His main purpose now, he tells Sunday Star in his trademark colourful language, is not about Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad or Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but defending the gains of the May 9 election victory. To that end, his commitment is to the reform agenda and the truth.

“I don’t know who started this ‘100 days’ nonsense but the reform agenda will take more time than that, and more than the five months we have had now since May 9. Reforms will have to undergo a certain process: discussions with stakeholders, evaluation and then go to parliament... So, it will take time. I am really pleased with what has happened now.”