From freedom fighter to nation builder

From the New Straits Times (Nov 4): From freedom fighter to nation builder

VISIONARY: The MILF chief is eager to raise the standard of Bangsamoro

 

Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim says Malaysia’s Felda scheme is a good model for Bangsamoro to adopt.

AL Haj Murad Ebrahim exudes a certain aura, something which is immediately apparent the moment he walks into the room. It isn't the sort of presence you would expect from the one-time commander of the armed forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). You would expect a commanding presence from a man who has struggled for more than four decades to gain a better life for his people, the Bangsamoro. It's a presence so strong that it would engulf the entire room. On the contrary, Murad, now the chairman of the MILF, has a different sort of aura surrounding him. He is soft-spoken, articulate and a fatherly figure with a pleasant disposition. But, let nothing fool you. He still has a commanding presence, though in a different way. Murad, 64, is deeply respected and loved by his people. It is apparent by the way they talk about or with him at Darapanan Camp, the main base of the MILF, in Sultan Kudarat. He is a father figure to all of them. Though a highly disciplined set-up (the camp is a no-smoking zone unlike other "rebel" camps), the MILF operates more like a huge family. (That perception was perhaps proved right when Murad's grandson burst into the room wanting to play with his grandfather in the middle of this interview.) Murad greets the Malaysian press with a handshake that is not soft, yet not particularly firm, and a warm smile. The relaxed way in which he talks belies the fact that this is a man who has spent the better part of his life fighting a war, and with peace so tantalisingly close, he cannot afford to rest. "Yes, I am busy now. Just as busy as before, but in a different way," he said. From the way he talks, one gets the impression, and correctly so, of a man who loves his people. "They have suffered so much. The challenges ahead are more difficult and complex because our homeland has been devastated. "Our next task is nation-building so that our people can rise from the ashes of this devastation...."

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