MOVE OVER JOCELINE TAN, HERE COMES ANIZA DAMIS.

Every Sunday, after coffee at home with the Times Online, I religiously head for my favorite bak-kut-teh in PJ Newtown. I normally read a book whilst Kane gets my "tua-bak" ready. This Sunday I forgot to bring along my book. I went to the nearby news vendor. I normally only buy the NST on Tuesday to read Syed Nazri's takes on things. The Sunday Times caught my attention: Sunday Interview with Nazri Aziz. This guy has been vomiting out a lot of rancid stuff. I did not want to spoil my breakfast BUT the paper said that the interview was on page 6-8. That is very rare with the NST. Truth be told, I am a very suspicious chap. Why would they give him three pages? Why did Khairy, courtesy of Kali allow that? I still hesitated. When I used to read our MSM I paid scant attention to interview of politicians, especially in our UMNO and MCA daily newsletters.
Most of these interviews are STAGED to score points. Staged, in that the interviewee would want ahead of time the questions to be asked. The reporter's (oopppss the interviewer) job is done when he/she submits the set of questions, which has been duly approved by the upstairs powers. u He/she just waits for the day to have the interview assured that there will be loads of kueh in between a hassle-free interwiew. While he/she waits for the appointed day, the politicians spin masters, special assistants or (the current flavour of the decade), think-tanks will busy themselves "researching". I was still undecided when Patrick Teoh of Niamah called: In that raspy familiar voice he asked if I read the Sunday Times. I asked," why"? He said, " Buy lah bruder, this char bor (girl) is damn good." I asked, "Which girl?" He volunteered, "That girl who interviewed that idjeet Nazri....she damn choon bruder." If Patrick says someone is damn choon, that person got to be really choon.

Of course the interviewee spewed out the same load of shet that we have heard ad infinitum. But Aniza was awesome. She knotted, she gutted his innards big time. She gave no quarters a la Larry King and Tim Sebastian. I have this evil thought that Nazri who has an overdose of self-esteem accepted the interview without the normal prepared questions. She led him by the nose to make him say that the majority is important, not the minority....bloggers are a minority... She then zapped him with "So the Indians, the minority is not important?" She confused him such that for once a miracle happened. Nazri, the all-knowing said. "I dont know. I dont know anything." She probed with open-ended questions and he fell into a dead-end...."I dont waste my time (reading the blogs)".....and as she egged him on about bloggers he said that the standard of bloggers must be upgraded. If you dont read blogs, how can you judge? She continue to parry and trust and he admitted that he could empathize with his fellow lawyers. Something outstanding I noticed about Aniza ....her perspicacity. Her questions had that mental penetration that is the hallmark of a good journalist. I am not one. But thats how I judge them. Her questions left no doubt what answers she expected. She was masterful. Those who come before her, just be prepared unless you want to be canned. More power to you Aniza. Do I hear head-hunters ringing your doorbell?