Ever heard of the phrase ‘collateral damage’?

This is not about saving the three Datuks. It is not about slapping the three Datuks on the wrist and scolding them “naughty boys”. It is about catching a big fish named Anwar Ibrahim and about convincing the 40% atas pagar that the man in the video is Anwar Ibrahim.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Anwar Ibrahim is not convinced that the ‘Datuk T’ trio will be charged this Friday. But then Anwar was also not convinced that Perak would fall back into the hands of Barisan Nasional and it did. That one episode alone makes me wary of Anwar’s skills at strategic planning and thinking.

Okay, you can read what Anwar thinks in the Malaysian Digest news item below. Now let me tell you what I think.

First of all, you must put yourself in the other person’s shoes. In other words, apply a bit of Sun Tze’s teachings when you do strategic planning. And that means do not think what you would normally do but what the other person would do instead.

Now, if I were the ‘other side’ -- and the ‘other side’ is very brutal and manipulative mind you -- I would not hesitate to sacrifice the less important people. And let’s accept it, the ‘Datuk T’ trio is not that important to the bigger scheme of things. So, turning them into ‘collateral damage’ is not a big deal.

So they get fined a few thousand ringgit or get sent to jail for a couple of months or both, what’s the problem? If you agree to bank in RM20 million into my bank account I too would be prepared to return to Malaysia and spend 12 to 18 months in jail. After all, after deducting the one-third remission from my sentence, I would be out by my 63rd birthday, still young enough to enjoy the money.

Okay, what would I do if I were the ‘other side’?

First, I would charge the three Datuks. Then they would plead not guilty and the trial would proceed. Whether the three are discharged without their defence being called, or are eventually acquitted after a trial, or are found guilty and get sent to jail for a couple of months, or are merely fined, is not important.

You see: you can’t damage the government’s image or the reputation of the three Datuks any more than it has already been damaged. As it is, the porn video issue has already backfired and you can’t hurt those behind the video any more than they are already hurt. But you can damage Anwar. And that is the real target.

During the trial everything will surface -- how the video was recorded, where and when it was recorded, who were the people behind the recording, who are the people in the video, and much more.

So you see, the charge is for the crime of distributing porn material, in this case the video. But the trial would need to establish all those other ‘facts’. And these ‘facts’ are what the ‘other side’ wants to reveal.

Now, note one thing. The pro-government supporters do not need convincing -- they are convinced that Anwar is the man in the video. The pro-opposition supporters also do not need convincing -- they are convinced that Anwar is not the man in the video. But those are not the targets. The target is the 40% or so ‘undecided’, the ‘atas pagar’ or ‘fence sitters’. This is the group that the ‘other side’ wants to swing.

It is pointless to try to swing the 30% pro-government or 30% pro-opposition groups. They are steadfast in their views. It is the 40% neither-here-nor-there group that matters. This is the group that the ‘other side’ is trying to win over.

Note one more thing. The next general election is going to be won or lost within a mere 5% margin or so. So, 40% is a large margin to win over. And this 40% represents the ‘atas pagar’ or undecided group. Some of this 40% do not decide whom to vote for until the very morning of Polling Day. That is how crucial this 40% can be to the election result.

So, no, this is not a wayang kulit (shadow play) like what Anwar may think. This is for real. The three Datuks are collateral damage. They are going to be sacrificed in the interest of catching a bigger fish. And that bigger fish is Anwar Ibrahim. And the ‘other side’ would be prepared to sacrifice ten Datuks if need be just to get Anwar. So what are three has-been Datuks of no significance to the bigger scheme if things?

If I were Anwar I would not be too cock-sure of myself. I would be very worried. I would smell a rat -- in fact, three rats. And these three rats are going to be hung as bait to lure Anwar into the trap that is going to strangle him.

This is not about saving the three Datuks. It is not about slapping the three Datuks on the wrist and scolding them “naughty boys”. It is about catching a big fish named Anwar Ibrahim and about convincing the 40% atas pagar that the man in the video is Anwar Ibrahim.

Will they succeed? I really don’t know. If the 'other side' handles this: maybe ‘yes’ and maybe ‘no’. They are so stupid that they keep shooting themselves in their own feet. But if I were to handle this I would know exactly what to do and how to finish off Anwar for good.

But then I can’t reveal what I would do if I were handling this lest I end up teaching the ‘other side’ a trick or two, which they may not know of yet.

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Anwar Convinced Datuk T Won't Be Charged

by Haider Yutim, Malaysian Digest

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 JUNE, 2011: Opposition leader Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim said he is not convinced that the ‘Datuk T’ trio would be charged this Friday.

When asked by Malaysian Digest to comment on the matter, he said this case has deferred for months which raised a lot of questions. According to him, the video is still widely distributed and he claimed that the action is encouraged by the government, the police and the Home Ministry.

“It is impossible for a pornographic material to be publicized and released by hundreds and thousands if not protected by the powers that be,” said Anwar during a press conference at the parliamentary lobby today.

He said knowing the Attorney-General Tan Sri Ghani Patail and his track record, he sure that there will be a minimal charge imposed on the trio (Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, Datuk Shuaib Lazim and Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik) in order to appease the ‘forces’.

“I’m sure they’re (the authorities) going to do away (with the case) like the other political motivated charges except when it refers to the Opposition leaders or the normal rakyat,” he said.

He also told not to take seriously of Ghani’s charges.

When asked whether he thinks the trio will be off scot-free, Anwar said that this is very likely seeing that the trio is conduit of Umno that provides help for Umno leaders.

“Who are the other criminals complicit? Rahim Tamby Chik? Shuib Lazim? One is a ‘great moralist’ leader and one is one of the Perkasa chiefs.

“I mean you are going to say Umno seriously want to take action against these people? I’m not certainly convinced,” said Anwar.

Datuk ‘T’ trio who are businessman Eskay, former Melaka Chief Minister Rahim and former Perkasa treasurer Shuib is expected to be charged for showing the sex video allegedly featuring Anwar to several representatives of the media on March 21.

The matter was confirmed by Eskay himself when contacted by news portals.