Only Anwar can fail himself

Umno is not only in a battle for its political survival but is now in a battle within itself between faction for Najib and those for Muhyiddin.

COMMENT

Sixteen years at the highest level of government followed by six years at its lowest in solitary confinement, and he is still a work in progress.

Today at 65, when Anwar Ibrahim talks of politics that transcends race and religion, of politics that champions the democratic process, of a government that respects the rule of law and accepts a multi-cultural society, of freedom of religion, of a government devoid of vested interest and corruption – when he talks of all this and more – we not only listen but we hear what he is saying.

But what are Anwar’s convictions? Why is Anwar able to transcend partisan politics? How has he been able to make PAS understand that the Islamic state it passionately espouses cannot be a part of Pakatan Rakyat common agenda but it can still be PAS’?

And yet for Anwar, an Islamic state is not a choice he can consider in the context of an international environment. For him, there must be moderation in Islam.

The Islam that Umno talks about where people are detained without trial, denied their basic rights, the media managed and manipulated to serve the vested interest of their political masters and where corruption is rampant is not the Islam that Anwar aspires to.

Anwar is for reform and transparency. He is for freedom and civil liberties. He understands that the civic, social and cultural attitudes of our society have changed… and changed radically. The issues that concern the Malays – language, education, the economy and Islam – concern him, too, but he knows that race-based politics is not the way to go.

Anwar knows that race-based politics is the easy way to go. His times in university politics, Abim and Umno can attest to that. He chose PKR, a multi-racial entity, because it is the more difficult option and the right option for Malaysia’s future.

His task now is to see Pakatan evolved into a credible government. So what does liberty and liberalism entails in the concept that Anwar aspires to?

Anwar wants the Malays to be less intolerant of those who are not of the Islamic faith. The Malay understanding of Islam must not be so superficial. There must be moderation in Islam. Allah does not need to be defended. The Malays must deal with the realities of living in a multi-cultural and multi-racial society without resorting to the crutch of Ketuanan Melayu or Islam.

Let not Islam come into politics. Let Islam not be used for political gain. Let no one say that Islam is unjust.

Battle within Umno

Time has transcended Umno. There is too much moral hypocrisy in Umno. Umno ignores, nay it condones corruption. The rakyat are no longer complacent, they are disillusioned. The rakyat no longer trusts Umno and the commitment it makes.

Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Razak meant for the ISA to be used against militant communism. Today after the excesses of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, we know that the ISA is used by Umno and its leaders for their own vested interests.

So for the rakyat, political commitment is no longer enough – there must be put into place due process to ensure that the ISA and any other policy and issues are not abused for political gain.

Government policies must no longer be negative or punitive in nature. Anwar wants this too.

Our country is in a flux. Our values are changing, our aspirations for personal freedom to express ourselves on issues that matter to us are more defined and we seek a way out of the present impasse imposed upon us by the Barisan Nasional government. Is Anwar the way out of this impasse?

For Anwar, the time for greatness is nigh. Anwar is now locked in mortal political combat with Umno. Najib Tun Razak is irrelevant to the final outcome of this battle. Najib is the dead man walking. At best, Najib can say that he was once prime minister of Malaysia.

But what a prime minister!

He failed himself in all respects except one – just as Kepala Batas was the recipient of much physical development during Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s time as prime minister, Pekan became the recipient of same during Najib’s time – at our costs.

Everything else that he did while prime minister – from his inability to move from under the shadow of the domineering Rosmah Mansor, the kow-towing to Mahathir by having Mahathir’s son in his Cabinet, his use of money politics (Perak and the Sibu incident among the best documented) – belies the pedigree that he had come from.

How could the eldest son of Tun Razak proved to be so totally inept at everything that he did? We could all see that every policy that Najib sought to implement was an election policy.

His concern was the relentless persecution of his political nemesis rather than to do the business of government. Najib was all bluster with no substance. All talk with no action.

The Umno that Najib is president of is not only in a battle for its political survival but is now in a battle within itself, between faction for Najib and those for his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin.

Najib has been adept at constructing his own political descent. Now the much older Muhyiddin feels the time has come to hasten that descent less his own opportunity for political greatness passes.

And so Muhyiddin plots the political demise of Najib just as he plotted the political demise of Abdullah who counted Muhyiddin among those who he thought he could depend upon when his back is against a wall.

Shared purpose

All this Anwar has seen before. Anwar relishes the cut and thrust of Malaysian politics as Mahathir did. They both know the consequences of failure.

But while Mahathir was a worthwhile opponent for Anwar, all those in BN that stand before Anwar know that on a level playing field, failure beckons.

But what can fail Anwar is Anwar himself.

I hope there will be no more antics from Anwar that will distract us from Pakatan’s mainstream agenda:

• telling the people that Pakatan is the viable alternative to BN; and
• Pakatan will establish a clean and efficient government with a clean public service and a commitment to remain vigilant against corruption.

And all that we do together must contribute to a sense of hope and optimism for a new and positive future for 1Malaysia.

This clarity of shared purpose is a responsibility we must all assumed willingly if we are to move forward towards a vibrant multi-racial, multi -ultural and multi-religious society that has been our destiny from time immemorial.

CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist.