Is Anwar desperate or does he have a big heart, is Najib afraid and of whom?

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is actually a fine country. It has abundant and valuable natural resources plus a good geographical location. Malaysia is also a sovereign nation, winning its independence from the British without much bloodshed and inheriting a good basic, if archaic, legal and administrative system.

Sad to say, there were also 'side effects'. The worst of these is UMNO, the political party that still rules Malaysia till today. The legal and administrative system have since become victims of UMNO's abuse of authority.

Fortunately, the best thing for Malaysia has not happened yet. This can only take place after the country has been saved from the excesses of UMNO and the endemic illnesses that have take root as a result of its racial and corruption-tainted policies. Basically the 2 main structures that need to be dismantled are UMNO itself and the sprawling civil service it has 'created' since taking over from the British.

The best way is of course through the ballot box and beating UMNO in the general election. This is what Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat did in the recent May 5 13th General Election. But despite winning 51% of the votes, Pakatan failed to wrest control of the federal government due to the gerrymandering put in place by UMNO leaders, especially former premier Mahathir Mohamad, through the years.

Therefore, to win at the general election is now very difficult. Even with 51% of votes, Prime Minister Najib Razak's UMNO-BN secured 133 seats over the Pakatan's 89. And the Election Commission is already talking about new re-delineation, i.e. more gerrymandering.

The best is yet to come

Does this mean the majority in this country cannot do anything then?

Yes, of course they can. With BERSIH 4.0 on the cards, Najib and UMNO can expect a fight to the end with the free and fair polls movement. Millions of Malaysians can be expected to come out and support BERSIH.

This is why bringing back draconian detention-without-trial laws have become a top priority with Najib's UMNO. They want to have an edge over the protesters and they believe this is the best way to intimidate would-be dissidents.

Is there a way to head off such unpleasantness or at least a reasonable effort to so?

Should not civil-minded and responsible Malaysians make an attempt to really sit down and talk to UMNO leaders before taking to the streets to protect their 'freedom'.

Yes, of course. As the saying goes, “if there is a will, there is a way”.

When there is a will, there is a way

Now, Anwar has just floated a proposal to Najib for a roundtable discussion on the most critical issues facing the nation. If accepted and carried out in the spirit and principle on which the idea was conceived, then there should be an end to the non-stop political bickering. The fate of the nation can be discussed amicably, and this is what right-minded adults and responsible citizens should do.

Obviously, UMNO critics will laugh their heads off at the idea that UMNO could ever carry out any civil discourse with the Opposition, even if the latter represents at least 51% of the electorate. The UMNO critics will tell you, it is exactly the intention of the party's Machiavellian top leaders to ensure that there is endless bickering. Look at UMNO's pattern of divide-and-rule over the past 56 years, they say, and this is why many believe Anwar is off on another wild-goose chase.

What then is the alternative? Immediate street demos and protests? Are these what the people really want?

Frankly, most Malaysians would not want to get involved in any trouble with the law. But neither do they want to see their country go to the dogs. It is a sad dilemma to be in.

However, if Anwar and his Pakatan colleagues Lim Guan Eng and Hadi Awang fail to rein in UMNO at the negotiating table, then Malaysians may really find themselves with no choice but to go to the streets if they want to stop the UMNO juggernaut.

"Anwar and Pakatan have shown their statesmanship in making their offer to UMNO-BN. But there are so many boors in UMNO, they won't be magnanimous enough to accept the offer. They will just jeer and sneer at Anwar and say he is desperate. Of course, Najib might try to go one up on Anwar and accept the offer," a Pakatan watcher toldMalaysia Chronicle when asked what was likely to be the next move on the unity talks proposed by Anwar on the eve of Malaysia's August 31 Independence Day.

"But I think it would be for vanity and boosting his own stature. I think the talks, if they are held, will be tepid and Malaysians should not expect much because UMNO is like a star that has turned bad. It is a rogue planet that is burning out and has to self-implode before it can heal. The arrogance is so evident in the way it refuses to listen to anyone or even consider the views of others."

A time when leadership is crucial

The proposals made by Anwar are not detrimental to the sanctity of either UMNO-BN or Pakatan Rakyat because of the universal nature of the subjects i.e safeguarding the economy, preventing crime, sorting out racial and religious issues.

The question of a unity government also does not arise in such talks although many in Najib's camp are seizing on the olive branch extended by Anwar to boost Najib's stature in the run-up to the UMNO election in October.

Anwar has shown that he is serious in everything that he has said pre- and post-13th General Election. Some in UMNO have questioned the timing of Anwar's offer. But as former UMNO leader Zaid Ibrahim has said, that is "banal" if not "stupid".

Firstly, the fact is, what better time than Merdeka? Secondly, yes, the petitions filed by the Opposition to challenge the outcome of the May 5 election are being thrown out on technical grounds but these are not something that Anwar himself had not warned about.

So it boils back to the key question - do Malaysians plumb for street protests or allow Anwar and Pakatan to have a go with the UMNO-BN at the negotiating table?

Is UMNO able to change?

So far, the reaction of the UMNO leadership is according to script. But then, most of these leaders are narrow-minded and stereotypical Malay chauvinists.

One by one, they have questioned and ridiculed Anwar’s intention but their own decisions are not based on rationality or the interest of the country. Their self-interests very obviously come first and this is why after 56 years, there really is not much to shout about in Malaysia especially as far as nation-building is concerned.

Many in the UMNO top echelon are worried about losing their positions and power without bothering that the present government is a minority government lacking in legitimacy.

To them, these are mere words coined by critics. They don't realize that when a government lacks legitimacy because it is not supported by the majority of the people, then it is on its last legs. History has shown such governments don't last long and if the fallout is not well handled, the situation can get pretty messy. This is the time when leadership is crucial.

What is there for Anwar?

Some say Anwar has his eye on positions in the government, hence the unity talks. But it is quite incredible to link the unity talks he has proposed with government positions.

After all, are Anwar, Guan Eng and Hadi so naive as to think the UMNO-BN, which has just won a fresh 5-year mandate albeit dubiously, be so altruistic as to put the nation's interest and share the duties, tasks and powers of governance with them?

What Anwar appears to be asking for is that the people's voice be heard, at the very least. Najib has copied many ideas stated in the Pakatan manifesto but has yet to execute on these despite having won the GE-13.

For example, the Election Commission cannot continue with its usual tricks as easily as before. Judges must stop their case-fixing ways. Something has to be dome about the corruption in the civil service and the higher echelons of government. Najib too has to make serious changes to stop rogue cops from murdering detainees. The price of imported cars has to be reduced. Same with property prices. And so too must the budget deficit be cut!

What is there for Najib?

As for Najib, by accepting the offer of unity talks, it would be a feather in his political cap. It will be used by his camp to counter criticism that he is a weak leader. Obviously, his rivals within UMNO itself would do their best to rain on his parade and he may be jostled and stopped from taking the offer up.

It would also be beneficial to UMNO-BN because the co-operation is likely to make the Opposition more willing to vote with the government on certain key Bills. At present, not all new Bills need to be passed by two-thirds of the lawmakers in Parliament, but UMNO will face uncertainty whenever such a Bill comes up for tabling.

It cannot have been easy for Anwar to make such an offer. The Opposition Leader is a quite a humble person but he is also known for his feisty streak. No one survives Sodomy I and Sodomy, plus the Datuk T sex scandal, without possessing some quantum of backbone and fighting spirit. No one goes through the high of winning GE13 only to have victory snatched away by gerrymandering, no one can have the guts to reject the GE13 results and initiate a nationwide series of Black 505 rallies without having steel in their makeup. It is fortunate for Malaysians, Anwar also has a big heart.

UMNO leaders won't be as magnanimous, that's for sure. The same goes for the leaders of the other BN parties who will also have a say in the unity talks. The ball is now in Najib's court.

Malaysia Chronicle