Anwar the icon more powerful than Anwar the leader

The fight for his freedom looks futile for now because there seems to be no focus.

COMMENT

Nearly three weeks have passed since Anwar Ibrahim was sentenced to five years’ jail for sodomy, effectively disqualifying him from further contesting in elections. Nearly three weeks have passed since what may be the end of an era in Malaysian politics, and in all those days, Anwar’s name has been making the headlines.

Anwar Ibrahim as an icon, as a political martyr, seems more powerful than he ever was in life. The perception of Anwar as a heroic figure comes from our vision of him standing tall, swearing to fight on even as nearly eight years of hard work to reach Putrajaya end in a prison cell.

Symbols have power and they are ubiquitous in the subconscious of society. The symbol of the martyr, the fallen revolutionary, is often more powerful than the living image of the revolutionary.

Now, however, the husk of PKR seems to be at a standstill, not knowing how to tackle the situation. On one hand, there is Nurul Nuha and her nightly protests that draw ever-smaller crowds outside the Sungai Buloh prison that her father currently calls his place of residence. There is the plea for a royal pardon from Nurul Izzah and her mother Wan Azizah. And there are voices that say that a royal pardon requires a petition from Anwar himself.

One must also note that Azmin Ali, once Anwar’s right hand man, has been conspicuous in his silence.

The point is that there is no unilateral approach to the situation right now. It seems like everyone wants to do something to get Anwar out of jail, but going about it in a manner that suggests that the right hand knows not what the left is up to. Even Nuha’s vigils, which are as close to unilateral action as PKR and it’s allies have come in this entire debacle, was always an exercise in futility given that without a mass of numbers, or even controversy, the needle on the meter will not move and Anwar will continue to languish in prison.

A royal pardon is perhaps the most concrete solution to the situation. Having the King absolve him of the crime does nothing, legally, to change the fact that the record shows he was convicted of sodomy, but ultimately, it would free Anwar in time to make one more run for the grand prize of Malaysian politics.

That comes at a price, however. This is politics, and having Anwar out of the picture could strengthen Pakatan far more than his return. After all, even when he led the coalition, Anwar could not stamp down on the quarrels within Paktan Rakyat, leading to the very visible split between PAS and DAP. Anwar as an ideal could be far more powerful than Anwar as a leader. There is no doubt that he still leads, even from his jail cell, but he has become more of a rallying point, the centre, where the legend of Anwar guides Pakatan to Putrajaya.

Will the Yang di Pertuan Agong grant Anwar a pardon? I believe not. However, Anwar’s uncertain future is sure to continue to be a topic of great discussion in many circles, for what happens from here has the potential to effect change.