Some in Anwar's stronghold soften to prospect of Dr M as PM again

The Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency in Penang has always been the stronghold of Anwar Ibrahim.

In 1999, when a bitter feud with the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad culminated in Anwar landing in prison, voters in Permatang Pauh, who had cast their ballots for Anwar and BN since 1982, ditched the ruling coalition in favour of Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

As far as the voters were concerned, the charges and accusations against Anwar were fabricated by Mahathir and those aligned with him.

Close to two decades later, the Malaysian political landscape witnessed a seismic shift with Mahathir and Anwar putting their acrimonious past aside to battle Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The former premier is now the chairperson of the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, which includes PKR, a party born from Anwar's reformasi movement against Mahathir.

Headed by Anwar's wife, PKR and another Harapan component – DAP - had always maintained that Anwar is their choice for the prime minister's post.

However, this changed when Mahathir crossed the political divide. With Anwar in prison once again, Mahathir is now poised to be Harapan's official choice for the prime minister's post.

There is even talk that Anwar had accepted this plan, which is seen as crucial to convince the Malay electorate to cast their ballots for the opposition coalition, which Umno claims dances to the tune of the predominantly-Chinese DAP and this poses a threat to the special position of the Malays and Islam.

While a significant number of opposition and reformasi supporters have baulked at the prospect of Mahathir, who was prime minister for two decades, assuming the leadership reins once again, a straw poll by Malaysiakini suggested the opposite was true for some Permatang Pauh voters.

Yes, he can be PM again

Village development and security committee member Ahmad Baharuddin, 59, from Penanti said if Anwar's family can forgive Mahathir after their ordeal, he can do so as well.

"Who are we to hold a grudge against him? If Anwar and his family can forgive Mahathir, why not us?” he asked.

He believed that both Mahathir and Anwar have the necessary track record and skills to lead the nation, but the latter will always be his preferred choice.

For Ahmad, it is important to back an opposition leader who is sincere and hardworking to address the economic woes faced by Malaysians.

"We were fine back then in terms of politics and the economy, although Mahathir did not focus much on religion. Life was better when he was PM.

"Now, we suffer the after-effects of the GST, we feel the increase in the cost of living. We feel it every day. Everything is more expensive than in the past," he said.

Graphics designer Tan Khai Loong, 29, said he can accept Mahathir in the top post on an interim basis while giving time to Harapan to sort out who will be the next prime minister.

"Well, a new leader would be great but if there isn't any suitable candidate yet, why not (Mahathir) right? This is still better than Harapan having an internal war. Moving forward is key in my opinion.

"However, an interim shouldn't be too long - one or two years maximum," added the second time voter from Seberang Perai.

Similarly, former teacher Norazura Ahmad believes in the idea of Mahathir as prime minister on an interim basis while waiting for Anwar's release from prison.

"I cannot say whether I support him or not but I can certainly say if he were appointed as interim PM, I can accept Mahathir in the post.

"His age is not an issue. He still looks healthy, the most important thing is what he has done (to administer the country) and whether he can still do his work well,” she said.

"Our Anwar may be released from prison in June but his future is uncertain. So perhaps, it is okay to consider Mahathir as the interim PM," added Norazura, who is from Penanti.

According to Mohd Ahmad Yatim, 39, he can accept Mahathir at the helm again because the latter's administration was cleaner than the present one.

“He has an excellent record. There was no ‘benda yang pelik-pelik’ (strange things) during his administration.

"Now there are so many issues plaguing the country, we are suffering due to increasing prices of goods, petrol prices are unstable and it adds on to our burden," said the food stall operator from Sama Gagah.

He said that regardless of who becomes prime minister, the person must do his best for the people and provide jobs “to keep youths off the streets”.

Another sign of Permatang Pauh folks warming up to Mahathir is the fact that Bersatu set up a branch in the constituency on Christmas Eve.

Although the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat is reserved for PKR, with the candidate most likely a member of Anwar’s family, Bersatu may be fielded at the state level.

No, he should not be PM again

Mahathir's detractors in Permatang Pauh, however, feel that the 92-year-old politician is past his prime and someone younger should be Harapan's PM candidate.

Businessman Saiful Mat Saad, 35, believes that Mahathir's name does not resonate well with the people in Permatang Pauh.

"He does not really have the influence anymore. He failed to maintain support when he was in Umno, we are not sure if he can remain influential in Harapan.

"Besides, we have not seen him around here in Permatang Pauh, maybe he is influential in Kedah but in Penang, we are not sure," said the Seberang Perai bakery owner.

Similarly, T Kohilawani, 57, said Mahathir has already served as prime minister for 22 years.

"We already had him for 22 years, now it is time to give someone else a chance. We are waiting for Anwar's return," added the Sungai Lembu resident.

Civil servant Abdul Malik Ismail, 32, said although Mahathir brought the country to great heights, he hopes to see someone younger as prime minister.

"It does not matter which party he comes from as long as he can do the job, and achieve what's best for the country," added the Penanti resident.

Harapan is expected to announce its candidate for the prime minister's post during the coalition's national convention in Shah Alam on Sunday.

Coalition leaders suggested that Mahathir is named as the candidate and Wan Azizah as his deputy during a retreat in early December.

The decision is expected to be finalised when the Harapan presidential council meets tomorrow at Bersatu’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that PKR prefers the term “interim prime minister” but the other component parties disagree, claiming that it will not inspire confidence.- Mkini