‘Anwar will fail us’

Anwar Ibrahim must explain deputy PKR president, Azmin Ali's hold over him.

COMMENT

PKR’s de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s fate will not be decided on Jan 9 when the court hands down its verdict on his guilt or innocence in his Sodomy II trial.

At best it will herald another phase in his leap of faith into his future started by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in September 1998.

His long and terrifying leap of faith has yet to run its course. We have seen him first dismissed by Mahathir from his position as Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia over 12 years ago.

Since then Anwar has run more than a marathon. He has run a cross-country obstacle race that never seems to end, but simply presenting him with a false horizon as he nears what he perceives to be the finish line! How much more can the man endure?

Today he is out in the Malay heartlands drumming up support for the opposition and possibly for himself, as the date of his sentencing looms close.

He’s telling them that it is no longer about Anwar Ibrahim. It is about justice. It is about reform and change in governance.

It is about combating abuse of power and cronyism that has resulted in a majority of Malays suffering while an elite minority reaped rewards.

These are all matters that are close to our hearts too. So where do we differ Anwar?

Where do we agree to disagree?

Explain ties with Azmin

Let’s look into PKR for starters. Azmin Ali has been with Anwar since his days as the finance minister, if not before.

Azmin and I have one thing in common. We both attended Gurney Road School – he possibly just after me.

Now tell me how is it possible that Azmin who was once Anwar’s special officer is now deputy president of a political party of which Anwar is the de facto head?

He was elected deputy president in a party election that was marred by serious allegations of fraud and electoral misconduct.

Azmin has full control over PKR because this same Azmin has full control over Anwar.

Now tell me Anwar why are you beholden to Azmin? Is Azmin holding money, on your behalf, overseas? Has Azmin got incriminating evidence of your sexual preferences?

We must soon chose
These are some of the questions being asked by many.

Explain your acquiesce to what Azmin wants. What Azmin wants is control of PKR – no matter what the costs to PKR and to Pakatan Rakyat.

There are many that will not want this to happen.

Many of us will have to decide when our support for Anwar ends and when our support for PKR begins.

I think it begins now if Azmin moves to gain control of PKR should Anwar be incarcerated.

We know that the Council of Elders within PKR will manage PKR in Anwar’s absence.

Why this should be the case puzzles many because there is already Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as president and Azmin as deputy president to manage PKR affairs.

Unless this is Azmin’s ploy to control PKR through his control over this Council of Elders and thus sideline Azizah in the decision making process within PKR.

If this is the case, will Nurul Izzah (Anwar’s daughter, who is a PKR vice-president ) allow her mother to be simply cast aside when her mother is already president of PKR?

It would make for some interesting power play within PKR in Anwar’s absence.

Sodomy case hurt Pakatan

These are some of the uncertainties that Anwar will be leaving PKR with.

That PKR was able to recover from the shambles of its party elections is surprising enough.

Now, Anwar wants to subject it to another round of uncertainties and power play by the same people who ousted Zaid (Ibrahim) out of PKR. Surely this is highly irresponsible of him.

Our concern is for Pakatan. Enough damage has been inflicted on Pakatan by the Sodomy II case.

Blaming Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Barisan Nasional or Umno for throwing this politically motivated judicial sham at Anwar is besides the point.

The reality is that Pakatan is hurt and hurt bad by the case.

Arguing that a conviction will strengthen Pakatan’s position vis-a-vis the voters is really sour grapes.

Now it would seem that once Anwar is incarcerated we will have to contend with another power struggle within PKR between those with Azmin and those against Azmin.

‘Anwar will choose Azmin’

I can see the faithfuls already lining up behind Azizah and Azmin – the two A’s.

I can see Anwar sitting down and doing nothing. Because between supporting his wife/daughter’s bid for control of PKR and throwing his support behind Azmin, Anwar will chose Azmin.

Why?

Because this now what is in the minds of many of us as Jan 9 looms closer by the day, by the hour and too soon by the minutes!

And again when it matters most, Anwar will fail us.

This is why I have always said that Anwar must be a king-maker and not the king himself.

There are too many variables and uncertainties around Anwar that inhibits what he should really do in circumstances like that which he is now facing.

And the things he must do, he cannot do because Anwar is beholden to the people he must make these decisions against.

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