Finally, Anwar comes out swinging

“If I feel threatened, others would also fall.” 

– Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar’s response to the just concluded Tanjung Piai by-election “punishment” is apparently “shock” - but a seasoned politico like Anwar had no doubt read the tea leaves. The grand poohbah has said that the Pakatan Harapan manifesto is meaningless. Anwar should get the message that, for a significant number of the Harapan base, it is not.

When I said that a victory in Tanjung Piai is a victory for either Papagomo or the Perak MB, this translates to politics as usual which Anwar, unfortunately, does not fare well in. BN will rightly spin this as a victory for the kind of Malaysia they want and Harapan supporters should not dismiss this as just an aberration, a one-off punishment for Harapan.

The old maverick will certainly not see this as a referendum of his stewardship, and it will be interesting to see how those Malay operatives in Harapan aligned with Mahathir play the race and religion card in this defeat.

Some political pundits will claim that Harapan’s defeat was teaching the old maverick a lesson. So we shot ourselves in the foot when we voted Dr Mahathir Mohamad in and we will continue shooting ourselves on the other foot if he remains. Is this the strategy? Apropos everything, how is withholding aid from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) working out for you, Mr Finance Minister?

Anwar has to demonstrate that he is not merely waiting docilely in the corner for a chance to test, if the faith of his supporters is misplaced by his ascendancy to the highest office in the land.

Recent public comments by the prime minister-in-waiting are a welcome change from the unerklärter Krieg (undeclared war) that is currently raging in PKR. As someone who has made it clear, he hopes Anwar will be the next prime minister of this country. I am also someone who has meticulously chronicled every Anwar misstep since the historic Harapan win.

The great crime that the current prime minister visited upon Anwar and his family was to destroy Anwar’s political career using the instruments of race and religion, thereby making it extremely difficult for Anwar to navigate the oftentimes hypocritical terrain of race and religion in this country.

Is it any wonder, that Anwar is wary of not spooking the Malays? The irony of all of this is that Anwar has always been the most dangerous to the far-right when he was on a multi-racial populist platform. 

He was always the most dangerous to the establishment when he surrounded himself with young firebrands who understood that “ketuanan” and religiosity had taken Malay power as far it could go – and with a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, a new vision of “Malay” leadership was needed.

Unacceptable behaviour

Anwar’s recent pugilistic comments regarding the "cartel" should be the start, not the end of his agenda of establishing a new order in Harapan. Also important is Anwar’s warning of the consequences if he felt “threatened”.

Folks within PKR who have animosity towards Anwar – but who have not openly acknowledged to me that they do not want Anwar to be the next prime minister – have called and texted me, saying that this is unacceptable behaviour.

My answer to this is that it is perfectly acceptable and I welcome political consequences for anyone colluding with elements from the far-right who want to derail the process of Anwar becoming the next prime minister. Let me be very clear. I have very little interest in the internal squabbles of a political party.

However, once someone conspires with the far-right and other political parties to delegitimise or derail the succession plan, then, in my view, it is open season on these traitors. Anwar is finally demonstrating that he has the cajones to take on political operatives not only from his party but also from outsiders who only have mala fide intent when it comes to PKR's leadership.

What I find despicable about this whole fiasco, is that, clearly, PKR and the DAP are a threat to the system by virtue of being multi-racial parties. Political operatives in Harapan who are siding with the far-right and other political parties are weakening the foundation of what could be a new Malaysia.

I know many DAP and PKR reps who are struggling because their efforts are being hampered by the political plays of power brokers jockeying for power and positions. They have to be wary because they never know when they are going to have the rug pulled out from under them. They do not have the backing of Malay political operatives who should be working with them in creating a new Malaysia.

It all starts with Malay leadership that wants change. It starts with Malay leadership that would back up the plays of non-Malay political operatives in Harapan – the most important non-Malay leadership which is not part of the cult of old Malaysian politics.

When Anwar says something like this – "Our party does not talk about poverty according to race. If you wish to remain in PKR, you cannot deviate from this. We champion all (races)," all this is anathema to race-based parties. They fear that a majority of voters may actually realise that their self-interests would be better served if they think collectively and not communally.

He has to clearly articulate a vision of Malaysia, which is the opposite vision of what Mahathir and the far-right have for this country.

For instance, don’t engage in identity politics by blaming the “urban elite”. Instead, carry out rural development programmes that are not bound by the economic imperatives of plutocrats. 

Don’t use the religious bureaucracy as a means of cultural indoctrination, instead use it to disburse aid for all races, thereby inculcating the idea that the state-sanctioned religion takes care of all Malaysians. 

Revamp the education system so that it creates a polity that is not dependent on the government and is competitive in this fast-changing geopolitical landscape.

If Anwar does not do this, then he will suffer the same fate as most leaders in this country. He will be overwhelmed by the far right.

In the end, nobody gives you power, you have to take it.

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S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. A retired barrister-at-law, he is one of the founding members of Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan. - Mkini