For over two decades, all Anwar Ibrahim ever dreamt about was to be prime minister.
But 18 months into his premiership, many Malaysians will agree that no other prime minister has managed to upset us terribly, and at the same time, court more controversy.
We willingly voted for him, but once he became PM, and to “borrow” his choice of words, he then “stabbed us in the back”.
We did not expect overnight results but we are alarmed that since becoming PM, he has shown that he is a politician of stark paradoxes.
Some Malaysians claim that Anwar appears to concentrate more on his image on the international platform rather than dwell on serious issues on the home stage. They are unhappy with Anwar’s open support of Hamas and wonder why he does not focus his efforts on helping the downtrodden and marginalised at home.
We knew he had been shabbily treated by his former boss, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, so we supported efforts to free him from the injustice that had been meted towards him.
We await the promised reforms, demand that elite criminals be properly punished, and hope that minority groups will receive equal treatment and justice. We know that zero tolerance towards racism and prejudice is hoping for too much.
The 76-year-old Anwar and his trusted lieutenants encouraged more youths to get involved in politics, but are those who show promise being groomed? Are they allowed to flourish and gain experience tackling the country’s many challenges?
Not walking the talk
He may have campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, but when tasked with forming the new government, he invited senior politicians facing a slew of corruption charges to join his coalition.
How does one have confidence in his Madani administration with untrustworthy people in his cabinet?
When he told Muslims to take advantage of the miracles of the Quran and instructed the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to provide greater input into government policymaking, Malaysians became wary.
The many issues Malaysians face, like divisions in society, increased intolerance, inexplicable fear of the crucifix, hatred of dogs and pigs, prying in non-Muslim affairs, invasions of privacy of some Malays by the khalwat squad, and the whipping of women for having illicit sex, were all facilitated by Jakim.
What did Jakim do to highlight the convicted felon, Najib Abdul Razak’s corruption in 1MDB? When PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said there was no such thing as corruption, why didn’t Jakim correct him? Anwar has not helped by giving Jakim more power.
When Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh brought the country to its knees by attacking a private enterprise with allegations of humiliating Islam and insulting Allah, why did Jakim stay silent? Anwar also kept quiet for weeks until the situation worsened.
The Perak mufti took seven weeks to announce what we already knew concerning the KK Mart attacks. Other muftis followed his lead, but where were they when the nation was on tenterhooks for two months? This is what happens when they emulate a leader who lacks leadership.
Anwar once said he wanted to “uplift” the dignity of the government but he can only do so if men and women of integrity occupy positions of power in the cabinet.
Focus on Malaysians’ needs
In recent weeks, Anwar rejected claims that he failed to help the Indian community since taking office. When shaping his reply, he urged the Indians to “stab” him if they felt that his help had been insufficient.
As PM, Anwar’s language is not premier-like. He could have used a different word when referring to the Indians. The word “stab” has probably revealed his innermost feelings about the Indians. Is his vocabulary too limited to describe his interaction with them? Stabbing reminds us of violence and death.
He needs to be reminded of the time when a young Indian teenager asked about university quotas for non-Malay students. It was shocking how he publicly humiliated her. The bottom line of his response was that it’s all about votes. Nothing more, nothing less.
As leader of a peaceful, multi-cultural, multiethnic, and multifaith nation, Anwar’s support for the terrorist group Hamas and his justification of the explosive Iranian drones on Israel, are both reckless and unfathomable.
The claim, on May 9, by the US Treasury Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Undersecretary Brian Nelson, that American security forces had been monitoring ship-to-ship oil transfers in Malaysian waters is serious.
Washington has also said Malaysia is a transit point for Iranian oil, dodging US sanctions, helping the terrorist Hamas raise funds, and being a party to the Iranians by perpetuating violence and conflict in the Middle East.
The Middle East is like a tinderbox and Anwar need not muddy the waters further and drag Malaysia into the confrontation. He could have urged restraint on all sides - Israel, Hamas, and Iran - but he did not.
He could have suggested more dialogue but failed to do so.
When the US sneezes, Malaysia will catch a cold. Do not doubt the power of economic sanctions because, at the end of the day, it is the rakyat who suffer.
With all these in mind, Anwar should focus on the needs of Malaysia’s own citizens above the needs of others. - Mkini
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, X.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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