Trust me, you can’t fully understand the whole 48 hours drama in Malaysia politics without seeing it through the eyes of the family of Anwar Ibrahim. The view from where they are standing already foretold the stormy horizon ahead.
Take their daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, for example. She quit the tumultuous coalition government (PH) even before her first anniversary (April last year) because the struggle for power between the grand old sage of politics Mahathir and her father has reached a point of no return.
In fact, she was the symbol, the canary in the coalmine of what is now happening in the last 48 hours, that is, the shocking resignation of Mahathir and his appointment as caretaker PM until a leader (with majority) comes along.
She said: “The big impact is you may not be able to see Anwar Ibrahim as the next PM, because the next PM has to be the one who receives the most support from the alliance and the people.”
She had resigned and will not be seeking re-election because she saw through Mahathir’s action and ploy, calling him “the former dictator”.
But, the question is, is Mahathir attempting to form a backdoor government with the old kleptocratic regime? That is, a remarriage of sorts because better the devil you know than the one you can’t tell for sure? Hold that thot...
Next comes her father.
All things considered, Anwar Ibrahim has suffered enough, but who is to say enough is enough?
He came out of a twenty year struggle for a clean and fair Malaysian governmemt under the banner of Bersih. He also made an uneasy peace with the one who had locked him up for all those years, thereby giving rejuvenated hope for the people that Malaysia can change, that Malaysia is really boleh.
But now, this happens - the disintegration of PH, the defection in his own party, and the enigmatic shocking move of Mahathir, just because he said he will not work with the past regime, referring to the Najib-stained UMNO.
So, from the view of Anwar, things get misty eye because the student is still orbiting around the master teacher’s finger. His daughter felt that he was too soft in engaging Mahathir’s salvos.
In fact, Anwar pleaded with Mahathir not to step down. He said that the treachery can be addressed together, that is, the two of them against the corruption.
But, “he was of a different mind. (Mahathir) thought he shouldn’t be treated in that manner, to be associated as working with those who are literally corrupt,” so said Anwar.
“He made it very clear, in no way would he work with those in the past regime” for Najib had broken the law...”stealing government money.”
But the question is, does Mahathir trust Anwar and his party enough to continue working with him? Was his resignation then a calculated move because he does not see a future with PH alliance mainly on three fronts: -
First, the defection from PH (led by Azmi) and the break away of his own party PPBM (led by Muhyiddin);
Second, the growing strength of UMNO and PAS by opportunistically playing the race card, dividing the nation, and rallying the Malay voters to their side; and
Lastly, and let’s face it, Mahathir is not getting any younger. At 94, he may have made peace with Anwar, but he will not have his legacy stained by leading a hardly viable government whose patriotic fuel from the astounding victory two years ago is running really low. Mind you, PH lost 4 of 5 of the by-election held last year.
And however unbearable to think of the old regime as corrupt, it is still one that Mahathir had led for decades. Thus, absence may just make the heart go fonder.
So, there is two options for him: first, quit politics and retire for good, considering his age. It’s time to stretch those legs in Bahamas.
Or, go for that premiership for the third time round, but with the winning coalition, which at the rate things are going seems to favour working with one’s past enemy.
For if Mahathir can make peace with his foremost nemesis, Anwar, who is to say he can’t make peace with Najib, his favoured protege, (or the party he had led, UMNO)? Anyway, both in his eyes have broken the law, one for sodomy and the other bribery.
And finally, seeing the whole saga through the eye of Wan Azizah is the most heartbreaking of them all.
The unassuming former ophthalmologist once complained to her husband in jail, recounting this: "I went to him and said "I can't stand it, going around campaigning and all that, why don't we change places"...and he said "You will never survive it." Then I knew it was not easy.""
Well, politics is a game of survivorship. And the quizzical thing about politics is that the ones who get it right, which are rare, follow only one rule - keep your promises to the people, at all costs.
But the ones who get it wrong, follow many rules, except the one rule that good governance demands. The many rules are essentially the rules of self-survivorship, and they will strive to hold on to power, at all costs.
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