IAG to Anwar: Enough With The Wayang Kulit

Iqbal Abd Ghaffar

I could safely say that Malaysia’s generation Y had never experienced unprecedented political uncertainty like what is being experienced today.

Much has been analyzed about the political tsunami of Mar 8th. Much has been raved about Anwar’s political comeback and his vision of a new dawn for Malaysia. And there was much talk about the change of government from BN to PR via mass defections on Malaysia Day.

But now? Silence from the tri-political-party coalition of DAP-PAS-PKR called Pakatan Rakyat.

Anwar can now add a new skill into his resume…entertainer. Don’t you agree that he has made many Malaysians feeling high and left them dry?

Datuk Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim has taken Malaysians on a long winding joy ride since March 8th. His failure to deliver his rafts of promises for a new government on his own self imposed dates of Sept 16 and 23 has only dented his own credibility and integrity in the eyes of many ordinary and extraordinary Malaysians.

No one had pressured him to do so. I don’t think any of the voters or his party members told him, “Hey Anwar, we’ll only vote for you if can become PM on Sept 16.”

He should be credited for being brave and bold in openly setting a time line for his goal. Its something that Pak Lah or any lawmakers won’t do. (Pak Lah never set a time line for his reforms).

Many self help gurus would describe this man as a bold person who knows what he wants and when he wants it.

But his goal of becoming PM with an “will do all it takes at whatever cost” attitude has only caused his name to bear the same meaning as Badawi, i.e “to over promise and under deliver”. His name also means “to bravely state a date to achieve a goal, make everyone believe that it will be achieved, and then telling everyone in their face that it was only a symbolic gesture”.

There is no doubt that he is a highly ambitious person, but he is one with little patience. It was his impatience that costed him the No.2 job in Malaysia and his exodus from the Malaysia’s political landscape.

His die hard supporters will find fault with everything and Anwar will play the blame game, from Parliament not in session, to Abdullah being in denial, but for the rest of us…”The show is over Anwar, just get to work!”.

I believe that a government founded on mass defections of individual MPs would not hold water. Simply put, a government founded on a simple majority, would still be relatively unstable as there would be jostling of power and buying of representatives from either side of the camp.

Two wrongs do not make a right. No justification can be given to legalize party hopping just because the the ruling party may have won many seats using dubious ways.Don’t forget, BN did lose 5 + 1 states and lost their customary 2/3 majority in Parliament. That in itself is a victory that the opposition should be grateful of.

Instead, if an individual MP would want to defect to another party, it would be rightful that the MP vacate the seat and allow it to be contested. Leave it to the rakyat to decide.

It’s high time Anwar and his PR counterparts stop playing the MP tug-of-war. The PR is already in control of the west coast of Malaysia. Show the rakyat that the PR can do a better job than the BN. Gain the rakyat’s trust. Build a good track record. And become a formidable and powerful opposition leader.

By the 13th general elections, PR would stand a better chance of winning at the Federal level and Anwar would have a better opportunity at becoming the PM of Malaysia.

Either his coalition wins or losses in the 13th GE, Anwar should be credited and duely recognized as “Bapa Politik Malaysia” in recognition for his contribution in engineering a viable biparty political system and bringing about “A change Malaysians can believe in”.

IAG