ANWAR IBRAHIM SHALL BE THE NEXT PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA!

 by e.s. shankar

ANWAR IBRAHIM SHALL BE THE NEXT PM OF MALAYSIA!

What you seek is seeking you. (Rumi 1207-1273).

We have all played the ‘What if I were God’ game. If I were God, who would I make the next prime minister (PM) of Malaysia and which political party shall form the next government?

In an ideal world where truth, honour and justice prevail, it is obvious that Anwar Ibrahim shall be the next PM of Malaysia. Pakatan Harapan (PH) was voted to victory at the 2018 General Elections (GE 14) with the clear understanding that Mahathir would be the interim PM who would hand over the reins of power to the PM-in-waiting, Anwar Ibrahim, within 2 years of 10 May 2018. This transition plan was communicated to the entire nation well BEFORE GE 14. It was NOT an unexpected PH decision cunningly sprung on an unsuspecting Rakyat.

That Anwar was cheated out of a well-negotiated popular deal was primarily due to the treachery of Mahathir, the betrayal by his one-time right hand man and then Minister of Economic Affairs, Azmin Ali, the plotting and scheming of then Home Minister Mahiaddin Yassin and UMNO stalwart and businessman Hamzah Zainudin. The PH government lasted 22 months, from May 2018 to February 2020. If ever there was a tale of sordid backstabbing ultra-nationalistic right-wing Malay Supremacists traitors seizing power through deceit, bribery, trickery and the backdoor, this was it. Mahiaddin replaced Mahathir as the new PM and cobbled together a coalition called Perikatan Nasional (PN) with UMNO, religious party PAS, Sarawak, Sabah and defectors from everywhere referred to locally as ‘katak’ or frogs.

But, it was more than that. Realizing that the Rakyat would not accept or support this backdoor coup, PN decided to play the dangerous religious bigot card so that Malay-Muslim outrage would not result in a nationwide revolt, like that by the French working class which stormed the Bastille prison in Paris on 14 July1789. That was the start of the French Revolution and the beginning of the end of the monarchy there. They called for Malay-Muslim unity behind the concept of Islamic consensus known as Muafakat. This meant that there would only be token representation of non-Muslims in government, public institutions, government linked companies and statutory bodies. PM Mahiaddin went on a massive bribery spree with a bloated 73-member Cabinet and planting of Malays and Muslims in well paying secure jobs and positions. This rotten, racist, divisive and evil policy has, rightfully, failed.

Those who live by the backstabbing keris, shall die by the same backstabbing keris. Mahiaddin was forced into resignation on 16 August 2021 by the withdrawal of support for his incompetent and scheming government, by 11 UMNO MP’s led by ex-PM Najib and his ex-Deputy Zahid Hamidi. They have been dubbed the Klepto/Court Cluster as they face multiple criminal charges for fraud, embezzlement, criminal breach of trust and multi-billion ringgit money-laundering. Najib was convicted in July 2020 and sentenced to 72 years prison and a whopping RM210 million fine. Zahid is facing 83 charges.

So, this is where we stand today as Parliament has been locked down due to Covid19 and the process of selecting the next PM and government falls within the scope of duties of our King, the Yang  Di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA). Ideally, the matter should be decided in Parliament by the MP’s voting in the open which can be witnessed by the entire nation as a transparent and indisputable outcome. However, that is not to be.

Regardless, Anwar/PH have on paper support from 105 MP’s, PN 104, with the Kleptos, 11, making a total of 220 seats, with two more seats vacant due to deaths.

Ex-Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal has pledged to support Anwar, provided no deal is done with the Kleptos who in return for their support, want their court cases and convictions to disappear. This would of course undermine the very foundations of our courts and judicial system. It is also seriously doubtful if DAP, with 42 seats, will agree to Anwar doing any deals with the Kleptos.

Shafie has also counter-offered Anwar that if he is unable to raise his support from 105 to the minimum of 111 seats, then Anwar would support Shafie’s bid to be the next PM. Shafie may be able to increase his support by as much as 20 seats, IF Anwar/PH back him 100%. He is probably confident of swinging what would a stunning power play, with support from Sabah, and Sarawak’s 18-seats, long regarded as UMNO’s “fixed deposit”. Why? With him as PM, Sabah and Sarawak, which are countries and not mere states in the Malaysian union, will take centre-stage after being looked down upon for 58 years as poor second cousins from the boondocks, by west Malaysian Malay UMNO politicians. This is a deal that cannot be engineered by Anwar as for some reason, there is bad blood between him and the Sarawak polity.

As for PN, they are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. The implosion of PN, the most hated government ever, in a Malaysian record 17 months, was also because ex-PM Mahiaddin refused to rescue the toxic Kleptos. So how is he going to get 7 more MP’s to defect from PH or Sabah/Sarawak except through more massive bribery which is a big risk with the anti-corruption agency breathing down his neck and the whole world watching? There is talk that UMNO’s Ismail Sabri might bid for the PM’s post with Mahiaddin taking a back seat and that he might be willing to accommodate the Kleptos. Desperation meets desperation.

But one thing is guaranteed 100%. It will be the end of whoever does a deal to save the Kleptos from spending many, many years at Bamboo River Resort. The Rakyat will throw them out at GE 15. So, should Anwar or PN or UMNO risk their permanent political death for a mere 22 months till May 2023 by when the next General Election has to be called? I think not. Bottom line, no deals with the Kleptos by Anwar/PH or we dump them. Better to lose now and fight it out at the 2023 General Elections.

So, in an ideal world, Anwar Ibrahim should already have been the PM. But, if he is unable to get to the magic 111 figure, then he should concede and gives his full support to Shafie. It would be a magnificent gesture. All of us have been there. We have had victory snatched from our hand just when we thought it was finally ours. I can sympathize and empathize with Anwar if that were to happen. I know of that dying, sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach.

But history is full of giants making enormous sacrifices for the greater good of the People. Anwar fighting back with ‘Reformasi’ against Mahathir’s and Najib’s malicious, vindictive and conspiratorial persecutions and prosecutions is the stuff of heroes and legends. We would never have seen PKR partner with DAP and Amanah and wrest Selangor and Penang from fortress UMNO in 2008 without his high octane energy, organizational skills and political savvy. Or win the popular vote in 2013 nor finally slay that beast, that monstrous ogre called UMNO, at GE 14 in 2018.

So, I hope and pray that when the debris and smoke clear up and dust settles down over the next day or two, that Anwar Ibrahim will become our next PM. If that is not possible, then Shafie Apdal. Ultimately, it will be the repayment of our debt to Anwar Ibrahim.

Truth demands it, honour demands it and universal justice demands it.