Oops, I did it again
Betrayal, disbelief, despair, frustration and hopelessness. You can just imagine the reverberations across the country’s Malaysia Baru supporters at Dr. Mahathir’s latest machinations in the name of a unity government.
But self-serving is the phrase that best describes what is happening right now. Despite every new example of politicians around the world that start out as genuine servants of the people and wind up subsuming their nations interest to their own, the people they rule over always seem surprised when they show their true colours.
Dr. Mahathir though, by his actions of the past few days has added new dimensions to what it means to be self-serving. From being what was called a benevolent autocrat, he has now decided to drop the benevolent. Since nobody is better than him at running Malaysia, no one else will, at least till he is alive.
In a way it is understandable that a 93-year-old that does not want to cede power, and that too to a person he can barely tolerate, would only be interested in his short-term hold on the PM’s post.
The Badawi and Najib years convinced him of two things; his greatness and everyone else’s ineptness. The only worthwhile cronies were his cronies. The only eminent persons apart from him were his Council of Eminent Persons. The only things the country needed were the things he thought the country needed. A third national car, Zakir Naik, a crooked bridge to Singapore and him and Azmin Ali on the board of Khazanah.
Whatever the world may have thought about the Pakatan Harapan win in 2018, now it is clear that Dr. M ascribed it only to the greatness, charisma and political nous of one man-himself. When the electorate prayed for ABU, he heard PPBM, when they shouted Reformasi, he heard Daim, and when they chanted Hidup Anwar, he heard Mahathir forever.
Whatever political drama unfolds over the next few days, it would be a colossal mistake to write off Anwar. Unlike Mr. Najib, whose war with Dr. Mahathir made him come across as distinctly second best, Mr. Anwar has played his cards well.
As per Malay custom, he has not only shown deference to the older man, he has accorded him respect and pleaded for him to be allowed to run things his way and leave on his own calendar. He has forgiven Dr. M’s past actions towards him and has never criticized him openly since the last election.
In his own party too, he has resisted calls for the Azmin faction to be sacked, in favour of a mediated settlement and democratic space for dissent. He has largely kept above the fray of daily politicking in favour of a more statesmanlike approach. He has kept a good relationship with DAP, and to some extent, Amanah.
After yesterday all of this is going to prove extremely handy. Dr Mahathir may have kept his hold on power for the time being, but it is going to prove very tenuous. He has backstabbed a loyal deputy not just once, but twice. He has subverted the will of a majority of the voters and he has conducted a naked power grab. He has created enmity amongst erstwhile partners. Most crucially, he has joined hands with the very people in UMNO that were the cause of PH’s win in 2018.
In theory, a coalition of his PPBM, disgruntled PKR members and UMNO/PAS should be able to unite the Malay vote and come to power by ignoring the minorities entirely. However, given that there is no no compelling reason apart from a thirst for power and the rewards that go with it for this move at this time, it just stinks to high heaven of opportunism. Even the united Malay front that Dr. M is trying to build with his new friends is likely to find it hard to stomach his latest actions.
In contrast, this is going to lift the sagging spirits of those that stick with Mr. Anwar tremendously. From being the coalition that was on the backfoot on racial and religious issues, now they are the good guys who made an honest attempt to get rid of the corruption of UMNO and govern honestly, but were done in by the mad lust for power of a man in his nineties, simply refusing to let go.
They have tried to rise above the petty and parochial take on race and religion of the other side to genuinely try and lift the economic standards of all, especially the poor. It’s a ready made good vs. evil, David vs. Goliath narrative that is a very good look for them.
If Mr. Anwar’s political chops are as even half as good as claimed, not only can we can expect a vigorous campaign starting now for a fresh mid-term poll on the basis of Dr. Mahathir’s actions, but for it to be a framed as a referendum on the political actions of Anwar vs. Mahathir.
This may be Dr. M's did it again moment, but it's likely to be third time lucky for Mr. Anwar Ibrahim.
But self-serving is the phrase that best describes what is happening right now. Despite every new example of politicians around the world that start out as genuine servants of the people and wind up subsuming their nations interest to their own, the people they rule over always seem surprised when they show their true colours.
Dr. Mahathir though, by his actions of the past few days has added new dimensions to what it means to be self-serving. From being what was called a benevolent autocrat, he has now decided to drop the benevolent. Since nobody is better than him at running Malaysia, no one else will, at least till he is alive.
In a way it is understandable that a 93-year-old that does not want to cede power, and that too to a person he can barely tolerate, would only be interested in his short-term hold on the PM’s post.
The Badawi and Najib years convinced him of two things; his greatness and everyone else’s ineptness. The only worthwhile cronies were his cronies. The only eminent persons apart from him were his Council of Eminent Persons. The only things the country needed were the things he thought the country needed. A third national car, Zakir Naik, a crooked bridge to Singapore and him and Azmin Ali on the board of Khazanah.
Whatever the world may have thought about the Pakatan Harapan win in 2018, now it is clear that Dr. M ascribed it only to the greatness, charisma and political nous of one man-himself. When the electorate prayed for ABU, he heard PPBM, when they shouted Reformasi, he heard Daim, and when they chanted Hidup Anwar, he heard Mahathir forever.
Whatever political drama unfolds over the next few days, it would be a colossal mistake to write off Anwar. Unlike Mr. Najib, whose war with Dr. Mahathir made him come across as distinctly second best, Mr. Anwar has played his cards well.
As per Malay custom, he has not only shown deference to the older man, he has accorded him respect and pleaded for him to be allowed to run things his way and leave on his own calendar. He has forgiven Dr. M’s past actions towards him and has never criticized him openly since the last election.
In his own party too, he has resisted calls for the Azmin faction to be sacked, in favour of a mediated settlement and democratic space for dissent. He has largely kept above the fray of daily politicking in favour of a more statesmanlike approach. He has kept a good relationship with DAP, and to some extent, Amanah.
After yesterday all of this is going to prove extremely handy. Dr Mahathir may have kept his hold on power for the time being, but it is going to prove very tenuous. He has backstabbed a loyal deputy not just once, but twice. He has subverted the will of a majority of the voters and he has conducted a naked power grab. He has created enmity amongst erstwhile partners. Most crucially, he has joined hands with the very people in UMNO that were the cause of PH’s win in 2018.
In theory, a coalition of his PPBM, disgruntled PKR members and UMNO/PAS should be able to unite the Malay vote and come to power by ignoring the minorities entirely. However, given that there is no no compelling reason apart from a thirst for power and the rewards that go with it for this move at this time, it just stinks to high heaven of opportunism. Even the united Malay front that Dr. M is trying to build with his new friends is likely to find it hard to stomach his latest actions.
In contrast, this is going to lift the sagging spirits of those that stick with Mr. Anwar tremendously. From being the coalition that was on the backfoot on racial and religious issues, now they are the good guys who made an honest attempt to get rid of the corruption of UMNO and govern honestly, but were done in by the mad lust for power of a man in his nineties, simply refusing to let go.
They have tried to rise above the petty and parochial take on race and religion of the other side to genuinely try and lift the economic standards of all, especially the poor. It’s a ready made good vs. evil, David vs. Goliath narrative that is a very good look for them.
If Mr. Anwar’s political chops are as even half as good as claimed, not only can we can expect a vigorous campaign starting now for a fresh mid-term poll on the basis of Dr. Mahathir’s actions, but for it to be a framed as a referendum on the political actions of Anwar vs. Mahathir.
This may be Dr. M's did it again moment, but it's likely to be third time lucky for Mr. Anwar Ibrahim.
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