Too much Anwarism may be bad for Pakatan
By Stanley Koh, Free Malaysia Today
COMMENT Politicians, unlike temperamental film directors, cannot simply force their unilateral decisions down others’ throats, ignoring agreements they have entered into and dismissing the protestations of the other side simply because they happen to be complicated.
Many observers are wondering whether Anwar Ibrahim was thinking rationally in his recent decisions on Sabah PKR.
Indeed, hiccups within PKR over the past year are worrying some supporters, particularly from the Chinese community. Ardent supporters are inclined to see the party as undergoing the natural process of growing up, but apolitical sympathisers are beginning to compare the leadership maturity of PKR unfavourably with those of its coalition partners, DAP and PAS.
And feedback from the public on the latest leadership developments in PKR is unsurprisingly getting less favourable.
Many are even asking whether Anwar’s political capital from the Chinese is starting to show signs of depleting.
Those brought up on Confucian philosophy point out that if Anwar as a leader wants to continue to enjoy electoral support, he must cultivate his own personal character (leadership qualities) and put his own house (PKR) in order before serving the community and nation.
Doubts and scepticism are sprouting in many peoples’ minds whether PKR can play an effective role within PR on the treacherous march to Putrajaya.
In short, PKR is perceived as a cumbersome partner and a possible spoiler to Pakatan Rakyat’s larger political objective. Is the dominating Anwar factor fast becoming a counter-productive element within the Pakatan coalition?
Even staunch supporters in the public domain are questioning whether leadership complacency is taking its toll on Anwar. Many within the Chinese community are saying that Anwar should not take their support for granted. They see the spilling of bad blood and thirst for power within the party as a distraction from the objectives of Reformasi.
Bad publicity
Insiders may dismiss the apparent disarray within the PKR leadership as trivial or accuse political rivals of deliberately playing it up. But bad publicity can inflict real harm even if Anwar is still able to draw large crowds to his “political ceramah”, which for long have been regarded as an unreliable indicator in delivering the hard votes.
Goh, 58, a retired accountant and an ardent PKR supporter, summed up the sentiments of many when he remarked, “Many like me are not really in the know about the truth of the happenings within PKR.
“Who is in the right or in the wrong? There is awareness that the mainstream media may be distorting news on the squabbling within PKR. For the truth, we source from portal news and blogs.”
Should Anwar alone be taking the blame for the weaknesses in the PKR leadership?
Tour operator Frankie Lee, 59, frankly told FMT: “I have been giving Anwar a chance to show that he has changed from his old Umno ways. To me, the old Anwar (of Umno) was just another political opportunist.
“Sometimes I wonder whether he would have changed if he had not been fixed up with the sodomy case and eventually sacked from Umno.
“I have no more confidence in PKR because Anwar does not seem to be able to control his own party. How is he going to rule the nation?”
In the past, Anwar earned much respect from the Chinese community for his immeasurable endurance and will in overcoming pain and adversity when he was sacked as deputy prime minister and beaten up in custody.
Evil plot
Many still believe that he was politically crucified in an evil plot. But this goodwill and sympathy from the hearts of the Chinese community will not last forever.
It would be unwise to think that the Chinese community’s endearment can be taken for granted although their support for Anwar did not grow overnight.
Increasingly, there are tell-tale signs within the Chinese community of a growing perception that PKR is not as strong as it seemed. It is the weakest link in the Pakatan chain.
On the other hand, there is growing respect towards DAP and PAS.
