The comedy that was Anwar’s “September 16′”, BN MPs defection ruse
Umar Mukhtar
PKR’s much exalted Supremo actually made a media statement that enough (plenty) BN MPs will be defecting to the opposition on September 16, 2008, and that there will be a change of the federal government to Pakatan Rakyat. Everybody sat up. I mean which idiot would make such a drastic pronouncement if without a solid basis. What more a potential prime minister.
This would have been a major shift of power, not a couple of MPs winning margin like in most truly democratic countries, but a major, major change of heart by twenty to thirty MPs which only Anwar could pull off. The nation waited with baited breath.
It all began when Saiful Bahri made a police report alleging Anwar had raped him. Upon receiving confirmation from a high-ranking PDRM officer by SMS on his hand phone, Anwar interrupted the PKR MPT meeting he was chairing in a Petaling Jaya hotel. Initially, his face countenance was not of indignance at this non-stop attempts by the ruling party to embarrass him, but Anwar instead was ashen-faced, Malays call it “toreh, tak berdarah“.
It was a spontaneous reaction which only he knew why. He probably thought that he was a victim of a trap set up by professionals, complete with audio-visual evidence which even a saint could not overcome. Adjourning to his suite with top party officials, it was finally decided that he sought refuge in the Turkish Embassy. He readily agreed for a much needed respite.
After a few days there, he left and was finally arrested by bacavalla-masked policemen with automatic weapons. After that it was forensic history blah, blah, blah. After a few weeks upon release, he sensed that it was simply a one-man crusade. Anwar knew he had a chance. It led to a record-breaking lengthy trial the end of which finally caught up with him at the most inopportune time. God operates in mysterious ways.
But then again, there was a nagging fear that those in power would ‘adopt’ the accuser and play dirty. The answer to that was to be PM himself, a vintage Anwar solution, and with authority he could ‘gempak‘ his accuser, as he was used to that practice. That was the main motivation for the comical “September 16”. Rakyat Marhaen and social justice were only convenient
Was there really plenty of BN frogs raring to jump? In answer, consider this phone conversation by Anwar to one of his MP friends. In Malay, “Awang, we already got the numbers to change government. Don’t tell me you are staying out!” Stunned by the news, the MP mumbled nervously something to the effect, “I didn’t know that, but I always keep an open mind.” Tick yes, No.15. Next. To be fair, some of those called probably smelled a rat and replied, “That’s alright. I will be opposition.”
That was how Anwar collected his would-be defectors. Easy, huh! No wonder he announced he had more than enough to his PR partners. One couldn’t miss Lim Kit Siang’s cynical smirk. But why would he worry, he had everything to gain if it is true, and nothing to lose if false. Only the late Karpal Singh announced that he had trepidations.
Tok Guru Haji Hadi Awang was listening to Anwar intensely and sincerely. Why would Anwar fake it. He even ask if he can see the list! Of course Anwar said he promised those guys complete secrecy until it was all over. Anwar was the only one who knows. A classic conman tactic. In the highest echelons of a government-to-be! They all went along for the free ride. After all, Anwar was buying. Remember how we used to play that trick when we were kids?
So what was Anwar actually doing? Anwar was playing the con-shell game with fake participants, with the hope that upon hearing that Anwar already had enough defectors, it would move other MPs to follow suit until the threshold number was met. He also offered deputy prime ministerships, three in Sabah alone. Can you believe that?
Anwar had quite a poor response actually, but he was hoping for a last-minute exodus. A day before the 16th, he even went to the extent of announcing how the act will take place and where, for the benefit of the ears of the undecided stragglers, to make the ruse sounded really genuine. I imagined it must have been unbelievably funny for spectators to this desperation.
Anwar said he had inside help from Istana Negara, the would-be defectors will go there to take an oath in front of the YDPA, that they don’t support the PM anymore. Existing opposition MPs needed only to sign a document for presentation to the YDPA. The YDPA will then call the Prime Minister to tell him that he was satisfied that the PM didn’t enjoy majority support of MPs anymore, so he better resign. Can you believe that this simplistic plan was cooked up by a potential PM?
No parliamentary vote of no confidence? That would have needed at least two weeks’notice to the Speaker of the House. No need. If needed, we’ll do that too, but later. Where are we going to keep these frogs? Surely not in the Istana basement for two-weeks? It was an unsaid understanding among them that frogs of that nature have MACC files that reached to the ceiling. The government only needed to arrest a few to make the target unachievable, not all of them.
Anwar said to keep them in luxury hotels under guard and not allow them to leave their rooms. A small voice across the conference table sneaked in an innocent question, “What if there is a fire drill or a bomb hoax arranged by the cops and every room occupant must assemble in the lobby, where they will be arrested?”
Silence. A pencil fell. After an uncomfortable pause, the question which was most relevant was left unanswered. Can you believe these are guys who are planning to run this country and they didn’t even have an answer?
At that moment it became obvious to those who still retain their sanity that it was a moot question to Anwar. He knew the mass defection ain’t likely to happen. So why bother to crack your head. Damn the Taiwan trip! He was already rehearsing in his head.
On the actual day, Anwar was sitting by his phone hoping against hope for an influx of calls. He keeps reminding his staff that we must not keep the YDPA waiting. The man was either mad or a desperado or both. No calls actually came in. Oh well, the PM must have got to them, was the nonchalant explanation of the failure of a nationally-announced event. Taiwan trip or no Taiwan trip, nobody was interested. Nobody.
Imagine, Malaysia almost had Anwar for prime minister after PRU13. But I never laughed so much as I listened to the story time and time again. That was what “September 16” was to me. From then on Anwar looked like a midget.
God blessed Malaysia.
