Mahathir-Anwar axis – Final Part III
(Malaysia Outlook) – If Malaysians are not happy with the government, they can take their turns to vote according to their conscience and interest.
First and foremost, both individuals are former stalwarts in Umno, whose standing and influence revolve, time and again, on a cesspool of disgruntled feelings in Umno.
Put more bluntly, the duo rely on hatred of, and for Umno, and by extension, its coalition partners.
But any strategy guided by sheer contempt and hatred of the government, whether in the streets or social media, risk creating a population that does not know the intricacies of government too, especially when that is multiracial in nature.
Hence, despite the patina and claim of “Save Malaysia,” the duo is attempting something rather dangerous, which have logically and matter-a-factly, resulted in the calls foreign intervention from US and Australia.
Hate, in other words, lead to blind fury and sheer vitriol.
Of course, some Umno members are taken in by the hate, but these are individuals likely to find themselves unable to meet and talk to the leadership.
To the degree Umno and its coalition partners do not turn away their own divisional leaders and representatives, the systemic hate which Mahathir and Anwar try to plant, will not gain traction.
From here on, Umno and its coalition partners can reform accordingly, and not do so under the specter of foreign intervention.
Second, even granted the lesser ambition of Mahathir and Anwar, which is to trigger a series of resignations from the 200 divisional leaders in Umno, who of course have their flaws and weaknesses, such an attempt cannot work.
Rapprochement would not have wielded the necessary effect to make a dent on Umno, which is now fully in the grip of Prime Minister Najib Razak from the supreme council right down to the 200 divisions located across the country except in Sarawak.
But how can the Mahathir-Anwar rapprochement lead to a more devastating effect on Umno?
There are seven areas they must cooperate in a comprehensive and sweeping manner beyond agreeing to the ‘Citizens’ Declaration’, which at this stage is still full of platitudes and motherhood statement (on good governance).
Just as the ‘Citizens Declaration’ have failed, invariably, to reach the Council of Monarchs in Malaysia, a Mahathir-Anwar rapprochement is not necessarily an immediate game changer.
Why is this the case?
