Both Mahathir and Azmin need Anwar out

There is only one way Azmin can keep his job and ensure that he survives. And that would be to take over as the PKR President, which means Anwar needs to be ousted. To create the impression Mahathir is a real and serious threat to Umno, he must first gain control of Pakatan Harapan and become its Top Dog. And that means he, too, needs to get rid of Anwar. So it is in the common interest of both Mahathir and Azmin that Anwar goes because Mahathir needs the leadership of Pakatan Harapan while Azmin needs the leadership of PKR.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation from Umno on 29th February 2016 was with one objective in mind. It was meant to send Umno into a panic, like what happened when he did the same thing in May 2008. However, to create the impression he is a real and serious threat to Umno, he must first gain control of Pakatan Harapan and become its Top Dog. And that means he needs to get rid of Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan’s Harapan’s de facto leader.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali is surviving on borrowed time. He was never DAP’s or PKR’s choice of Menteri Besar. In fact, he was not even PAS’s choice of Menteri Besar. He is DYMM the Sultan of Selangor’s choice of Menteri Besar and it was the PAS President, Abdul Hadi Awang, who submitted Azmin’s name for DYMM’s consideration and subsequent approval. So Azmin knows that in the next few months, just as soon as the next general election is over, he is going to lose his job.

There is only one way Azmin can keep his job and ensure that his political career survives. And that would be to take over as the PKR President. And that means Anwar needs to be ousted because as long as he is still Pakatan Harapan’s de facto leader and his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PKR’s President, Azmin’s days are numbered.

Both Mahathir and Azmin need Anwar out: Mahathir so that he can become Pakatan Harapan’s leader and Azmin so that he can become PKR’s leader

So it is in the interest of both Mahathir and Azmin that Anwar goes. Mahathir needs the leadership of Pakatan Harapan while Azmin needs the leadership of PKR. Mahathir told Azmin that his future lies in taking over the PKR presidency. Azmin has more support in the party than PKR President Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. So, if he makes his move, the majority in the party will support him. If Azmin does nothing he will not be the Selangor Menteri Besar after the next general election because he was never Pakatan’s choice in the first place.

Getting Azmin to make his move on Wan Azizah is crucial became that effectively kills off the entire family, Anwar and Nurul Izzah included. To Mahathir, however, that is not the end game. That is just part of the game plan. The end game is for him and Mukhriz to return to Umno.

There is no plan to nominate Mahathir as Pakatan Harapan’s Prime Minister-in-waiting and that would mean Mukhriz is dead as well 

Mahathir needs to give the appearance he is in control of Pakatan Harapan and is dangerous enough to hurt Umno and Barisan Nasional in the next general election. Then he becomes a serious threat to Umno and Barisan Nasional and the best way to eliminate this threat is by bringing him back to Umno.

Mahathir knows there is only one road to Putrajaya. And that is through Umno. Pakatan Harapan is not the road to Putrajaya. It is a dead-end road. So, if Boboi is ever going to be Prime Minister, he must first be brought back into Umno. But it cannot be back in Umno as a mere member. It must be back in Umno as Deputy Prime Minister II. And in the party election after the general election he must win an Umno Vice President’s post with the help of Najib.

Mahathir’s entire mission has been reduced to making Mukhriz the DPM II

Time is not on Mahathir’s side in more ways than one. Other than age factor, the next general election is almost here and may be as soon as within the next three or four months. Further to that, Mahathir is losing his grip not only on Pakatan Harapan but on his own party as well, PPBM. Some PPBM leaders have called Mahathir Bapak Sampah — a dig to Tunku Abdul Rahman (Bapak Merdeka), Tun Razak Hussein (Bapak Pembangunan), and Tun Hussein Onn (Bapak Perpaduan).

In fact, Malaysiakini reported this in its article ‘Harakah Article: Dr M May Return To Umno Before GE14’, in which the article said, “If the party (Umno) can offer a good position for his son Mukhriz – a high post in the government – it would be sufficient to wipe out the present political conflict. Even the position of ‘Deputy Prime Minister 2’ would suffice”.  (READ HERE)

Pakatan Harapan is never going to win the coming general election so the only way Mukhriz can become Prime Minister is through Umno and not through the opposition 

So that is Mahathir’s final solution. Everything else is merely part of the perception game. And that perception game is Umno is only safe with Mahathir back in the party and not if Mahathir is the de facto Top Dog of Pakatan Harapan. So bring Mahathir back into Umno as soon as possible. And offer Mukhriz the post of DPM II if necessary to convince Mahathir to return to Umno.

As the Chinese say, there can only be one tiger on the mountain. And that is either Mahathir or Anwar. The whole world knows Mahathir and Anwar are pretending to have forgiven and forgotten the past. But this is not about the past. It is about the future. Mahathir and Anwar do not trust each other. Both want to be in control or be Pakatan Harapan’s ‘Top Dog’. But only one can.