Undercurrents in Selangor over Dr M

Joceline Tan, The Star

THE dust has yet to settle in Pakatan Harapan over the naming of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as their prime minister nominee.

The coalition turned an important corner in striking an agreement on the issue but it is evident by now that PKR is deeply divided over Dr Mahathir.

Resistance is still bubbling below the surface in Selangor where those aligned to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali have been vocal about naming the former premier for the top job.

It is unclear how widespread the anti-Mahathir undercurrents are but what is clear is that Azmin himself is not swept off his feet by the prime minister-designate.

The most recent tweet was quite titillating. Shortly after news broke of Dr Mahathir being denied permission to visit Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Cheras Rehabilitation Centre, Azmin had tweeted: “Sandiwara kelas pertama. Kah kah kah” (first class drama).

A couple of days ago, he told reporters: “If we are able to convince the rakyat to accept a 93-year-old, why not? We are democratic, we are not forcing the people to accept (Mahathir), but offering, and this is the best option we can offer.”

At a glance, it sounded like an endorsement but the touch of sarcasm was undeniable – that Pakatan could not offer something better.

Dr Afif Bahardin, an Azmin loyalist and No.2 in the Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) wing, said it was not a question of whether the party accepts or rejects Dr Mahathir.

“The decision was made from top down and people on the ground deserve an explanation. They need to be convinced that it is the best decision. Ultimately, it is the people who will decide,” said Dr Afif, who is also a Penang exco member.

Reporters have noticed that Azmin has avoided being photographed with Dr Mahathir for the last few months.

This is quite ironic because Azmin, who addresses Dr Mahathir as “uncle”, was instrumental in bringing the 92-year-old into the Opposition.

What he did not expect was that “uncle” wanted no less than to lead the Opposition coalition and be the “top dog”.

The pair are said to go back a long way but it seems that Azmin does not know Dr Mahathir that well after all or else he would have known that Dr Mahathir does not believe in playing second fiddle.

It is either the top job or nothing, something that Parti Pribumi president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has learnt a little too late.

Dr Mahathir is the undisputed big boss in Parti Pribumi where he is now some sort of cult figure given all that feverish chanting of “Hidup Tun!” at their party gatherings.

A DAP politician indicated that the anti-Mahathir sentiments are confined largely to Selangor where Azmin holds sway.

The exclusion of PKR from a joint statement by the DAP, Amanah and Parti Pribumi Pakatan leaders in Selangor endorsing Dr Mahathir and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was quite deliberate.

“It was to signal to PKR that we support the decision but if PKR refuses to cooperate, the three parties in Selangor will face the general election without PKR,” said the above DAP politician.

Some Pakatan leaders claimed that last weekend’s convention might not have proceeded if they could not decide on the prime minister issue.

Anwar had held back until the eleventh hour. It was not easy for him to endorse the man who killed off his political career and he was said to be quite emotional.

But the pragmatic side of him finally took over, he caved in and, as one of the leaders put it, the “100 days countdown to GE14 has started”.

Settling the prime minister issue and the seats allocation was a major breakthrough for the coalition and they can now move on to work on their manifesto.

There is a specific reason why the seat allocations pertained only to the peninsula. Pakatan knows that it cannot capture Sabah and Sarawak but they believe that Sabah and Sarawak can be persuaded to join whichever side wins.

It is understood that Pakatan wants Dr Mahathir to try to meet Sarawak Governor Tun Taib Mahmud in the coming months to lay the groundwork.

There have also been all sorts of jokes about Dr Mahathir’s second attempt to become prime minister and there has not been a single complimentary article from abroad about him since.

He is not the first ex-prime minister to join the Opposition but he is the biggest Umno fish they have caught even though some call him an ikan masin – a dried salted fish that is no longer fresh. Moreover, he has taken to Opposition politics like a fish to water.

Anwar, on his part, has probably not given up hope on becoming prime minister because the royal pardon story is still going strong.

But he ought to know that Dr Mahathir has confided that he has only managed to secure royal pardons for two leaders – Datuk Mokhtar Hashim and Datuk Idris Harun – when he was prime minister. Apparently, a royal pardon is hard to come by and is more forthcoming if the person expresses real remorse and admits to his or her crime.

It means that Anwar’s political fate is once again in the hands of Dr Mahathir.

But will Anwar concede to the second point?

In short, if Pakatan does win, then Dr Mahathir is here to stay and he will, as they say, die with his boots on.