Now it’s a guessing game on the seat for Anwar
Joceline Tan, The Star
DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim grinned broadly when he saw his former aide Najwan Halimi waiting to welcome him at Kuching airport.
The incoming PKR president, who was accompanied by his vice-president daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, has not been to Sarawak in years and he was there to touch base with local party members and leaders.
Najwan, who is Kota Anggerik assemblyman, had arrived a day earlier to canvass support in his bid to become the next AMK chief.
Najwan’s friends also prepared a long banner “Selamat datang peminpin kami (welcome to our leader) with a picture of Anwar flanked by Nurul Izzah and Najwan.
Anwar got the VIP treatment from the Sarawak government. He was whizzed from the airport’s VIP lounge to meet Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, followed by a courtesy call on the Governor Tun Taib Mahmud.
The Prime Minister designate is obviously letting bygones be bygones with all these ex-enemies. Another of Anwar’s skills is his ability to make small talk and make small people feel comfortable.
“He can still make the crowd laugh with his jokes, but I also noticed something different – he’s much more firm in his opinions and he looks healthy and energetic,” said Najwan.
During a gathering of PKR leaders and members at the Kuching Hilton, Anwar said he did not want to see any more squabbling on the ground.
“The message he is sending out is that he is now the boss and they had better listen closely,” said Najwan.
The boss will also be back in Parliament by the time the house convenes for the Budget session.
PKR secretary-general and Cabinet minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution confirmed that a seat will soon be vacated for Anwar.
The media, including The Star, had speculated that he was likely to contest a by-election in Permatang Pauh, the seat that gave birth to his political career. But Saifuddin quashed that, stressing that neither Permatang Pauh nor Nibong Tebal were in Anwar’s sights.
Permatang Pauh was his first choice but that was earlier on when he had just stepped out into the free world.
Since then, he has been able to move around, to sense the new mood and sentiments of the voters.
He could sense that the lacklustre voter interest in the string of by-elections taking place is not purely political fatigue. The abysmal turnout in Seri Setia and Balakong polls also hinted of a tinge of voter disappointment in the new administration. Voters are still with the new government but they are not entirely happy with what they have seen thus far.
The PKR leader does not want to test the people’s sentiment by forcing a by-election in a seat that would also require another by-election for the incumbent, Nurul Izzah.
Saifuddin’s announcement has sparked a new guessing game as to where Anwar is headed.
Anwar told a senior journalist that the seat will be “outside Penang”. Some PKR leaders still think he may opt for Sungai Petani where the incumbent Datuk Johari Abdul is also Gurun assemblyman.
But Anwar may also be looking at Selangor where PKR has 10 parliamentary seats and where several MPs have offered to make way. Half of those seats are held by ministers, deputy ministers and of course, the Deputy Prime Minister.
The popular opinion is that he will likely pick a seat that does not involve too much disruption.
“Back then, he told us that it has to be a PKR seat and he would prefer a Malay-majority seat. At that time, he had also told us that he preferred Penang,” said Anwar stalwart Prof Datuk Redzuan Othman who is also Unisel vice-chancellor.
A concern of some party leaders is that the by-election which is expected next month will run concurrently with the party election campaign which has stirred much public interest.
They want the party focus to be on re-electing Anwar to Parliament and less on the party polls.
But the fight for the PKR deputy president post has taken on a life of its own. The contest between challenger Rafizi Ramli and incumbent Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has moved to centre stage.
It is crystal clear by now that the challenger is blazing the trail while the incumbent is still playing it cool.
Rafizi is going for broke, it has become a gripping story and that is what fascinates the media. Everyone can see how hungry and determined he is to be the next No.2.
Rafizi’s campaign will also gel with the impending by-election because both campaigns are about making Anwar the next prime minister.
Rafizi’s central theme has been about making sure that Anwar becomes prime minister.
He has projected himself as the one who will be 100% loyal to Anwar and who will not stab Anwar in the back.
His latest jab at Azmin has been quite devastating and confirmed what PKR leaders had been talking about among themselves.
He claimed Azmin had wanted to contest the president post and had flown to Istanbul to tell Anwar who was in hospital awaiting surgery.
Shortly after that, Anwar announced that he would be going for the presidency.
Azmin has kept mum but his political secretary Hilman Idham described the claims as “impossible”.
Vice-president Tian Chua hit back on Twitter: “Who is the fella who enthroned himself as the kingmaker for everything (that) happens under the sun? How many times do you want to drag the party into the mud with your Kajang Move?”
Earlier on, Rafizi implied that Azmin, whose nomination papers for the No.2 post was submitted only at 4.40pm on nomination day, was still contemplating the top post until the 11th hour.
In short, he is saying that Azmin is not 100% loyal to Anwar.
Rafizi’s campaign has been strategic and no holds barred. It is reminiscent of his attacks against Umno except now the enemy is within.
Next month will see Rafizi fighting two election enemies – one outside the party and the other closer to home.
