Analyst: Mahathir and Anwar building rival camps
(FMT) – A political analyst speculates that Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim are building rival political camps and that top opposition personalities in Sabah are aligning themselves with the latter.
Speaking to FMT, Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said it is “as clear as daylight” that the prime minister and the PKR leader are leading opposing factions.
“Both men have been touring the country to gather support, and both have approached members of the opposition to consolidate their positions,” he added.
He said his belief that Anwar is getting support from Sabah opposition leaders has been strengthened by a photo that has gone viral since Thursday.
The photo shows Anwar with former foreign minister Anifah Aman, Parti Bersatu Sabah acting president Maximus Ongkili, Solidariti Tanah Airku president Jeffrey Kitingan, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah deputy president Arthur Kurup and Libaran MP Zakariah Edris.
Lee said: “I am not surprised that the Sabah opposition is choosing to be on Anwar’s side, considering that Chief Minister Shafie Apdal is obviously on Mahathir’s side. At least that’s how it looks like right now.”
Referring to Kitingan, he noted that the fervent Sabah rights advocate and former political detainee has a long painful history with Mahathir.
“I don’t think Kitingan’s opinion of Mahathir has changed,” he said. “Given the choice between Mahathir and Anwar, of course he would choose Anwar.
“Perhaps he sees Anwar as more open than Mahathir when it comes to returning Sabah’s rights.
“Unfortunately for Mahathir, whenever his name is mentioned, people immediately remember his first stint as prime minister and how he treated Sabah and Sarawak.
“One cannot simply say the past is past and pretend nothing has happened. People will remember their suffering.”
However, Kitingan told FMT the opposition leaders’ meeting with Anwar was “coincidental, in a way”.
He said he and the others were only congratulating Anwar on his by-election victory.
Anwar won the Port Dickson by-election last week and was sworn in as MP last Monday.
