Anwar Ibrahim became damaged goods 37 years ago
Mahathir did not want Anwar in 1982. Today, 37 years later, Mahathir still does not want Anwar. And if Anwar does make his move on Mahathir, PAS will support Mahathir. And that is why Anwar is so angry with PAS. He thought PAS would support him against Mahathir. Instead, PAS supports Mahathir against him. And Anwar cannot take this.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
When you want to assess a creature such as Anwar Ibrahim, you cannot look at him merely at one point in time. You need to look at him over a period in time. The same goes for someone such as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
And if we want to assess the relationship between Anwar and Mahathir, the same rule would apply: we need to look at that relationship over a period in time. And in the Anwar-Mahathir relationship this period started 37 years ago in 1982.
Anwar was active in ABIM and was considered a rising star, who the media labelled then as an Islamic firebrand. Anwar’s number two in ABIM was Ustaz Haji Fadzil Muhammad Noor, who took over when Anwar was detained under the Internal Security Act in 1974. ABIM at that time was more or less PAS since the majority of ABIM members were also PAS members.
Understandably, this allowed Anwar to use PAS to further his political career and acquire the Islamic firebrand image and title.
Fadzil Noor wanted Anwar to take over as the PAS President but Anwar wanted to become Prime Minister so he joined Umno instead
Everyone, Fadzil Noor included, thought Anwar would join PAS and take over from Yusof Abdullah a.k.a. Yusof Rawa as the PAS President. But Anwar had no interest in becoming the PAS President because he wanted to become the prime minister — so he needed to join Umno and not PAS to become prime minister (Fadzil Noor took over as the PAS President instead in 1989).
But Anwar faced one obstacle. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had taken over as the Umno President and Prime Minister in 1981, did not want Anwar in Umno. In fact, Dr Wan Ismail, Anwar’s father-in-law, who was working for Mahathir, also did not want Anwar as a son-in-law — who he called a Communist agitator (which was why Dr Wan Azizah and Anwar were forced to elope).
In the end, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah managed to persuade Mahathir to allow Anwar to join Umno on the argument that if Umno does not take Anwar then he might join PAS instead where he could cause much damage to Umno. Anwar may be dangerous but it is better to keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. At least if Anwar joins Umno he could be controlled. In PAS they cannot control Anwar.
It was Ku Li who persuaded Mahathir to allow Anwar to join Umno
As Mahathir himself admitted in an interview in Japan in 2004, he thought once Anwar joined Umno he could be controlled and would toe the line. In the end, it proved that Anwar could not be trusted and was always conspiring against everyone. His final conspiracy was against Mahathir and that was when the nuisance named Anwar had to be removed.
In short, since the 1970s, which is more than 40 years ago, Mahathir never trusted Anwar. He did not even want Anwar in Umno but was finally convinced by Ku Li to allow him to join Umno just to make sure he does not join PAS. And the reason Mahathir allowed Anwar to join Umno was to control him and to make sure he does not get up to mischief. And when Mahathir could no longer control Anwar, he kicked him out of the party and threw him into jail.
Do you think Mahathir would want Anwar as Malaysia’s Eighth Prime Minister? As soon as Anwar takes over he will launch a witch-hunt just like how they have embarked on a witch-hunt against Najib Tun Razak. Not only Mahathir but his children as well are all going to face criminal charges. And Mahathir knows Anwar has unfinished business with him and that Anwar is vindictive and vengeful.
Mahathir never trusted or liked Anwar and did not want him in Umno
Once Mahathir hands the post of prime minister to Anwar, the entire Mahathir clan is doomed. As it is, they are already moving the family and many assets to the UK, expecting the day to come when Mahathir would have to step down, or may die, and the family would be at the mercy of wolves.
What is happening to Najib and his wife is a warning to Mahathir and family. Once Mahathir no longer sits in Putrajaya, expect the same to happen to the Mahathir clan. And there are even more issues against Mahathir.
Lim Kit Siang accidentally spilled the beans a few days ago when he talked about the 61 years of corruption and how the transgressors need to pay for their crimes. Those 61 years include 22 years under Mahathir. This means, according to Kit Siang, Mahathir, too, faces the risk of being punished for his crimes once he is no longer the Prime Minister.
Anwar is very angry that PAS supports Mahathir and not him
Mahathir knows that allowing Anwar to take over would be signing the death warrant of his family. Anwar was supposed to take over as Prime Minister in 1999. Today, 20 years later, Anwar is still prime minister-in-waiting. And because of Mahathir, Anwar is damaged goods and has no more credibility. Anwar has become a joke and will go down in history as Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister-in-waiting who died still waiting.
Mahathir did not want Anwar in 1982. Today, 37 years later, Mahathir still does not want Anwar. And if Anwar does make his move on Mahathir, PAS will support Mahathir. And that is why Anwar is so angry with PAS. He thought PAS would support him against Mahathir. Instead, PAS supports Mahathir against him. And Anwar cannot take this.
