Room for one tiger only
KTemoc Konsiders
WITHIN Opposition circles, the talk is that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has lost patience with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
A day after Anwar and his PKR MPs stayed away from the May 18 press conference called by Dr Mahathir, he said in a Bloomberg TV interview that he has given enough latitude to Dr Mahathir. Latitude was a word he frequently used when asking coalition members to give Dr Mahathir space when the former PM was in office.
But that has changed. Anwar’s PKR inner circle isn’t happy that Dr Mahathir is still trying to act like the Prime Minister-in-waiting.
In the Bloomberg interview, Anwar repeatedly stressed he is the Opposition leader for Pakatan Harapan. However, the seasoned politician didn’t come right out and say he is the PM-in-waiting.
“It is not about personalities here, ” he evaded nicely.
The absence of Anwar and PKR MPs at the press conference called by Dr Mahathir last Monday further fed talk about distrust between the two leaders. Anwar later said that, in future, all Pakatan programmes will be announced by the party’s secretariat and that there would be rules to follow.
A Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia political analyst who didn’t want to be named said “there can only be one tiger on the mountain”, adding that neither man will ever play second fiddle.
“The Opposition is divided in reality, ” he said.
PKR central executive committee member Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, who is also Kapar MP, said that it is time for Dr Mahathir to back down and let Anwar lead the Pakatan coalition.
“We have given him ample time to lead while he was the Prime Minister. We did not disturb any of his work when he was leading Pakatan.
“After his resignation, please let others lead. Anwar is now leader of the Opposition, let us see how he performs.
“Dr Mahathir’s time is over, ” said Abdullah Sani, clearly not in the mood to mince his words.
Political analyst and Universiti Sains Malaysia social science lecturer Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said Pakatan has declared Anwar as the head of the Opposition and of Pakatan.
“That officially confirms his role post-March 2020, ” he said.
