What Is PM-In-Waiting Anwar Waiting For?
KTemoc Konsiders
Before the political coup in March, the opposition parties – UMNO and PAS – were struggling to make a comeback. UMNO won 54 parliamentary seats in the 2018 General Election, but was reduced to only 39 seats after a series of defection. Together with rival-turn-ally PAS (18 MPs), both parties have only 57 seats. Even with MCA (2 MPs) and MIC (1 MP), they had only 60 seats.
Having 60 seats was too far away from forming a government in the 222-seat Parliament. The number was not even close to the 89 seats won by now-defunct opposition coalition of Pakatan Rakyat in the 2013 General Election, or the 82 seats won by the same opposition in the 2008 General Election. Pakatan Rakyat had remained as a “good opposition” on both occasions.
It was a wishful thinking of then-UMNO and PAS to take over the government, at least not until the next 15th General Election. Yet, they managed to “steal” the legitimately voted Pakatan Harapan government through the “Sheraton Coup” which involved betrayal and defection (Muhyiddin Yassin and Azmin Ali betrayed their own PPBM and PKR parties respectively).
But it’s useless to cry over spilt milk. The question is this: what is prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim going to do about it. He has every right to snatch back the crown from backdoor Prime Minister Muhyiddin. Nobody can blame Mr. Anwar if he brings down the traitors – even with dirty tricks. However, is he doing something, anything at all, to reclaim the mandate of the people?
So far, since the collapse of Pakatan Harapan government in March, Anwar has been quiet, despite his role as the Opposition leader. On the contrary, former PM Mahathir appeared to be more outspoken than him. It was Mahathir, who proposed a vote of no confidence against Muhyiddin. And it was Mahathir, who filed a lawsuit against Art Harun’s appointment as House Speaker.
Anwar’s party, PKR (People’s Justice Party), raised eyebrows on June 24 when the party said it would rather put its resources into facing a snap election than support a no-confidence vote in Parliament. It remains a mystery until today as to why Anwar was not interested in overthrowing the illegitimate government that had stolen his throne in the first place.
