The reason why Mahathir rejects Zahid
What we are seeing is Anwar’s quest for political domination and hegemony that started 40 years ago in 1981. The failed takeover of PAS in 2015 upset that plan and PAN did not really turn into PAS 2.0 as Anwar had hoped. And now it looks like a second upset is happening because his key people in Umno cannot seem to destroy PPBM after all.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
In 1981, Anwar Ibrahim told his supporters that the only way to change Umno is from the inside. And for that reason he will need to join Umno, explained Anwar, which he did in 1982.
But he did not want all his key people to follow him into Umno. He brought only some of them into Umno while others were asked to join PAS.
In September 1998, when Anwar was sacked from Umno, he asked some of his key people to remain in Umno and not join him in the Reformasi movement. When Parti Keadilan Nasional (now called PKR) was launched on 4th April 1999, he would not let all his key people join the party. Those in Umno were asked to remain in Umno and those in PAS to remain in PAS.
And this was most puzzling to many of us. Why not let all his key people in Umno and PAS join PKR? It was only later we found out that Anwar wanted to control all the main political parties and he would do this by having his key people in all these parties.
In short, Anwar did not want all his eggs in one basket.
This is why Mahathir rejects Zahid
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad knew this, which was why be never warmed up to people like Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. As far as Mahathir was concerned, Zahid was not an Umno man but an Anwar man. Zahid serves Anwar, not Umno.
In February 2015, when we met Mahathir in London and he told us he can never accept Zahid because he serves Anwar and not Umno, we thought this was merely the rantings of a senile old man. In fact, when we met Zahid later (also in London), we told him what Mahathir had said.
Today, we are beginning to understand what Mahathir said. And we are also beginning to understand why Anwar wants his key people scattered into many parties and not all in one party.
Anwar’s control of PAS was proven in 2015 when they tried to oust party president Abdul Hadi Awang. Basically, it was an attempted coup by Anwar’s people. When the coup failed, they all left the party and formed Parti Amanah Negara (PAN). There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that PAN belongs to Anwar, and by extension to DAP as well.
Anwar’s proxy in PAS and now in PAN
Umno is going through the same thing. Anwar wants control of Umno. So what we are seeing today is a coup by Anwar’s key people in Umno to take control of the party. And Anwar’s key people in DAP are prepared to work with Umno if that means Anwar can take control of the party.
Anwar’s game plan is to control PKR, DAP, Umno, and PAS 2.0 a.k.a. PAN by proxy. And that is Anwar’s route into becoming the prime minister or PM9.
The only party Anwar cannot control yet is Parti Pribumi Bersatu (PPBM). So, if he cannot control PPBM, he must destroy it. And he is using Umno, or rather his key people in Umno, to try to destroy PPBM.
Now do you understand what has been happening since 1981 and what is happening today?
What we are seeing is Anwar’s quest for political domination and hegemony that started 40 years ago in 1981. The failed takeover of PAS in 2015 upset that plan and PAN did not really turn into PAS 2.0 as Anwar had hoped. And now it looks like a second upset is happening because his key people in Umno cannot seem to destroy PPBM after all.
