Is Anwar a trojan horse?
Over the last decade PKR has been becoming a Malay dominated party, the reformists and future leaders who could maintain the spirit of reformasi have been purged. PKR will become more suited to PAS.
Murray Hunter
According to the mythology in the Odyssey, a wooden horse was left outside the walls of the city of Troy, as a “prize for the people of Troy”. The Greeks had been fighting the army of Troy, but couldn’t get inside the gates of the city. One night the Greeks left a wooden horse outside the gates of Troy with soldiers hiding inside, who would open the gates of Troy once the horse was wheeled inside. To complete the deception the Greeks pretended to sail away, and returned in darkness, waiting for the gates to open.
The Trojan horse has come to mean a trick where a person pretends to be someone else, and once they get into power, they radically change into what their true intentions really were.
Throughout history there have been many Trojan horses. The once that comes to my mind is the case of Kim Philby, a double agent, who rose through the ranks of the British civil service after WWII. Philby had been passing sensitive pieces of information to the Soviet Union all the time until he defected to Moscow in 1963. Philby was a celebrated hero of the Soviet Union.
A more contemporary example is the US President Joe Biden. He was elected as a moderate democrat, but has been responsible for some of the most radical polices the US has ever seen.
The evidence is quickly growing that Anwar Ibrahim is such a Trojan Horse. Anwar was a co-founder of the Muslim youth association ABIM, and was eventually recruited by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamed into UMNO, to improve the party’s Islamic credentials. Many people at the time thought that the young activist Anwar would eventually join PAS, as the party was very much aligned with his thinking, ideology, and philosophy.
Anwar quickly moved up the ranks of UMNO, eventually becoming deputy prime minister. During his tenure in government, Anwar worked on Islamising both the civil service and education system. Some are saying, Anwar has continued this program today as prime minister of a ‘unity government’.
Upon his sacking from all government and party positions in UMNO by Mahathir in 1998, the reformasi movement was formed around Anwar. Pakatan Harapan was about reformasi. Many supporters had hopes (some still do) that Anwar would bring the direction of Malaysia towards a more progressive and multicultural nation.
In reflection, looking back on Mahathir’s sacking of Anwar, we may only now be starting to understand his reasoning.
Since Anwar became prime minister people have witnessed a government that has thrown the reformasi book in the trash bin. Anwar is taking Malaysia not towards a progressive nation based upon the virtues of Islam, but towards a hard-line political Islam.
The true spirituality of Islam has been crushed in favour of an institutionalised repressive form of Islam. The intentions (or is it just opportunity?) is coming out. A Muslim Brotherhood brokered agreement between Anwar and PAS is a big win for PAS and the party’s vision of a state based upon the guidance of political Islam.
The cost for PAS is simply allowing Anwar a second term as prime minister. Five years isn’t a long time for PAS and then the party will be free to select its own leaders.
UMNO will be virtually destroyed come the next general election, leaving PAS as the dominant party on the Malay Peninsula. The electoral numbers will allow DAP to be dumped, where the position of Bersatu within the PN coalition remains unclear at this time.
Over the last decade PKR has been becoming a Malay dominated party, the reformists and future leaders who could maintain the spirit of reformasi have been purged. PKR will become more suited to PAS.
Mat Sabu might be right. Anwar will be part of a new world order. The Muslim Brotherhood is involved in the events of Bangladesh, al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun are certainly mixed up in the rioting in the UK and other parts of Europe. This is an opportunity for Anwar to be the Islamic leader he wanted to be (at least its the dream).
Malaysia is now on the road to a state where “Islam will be seen as the solution”. The skilful use of political division is creating this opportunity today. Malaysia is set to become part of this movement.
Unlike the British people, who have very quickly woken up to the political agenda of their new prime minister Keir Starmer, Malaysians are very slow to wake up.
