Anwar’s Secret Deal with Zahid
So while PH attacked BN publicly and UMNO vowed never to work with Anwar, both leaders were in fact quietly scheming behind the scenes and deceiving their own supporters.
Dennis Ignatius
[1] The claim by Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, the prime minister’s political secretary, that he was personally instructed by his boss not to challenge UMNO president Zahid Hamidi’s narrow win in Bagan Datuk has lifted the veil on the behind-the-scenes manoeuvring that unfolded on election night and the days after GE15.
[2] According to Shamsul, who lost to Zahid by a mere 348 votes, “something was not right “ with the vote counting process – Zahid was apparently still trailing at midnight, the counting was taking too long and there were a suspiciously high number of spoilt votes. He revealed that he was determined to challenge the results by demanding a recount when Anwar called and instructed him to desist as Zahid had agreed to support Anwar to become prime minister. Shamsul gave the impression that had he not been ordered to stand down, he might have won on a recount.[1]
[3] Zahid’s narrow victory in Bagan Datuk gave BN a total of 30 seats which, together with the 82 seats PH won, gave Anwar a simple majority of 112 seats on election night – enough for Anwar to lay claim to Putrajaya and later to persuade GPS to join the unity government.
[4] Shamsul’s startling revelation is troubling for several reasons. First, he seems to be suggesting that Zahid’s victory was somehow suspect and that if he had challenged the results he might have won. If he’s right, it would imply that the will of the voters in Bagan Datuk was thwarted for the sake of political expediency. Instead of the devoted party man he claims to be, Shamsul now stands exposed as someone who betrayed the many voters who trusted him with their vote.
[5] It also suggests that both Anwar and Zahid were already in close consultation about forming an alliance perhaps because they had both concluded that no single coalition would win GE15 outright. So while PH attacked BN publicly and UMNO vowed never to work with Anwar,[2] both leaders were in fact quietly scheming behind the scenes and deceiving their own supporters.
[6] Rumours that Anwar and Zahid were in close communication had in fact been circulating for some time before GE15. Dr Mahathir, for example, claimed that Anwar and Zahid had formed a secret alliance to form the government after the elections but this was denied by both men[3]. In April 2021, a leak phone recording between the two men gave further hints of the close ties between the two leaders.[4]
