Why the middle and working class should support Anwar’s decision on Najib’s fate either way

By admin-s On Oct 28, 2024

Considering that Anwar himself is willing to release his main competitor, likely for the sake of preserving a reign that looks quite determined to institute significant economic reforms, I don’t see why we should have a problem consenting to the decision, when we will be the main beneficiaries of the economic reforms that that his reign will institute.

Nehru Sathiamoorthy

Some people are saying Anwar is intending to release Najib before his sentence is due. They think so because they believe that the signs are pointing in that direction.

That Najib has received a partial pardon added to the fact that Anwar has proposed a law to introduce the concept of house arrest during his budget presentation a couple of weeks ago added to the fact that Najib is now apologising unreservedly for his role in the 1MDB saga right before he will know whether he will face charges or be acquitted of four charges of abusing his position to obtain RM2.3bil from 1MDB and an additional 21 money laundering charges involving the same amount on October 30 to the news that Anwar welcomes Najib’s apology, are according to some people, a sign that a scheme to get Najib out of jail at the earliest convenience is likely in motion.

Many people are aghast at the prospect, and they will likely hold PMX Anwar accountable if Najib’s release does come to pass.

As for me however, I think I am going to be ok with whichever way that Anwar decides on the fate of Najib.

I will be ok because I think Anwar’s action in raising wages, instituting subsidy reforms and showing signs that he is looking at such things like inheritance tax, are a sign that he is genuinely going to institute the reforms that he had promised, for the benefit of the middle class and working class.

That Anwar has said that he will only reinstitute the GST once the minimum wage reaches RM 3000 are further signs that the RM 1700 minimum wage is just the beginning of what we can expect from Anwar, and considering that his intentions to release the national wealth, which has been hogged by the elites of the country for far too long, are becoming clearer with the passing of days, I am getting more inclined to believe that as a class, it is in the interest of the working and middle class to support Anwar’s reign than presume than an alternative or a replacement of Anwar would champion our course better.

If the working and middle class want to escape the elite-centric exploitation based economic model that not only stunts the working and middle class’s ability to develop their potential to the fullest but also makes it easy for the exploitation not only of the foreign workers, but also the working class and increasingly the middle class, to occur, and transform the economy in a high value generatingone, that is powered by an enterprising, free and confident middle class and working class, we must give full support the economic reforms that Anwar is attempting to institute.

Anwar is going to need our help, because I am quite sure that Anwar is not going to be able to institute the necessary reforms that will benefit the majority of the population all by himself. The elites of the country are a powerful group that will likely do whatever they can to frustrate, delay and cancel the economic transformation plan, so that the status quo that is beneficial to them will remain in place.

We cannot expect Anwar to contend with this powerful ancien régime in a straightforward fashion. To lead a campaign to transform our economy to become one that is beneficial to the majority of the population, Anwar will probably have to operate in a war-like condition.

What I mean by war-like condition is that in order to challenge the entrenched status quo, Anwar will probably have to resort to tortuous manoeuvres, deal with intrigues as well as make secretive plots behind the scenes, in order to achieve the strategic aims of the economic reforms.

Part of this manoeuvres, intrigue and stratagem might involve the release of Najib before his sentence is over.

I think Anwar has proven himself enough for us to trust in his leadership and follow his lead, even if we don’t understand everything that he is up to, with the faith that he will do right by us and he knows what he is doing, even if we don’t.

Right now itself the minimum wage has been raised to RM 1700. Civil servant pays have received a substantial hike and the private sector is already responding by increasing the pay of their workers to match or exceed the pay rise of workers in the public sector.

At that rate that we are going, I am quite sanguine at the prospect that by the time that Anwar’s term ends in 2027, minimum wage in the country might in fact cross the RM 2000 mark. If he keeps up the momentum going, I daresay that a RM 3000 minimum living wage might not be a distant dream, but a reality that we might experience in the not too distant future.

I am not particularly partial to Anwar, but in all sincerity I will have to say that looking at our political landscape today, I can see only Anwar who is capable of achieving these feats for the middle and working class. I truly think that the changes that he will institute in the economy will be revolutionary and I do not see anyone else that we can expect to do what Anwar is willing, capable and intending to do other than Anwar.

Saying so, I feel that if Anwar has to release Najib in order to do it, I suppose we will just have to trust him and accept that freeing Najib might be what is necessary to achieve the strategic aims that we want him to achieve.

In any case, if it comes to pass that Anwar does in fact release Najib, I am quite sure it is not going to be a decision that is motivated by personal or selfish desires.

Politically speaking, if there is one person who can challenge Anwar for the top position, it is actually Najib. If anything, I feel that Anwar has more reason to want Najib behind bars than to see him free.

As for the view that releasing Najib will be tantamount to a travesty of justice and an affront to the concept of separation of power, honestly, like Picasso’s opinion of the moon landing, “I don’t know, I don’t care and it doesn’t concern me.”

Like Syed Saddiq said recently, albeit with a different intention, maybe we are in fact in the midst of a class war. We might not want to be engaged in a class war, but if a war is what the upper classes want, what can be done?

Things like trust in the rule of law and adherence to process and regulations and the separation of power are things that are only applicable in a peacetime condition when mutual trust and respect reign amongst all the classes in society.

In times of a class war however, we should just focus on the aim of the campaign, put our trust on the leaders, commanders and champions on our side who have proven their worth, and incline ourselves to support their initiative to the utmost, with the conviction that they are doing whatever that believe is necessary, to beget us victory and bring forth the changes that we seek.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysia-Today