25 April, 2008
Many civil society leaders and ordinary Malaysians have questioned Anwar’s stated methods, seeing it as an unethical way to undermine democracy, free elections and respect for the public mandate.
BARADAN KUPPUSAMY, THE MALAY MAIL
DEFACTO opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has put his credibility on the line by once again claiming he has the “numbers” to topple the government, meaning at least 30 Barisan Nasional backbenchers are ready to defect for him to form and head the next government.
Previously, Anwar had said the defection could happen “today, tomorrow or next week” without giving a definite deadline.
But in a carefully managed media event on Wednesday and, significantly, while on a visit to Sabah and Sarawak, Anwar firmed his position by saying the Pakatan Rakyat, which controls 82 seats in the 222-seat Parliament, would be ready to form the next government by Sept 16, Malaysia Day, this year.
“God willing, we will be there. If not next month, the following month, then if not June or July, (it will be) on Merdeka (Aug 31) or Malaysia Day. I think we should not go beyond that (Sept 16),” he told reporters on arrival in Sabah.
Before getting on the plane, Anwar gave an interview to French news agency AFP and on the plane he was interviewed by an AP wire reporter.
To all, the message was the same — he was ready to be the next prime minister and the way was through defections which would happen sooner, not later.
A master at using the inter national media, Anwar has sent a message to the world that in the new Malaysia, he would be the man to deal with.
While Anwar burnished his credentials, Barisan National leaders from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi down wards were left denying that no government backbencher was defecting, let alone in numbers that could topple the government.
More importantly, Sabah BN political leaders from Chief Min ister Datuk Musa Aman to Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and Datuk Maximus Ongkili have repeatedly said Anwar was bluffing.
Nevertheless, Deputy Prime Min ister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said last week that BN was vigilant. When asked whether a snap election would be a possibility if defections did happen, he said: “We can’t rule it out.”
Many civil society leaders and ordinary Malaysians have questioned Anwar’s stated methods, seeing it as an unethical way to undermine democracy, free elections and respect for the public mandate.
“We elected a responsible op position to act as a check and balance, not an opposition that undermines democracy and engineers defection,” said a senior bank officer, who is involved with the People’s Parliament movement started by human rights lawyer Haris Ibrahim.
“Anwar should play the role of a responsible opposition leader in Parliament. He should stand for election and get elected and sit in Parliament and prepare for the next election. He should face the people and let the people decide whether he should be prime minister.
“What he is doing now is anti-people and anti-democracy. What is he offering to engineer defections? People are not changing loyalties because they love him or believe in his cause.
“If he is offering positions or money it could be a crime under the law.”
At the ‘Black 14’ rally in Kampung Baru last Monday, Anwar answered some of these issues but his replies fell flat.
He posed the question ‘some people say it is immoral to engineer defection?’ and answered it by arguing that he was arrested, stripped naked, beaten and thrown into jail on trumped-up charges.
“Is that moral?” Anwar asked and the crowd shouted back “No! No!”
The ethics of engineering defections aside, can Anwar pull it off? Is he bluffing and if so, what are his motives? Looking at the numbers, defections seem near-impossible.
While Anwar needs 30 from the BN to form a one-seat majority government, the BN only needs eight from the opposition to en joy a two-third majority in Parliament again.
For Anwar to form a stable government, he needs at least 50 backbenchers to cross over and give him a 20-seat majority in Parliament. Otherwise his government will suffer from the same malaise — an unstable govern ment that is easily held to ransom by a clique.
It is not that Anwar is unaware of all of this. He has been hard at work trying to make the numbers and his emissaries have met back benchers and their point people.
Meetings have been held in Singapore, Indonesia and the Middle East — countries Malaysian leaders travel frequently to without raising suspicions.
“The meetings are aimed at finding out where East Malaysian backbenchers stand given the changed political landscape,” said a senior aide to Anwar.
A Sabah political leader, however, said the is sue was not just about changing political loyal ties for money or positions.
He explained: “Before there was only one political centre — Umno. Now there is Umno and Anwar. For the first time we have a choice and we can choose. We are the king-makers, we get VIP treatment and we have the ears of the prime minister and Anwar.
“Anwar is offering us 20% in oil royalties. It is an irresistible offer,” he said, adding that currently they only get 5% of “our own oil.”
“We are attracted to 20% but we are not falling for it just yet. Anwar was finance minister for eight years but he never offered us more then the 5%. Now he wants to give 20%. Why not 30% or even 50%?” he said.
“The political tsunami that hit the country recently has also woken us up,” said another Sabah politician.
“We are not naïve natives anymore to fall for the first sarong salesman that comes along. Don’t expect us to fall all over Anwar. He needs us more than we need him,” said the deputy minister in the State Cabinet.
It is clear that crossovers in the numbers that Anwar needs is difficult, almost impossible.
It is made more difficult, in the case of Sa bah and Sarawak, by the fact that both State governments are controlled by BN. Their MPs will not defect unless the State governments also fall to Pakatan Rakyat.
So why is Anwar persistent in saying he has the “numbers” to topple the BN government?
Political insiders say, it is to keep up the spir its of Pakatan Rakyat supporters who have fought long and hard so that Federal power is finally within reach.
Another possible reason is that Anwar is just impatient, as before, and is stepping on it at the cost of his credibility.
No comments:
Post a Comment