Saturday July 5, 2008

High-powered drama before us

Comment by BARADAN KUPPUSAMY

Nothing playing in the theatres in recent weeks can equal the real life, high-stake political drama now playing before our eyes.

A murdered Mongolian woman who stubbornly refuses to fade away, a new sodomy allegation that has shaken the Opposition and probably dashed their dream of ever capturing the Federal Government, a private investigator who, after months of speculation, finally connected a top politician with the murdered Mongolian but retracted it barely 24-hours later, sent shockwaves across the political establishment as never before.

Hold on to your seats for both sides are promising a rematch anytime now.

The ongoing battle between Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the “self-styled PM-in-waiting” Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is quite obviously a do-or-die political battle whose origins are murky but probably had been gestating since the March 8 general election that rewrote the political landscape of the country.

Both leaders are not showing any signs of pulling back but in fact have promised more dirt and pain in a high-stakes drama. At stake are the credibility, reputation and political future of both leaders who are consumed by their ambition to become Prime Minister.

Only a fortnight ago the duo were resurgent – Anwar prancing about claiming to have the numbers to topple the Government and Najib suddenly saying – after declaring he would not – that he will decide soon whether to challenge Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the Umno president’s post in December.

Najib was first incensed that blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin alleged in a statutory declaration on June 18 that his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and two Army colonels – a husband and wife team – were present when Altantuya Shaariibuu was blasted with C4 explosives on the night of Oct 19, 2006.

As the revelation exploded into public view there was undisguised glee in Anwar’s camp but it was soon replaced by gloom.

An allegation by a former aide last week that Anwar had sodomised him dropped like an atomic blast sending shockwaves through Anwar’s camp which had gathered at a Shah Alam hotel last Saturday to plan their political future and share the spoils of success, if they succeed in toppling the Government.

Now it is probably back to square one.

The stunning development is not just that the sodomy allegations have resurfaced but that Anwar let fly without any fear of defamation that Najib had engineered the accusations, a charge Najib has strongly denied.

But later Najib admitted the “traumatised victim” had turned up at his house and confessed to “everything” and he had consoled him to do what was most appropriate for his future.

It is unexplained why the victim needed consoling by Najib, of all people, but there he went.

On Thursday, Anwar put up a brave front and returned the favour pulling Balasubramaniam Perumal out of the magic bag. The private investigator was previously hired by Razak Baginda, accused of abetment in the murder of Altantuya, to stop her from harassing him for money.

Encouraged by Anwar, Balasubramaniam let fly that Najib knew Altantuya, had an affair with her and later passed her on to Razak for “safe-keeping”.

But barely 24 hours later Balasubramaniam appeared at a hotel on Friday morning and retracted everything, cleared Najib of any involvement and walked off quickly.

“Clearly we are witnessing a massive and very public power contest between Anwar and Najib and the sex and murder accusations are the weapons being used to discredit each other before the people,” said lawyer and Bar Council vice-chairman Ragu Kesavan.

“The people are left breathless by the revelations.

“A fair and transparent police investigation of both the sodomy and the murder case would help ease the growing anxiety that national politics is spiralling out of control,” he said.

As it stands now, Anwar is saying it is all a frame-up and wants the Government to drop the sodomy investigation or face mass public protest from his supporters, which he has legions of.

Anwar has announced a nationwide tour starting with a mass rally at Stadium Kelana Jaya here on Sunday to whip up public support for his cause.

Police have however issued warnings against public protests and ironically announced that they and the army are conducting joint-exercises on maintaining internal security and public order, something the human rights NGOs see as an ominous sign of a possible crackdown.

Abdullah on his part should be alarmed not only by the duel between his deputy and heir apparent and the ”PM-in-waiting” but also by the promise to mobilise public protest.

But Abdullah seems more amused than terrified and that’s probably because pressure on him has suddenly eased and he has found some breathing space while others duel.

Nevertheless, how the drama is finally played out depends a lot on Abdullah but he does not appear, as yet, to be in a hurry to end the battle.