YOURSAY | So it’s now back to Anwar versus Mahathir

YOURSAY | ‘I would advise DAP and Amanah to be very, very wary of Mahathir.’

Anwar skips joint presser with Dr M, MP claims 'he does not want to be used'

Anonymouss: If PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s absence is a sign of his rejection to align with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, then it shows he has come to his senses.

How can anyone trust this old man when time and again he changed his word on the agreement to hand over the premiership to Anwar. He is only using Anwar for his political gain as witnessed in his 22 months as prime minister.

Mahathir schemed and worked in cahoots with former PKR deputy leader Azmin Ali leading to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan government. But disastrously, he lost his prime minister’s post in the Sheraton Move. This was retribution.

Now he is desperately trying to make use of Anwar to regain his premiership. Will Anwar fall into another dreamland again?

Ferdtan: Who needs whom more? Is it Anwar needs Mahathir or the other way around in order to stay relevant?

The facts show Mahathir is now a lame-duck leader. What support does he have? A handful of loyal members of parliament, at most six, and throw in the less than 10 Warisans MPs.

Thus, Anwar with his significant number of PKR MPs together with expected support from DAP and, surely, Amanah too, has to play hardball with Mahathir who still thinks he is still the supremo in the Harapan coalition.

Anwar must be careful when dealing with Mahathir – this is a case of once bitten twice shy.

At this juncture, Anwar does not need him. Instead, Mahathir desperately needs him as he has to make a comeback. It is not only to redeem his pride for being unceremoniously replaced as prime minister but also to save his son Mukhriz’s political career.

Most importantly, if Umno were to return to power with the help from the still-influential ex-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, many expect the weak Muhyiddin Yassin not to last as prime minister.

This will affect Mahathir’s other children. Vengeance is Umno's game, especially when Najib has been on the receiving end under Mahathir's rule.

Sac: Indeed, Anwar is correct. By staying away his dignity is intact. Unlike the toadying Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

Anonymous 2043581479977820: What dignity is Anwar protecting? He is not smart enough to judge when he should attend or not attend the joint press conference.

In this case, he should have attended as it was to mark an unprecedented occasion where Parliament sat for just the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's speech.

Besides, all the other opposition leaders were in attendance. He, being the undisputed opposition leader, should have been there to show unity within the opposition.

By not being present, he is demonstrating that he is only thinking of himself and not the interest of the rakyat who opposes the backdoor Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Anwar had conceded to Mahathir many times in the past - which could be out of deference - but why not this time?

By the way, @Sac, why would Mohamad Sabu and Lim want to "toady" to Mahathir? He is no longer the prime minister and is a mere MP. He is not even the opposition leader.

Apparently, Anwar did not want to be “used”. How could Anwar be made “used” of? The opposition should all stand as one to protest the backdoor government’s impunity of subverting Parliament.

I congratulate Mohamad Sabu, Lim and Warisan president Shafie Apdal for being present to show solidarity among the opposition.

Daylight: Wise move by Anwar. Why should the official leader of the opposition play second fiddle to someone who doesn’t even command confidence in his own party?

If it is an official Pakatan Plus press conference, it should be led by the official leader of the opposition.

Sick of Politics: Don’t give us a load of nonsense, PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil. Who ignores a major press conference to attend a New York Times interview?

You can schedule the interview anytime.

Anonymous_05881584382214188: I am not sure what strategy Anwar and PKR are playing, but the current Harapan coalition really needs to show unity.

This would just give more ammunition for PN to spin stories, such as Harapan is crumbling and/or divided, et cetera.

FairMalaysian: Anwar should be more specific. He should not leave his supporters wondering what the hell is going on. And he should do it immediately.

Working with a party that gave the Brutus blow could be discomforting and any understanding from now on should be premised on written confirmation. Words of promises are too cheap these days and honourable people who keep their word is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Shovelnose: In all honesty, Anwar read the situation correctly. Why would the old man still want to take the centre stage after his own party has split?

They had only 13 MPs to start with and they were probably considered a critical tipping point before the 14th General Election. However, the number of seats they have won shows that their effect was rather muted at best.

The Bersatu faction in opposition should dissolve and join the remaining parties so as not to split the votes further in the next election.

Fair Play: Who is in charge? My answer - certainly not Mahathir. But he still wants to hog the limelight although Anwar is the opposition leader in Parliament.

Anwar is smart enough to distance himself from the Bersatu faction opposing Muhyiddin. Besides, the Bersatu faction under Mahathir is not part of the Harapan coalition and Anwar is the chair of Harapan.

Kit P: I would advise DAP and Amanah to be very, very wary of Mahathir.

His manoeuvres contributed to bringing down the Harapan government for his own purposes. That he became the victim himself is just an unplanned consequence.

Vgeorgemy: Bravo, Saudara Anwar. Mahathir has been explicit in his political ideology, which is bigotry. PKR can't be a party to such a political mission.

The Covid-19 pandemic has set the Malaysian economy back to the days of 1974. That was the year we met you - in Baling, Kedah. The Baling events began on Nov 19, when more than 1,000 starving peasants protested to demand social justice from the rulers of this beloved land.

We cried that day: "The people suffer, the rulers forget their obligations." A big demonstration by 5,000 students was held on Dec 3, 1974. Among those detained was Prof Syed Husin Ali from the University of Malaya (UM); Anwar, at that time a youth leader; Kamarulzaman Yacob, UM Students Union president and many others.

In 1974, 70 percent of the nation’s wealth was in the hands of the foreigners, mostly in the form of plantations and tin mines. In 2020, part of that wealth is now in the hands of the Malay elites through the holdings of Perbadanan Nasional, Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), Employees Provident Fund (EPF), a host of government-linked companies (GLCs), Khazanah, Felda, Risda and various agencies under Rural Development Ministry.

Still, the Malay community has the highest incidence of death as a result of Covid-19, possibly because of underlining health issues which emanated from poverty. There is no need to have any kind of handout for the Malay community to survive. If that happens in 2020, it is just because of the rulers are still not listening to the population.

If the pandemic turns us back to 1974, it is Anwar's responsibility to lead the younger generation to achieve what we have started through the founding of the Socialist Club at UM, the only political club in the university.

I may not survive this pandemic as affordable vaccination will take 48 months to reach me, and my underlining health issues of diabetes, hypertension and obesity will not allow me to survive Covid-19. But such personal matters are no longer relevant as the spirit of Baling is on fire again.

Saudara Anwar, you must lead the nation the way you did in 1974. We cannot permit the elites to steal Malay wealth as in the kleptocratic regime of BN.

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