Don't politicians ever learn from history?
Many might still recall the mayhem in the country circa 2016 when the then embattled prime minister Najib Razak found himself in a deep hole following the fallout from the 1MDB scandal; two years down the road, his party UMNO suffered the “unimaginable” after losing power in what went down in the country's history as a “game changing” general elections.
Fast forward to the present, what some concerned observers may be asking now is: could Anwar and his fumbling Madani administration also suffer a similar fate in roughly two years time come the next general election - that is, provided they can “hang on to the ropes” for that long?
In fact, PKR’s maverick politician Hassan Karim has also hinted at the possibility of Anwar's government collapsing; this was after nine PKR MPs led by Rafizi Ramli had openly urged the government to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), arguing that this was imperative due to the alleged interference in judicial appointments and court decisions in the country.
According to the outspoken Pasir Gudang MP, this latest “bombshell” is reflective of a growing sense of disillusionment within the party's leadership over the Madani government’s compromises, which he said had begun to reek of hypocrisy.
A major crisis brewing in PKR…?
Hassan had further stressed that the demand by the group was a sign of an apparent loss of confidence in PMX; however, he had cautioned that they must be held accountable if the Madani government falls!
The PKR lawmaker then went on to caution that in the event of an RCI, Anwar may become the prime suspect to be investigated which will further tarnish his image and that of the unity government; nevertheless, he conceded that the judicial issues raised by the group were valid and of public interest, and is bound to appeal to the public.
More significantly, Hassan also pointed out that the move will be viewed as a direct political “challenge” to the PKR president and would mark a serious and audacious challenge to Anwar’s leadership by senior leaders within the party which is simply unprecedented.
Meanwhile, responding to the demands, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) had outrightly dismissed claims that Malaysia is facing a judicial crisis while rejecting calls for a RCI or a parliamentary select committee; it also seemed to give a chilling warning against politicising the roles of the prime minister or the King, saying that such matters must be handled in line with constitutional principles.
Interestingly, to some, this latest episode may have given them a sense of deja vu; after all, back in 2016, didn't the then-Attorney General Apandi Ali also similarly “dismiss” corruption allegations against Najib who was found to have RM2.6billion deposited into his bank account linked to the controversial 1MDB sovereign fund?
AG “dismisses” allegations against Najib…?
Furthermore, the previous year Najib had also sacked his deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin after corruption allegations against him had started to pile up; justifying his actions, the then-PM was quoted to have said that “cabinet members should not air their differences in an open forum that can affect public opinion against the government and Malaysia.”
Will Anwar be replicating Najib's mantra too…?
No doubt, this latest setback to Anwar and his somewhat fragile unity government is sure to ignite a firestorm with the obvious question on the minds of many being: will PMX be compelled to eventually sack Rafizi and the eight PKR “rebels” - just like how Najib had sacked his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin - even if it means losing the two-thirds majority in parliament ?
Another question sure to play in the minds of many will be: in such a scenario will Rafizi and his men go on to set up a new party - similar to what Muhyiddin and Dr Mahathir did when they set up Bersatu to entice dissatisfied UMNO members? If that happens, will PKR also become divided and weakened with many of its supporters shifting their loyalty to Rafizi in the hope of finally seeing “real” reforms?
Is PKR heading for a split… or is there still time for redemption?
However, it's still early days yet and such a catastrophe may be averted provided Anwar comes up with a clear and effective strategy - or even an agreement with the rebels - to address the current crisis with an “open heart”; the burning question though is: is he willing to return to his “reformist roots” and spare the country of another political meltdown - or will he continue to sideline the Madani faithfuls and carry on with his “personal” agenda - until what might lead to the demise of the historic pact with his PH partners?
Main information source: Vibes, Malay Mail, Cilisos and ABC.net.au.
JK Joseph (jtkingsworld@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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