By Niza Shimi
There are so many elephants in the room as Malaysia approaches the 15th general elections that I wonder who would dare to even acknowledge that the pachyderms exist?
The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the idiom or noun phrase elephant in the room as an obvious major problem or issue that people avoid discussing or acknowledging.
Here’s a few elephants that I see.
Who owes Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the prime minister-ship of Malaysia?
Is anybody born to be prime minister (PM) of Malaysia? Is it akin to some kind of crown that is handed down to an heir apparent? Is it based on real abilities or mere perceptions? Does having been imprisoned qualify as a valid reason to make someone a PM?
There are many more questions about this elephant in the room that's puzzling.
No doubt when Anwar was brought into the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1982 at the invitation of then president and PM Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (Tun M), it was seen as a political move to silence the vocal critic of the government. Indeed, Anwar began singing the UMNO tune soon after.
Anwar was a rising star at UMNO. Touted as a charismatic young Islamic leader, Anwar was playing his role as Tun M’s sidekick to the hilt. Until 1998 that is, when he was unceremoniously sacked as the deputy PM. Then began the worst period of Malaysian political history, the sodomy trials.
For 16 years, Anwar had built a formidable following. With a snap of his fingers, so to speak, his followers took to the streets in what became known as the Reformasi Movement. It began with a gathering at the mosque. He was surrounded by those shouting Takbir! (God is Great). The aim was to topple Tun M. Was it aimed at making Anwar the PM?
All that changed in 2018. Who made the promise that Anwar would become PM? It’s been an endless blame game since Pakatan Harapan (PH) won the 14th general elections (GE14) in May 2018 until Tun M stepped down in March 2020. It was no longer a matter for discussion when the Sheraton Move changed it all. Does such a promise, to hand over power to the PM-in-waiting, even make sense?
Why is the DAP so hell-bent on making Anwar the PM?
Now that Malaysia is headed for the polls on November 19, 2022, there’s a new game in town. It’s called, Anwar is the chosen one for PM. The champion of this new game is the Democratic Action Party (DAP) with statements by Lim Kit Siang here.
The argument is that Anwar is the best bet for PM compared to other hopefuls such as UMNO’s Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, both former PMs.
Does this mean Anwar is the best choice or the lesser evil if you will? Is it that voters once again have to vote against something instead of for something better? They tried that in GE14 and it worked. But did it last?
Does his wife and daughter still need to fight for him?
This elephant in the room isn’t exactly invisible. To me, it’s puzzling. When Anwar was arrested and jailed, I can understand why they stepped up to the plate. The nation watched his wife and her seven young children fight for justice for Anwar. Who can forget the tears that flowed?
When Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail stood for elections in her husband’s old constituency of Permatang Pauh in the 1999 general elections (GE10). Her best weapon was tears, and if memory serves me right, she was dubbed the “calon air mata” (tearful candidate), a reluctant politician and dutiful wife.
Later, their daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, the Puteri Reformasi (Reformasi Princess) would make her political debut in 2008 for GE2, the same elections that saw the triumphant return of her father. So, now it is an all in the family political dynasty.
It’s understandable if a family member replaces an assassinated politician like Philippines Corazon Aquino the wife of Benigno Aquino or India’s Sonia Gandhi, wife of Rajiv Gandhi. But is it ethical to have all family members serving as members of parliament at the same time? Is it a matter of winning seats no matter what?
Since Pakatan Harapan (PH) has the Lim Kit Siang family political dynasty and the late Karpal Singh family political dynasty it must be okay for them. But the optics, though.
There’s probably many more elephants in the room. It’s whether you want to acknowledge it or pretend it doesn’t exist.
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