PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s supporters – Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang included – simply do not understand. They keep thinking that people are criticising Anwar and the unity government because we are impatient with results but that is not the case.
We know that results take time. Heck, we even know that the results are not fully in Anwar’s or the unity government’s control.
Take the economy for example. If the economy does badly, we know that it might not necessarily be Anwar’s or the unity government’s fault. Results depend on many things, among which is fortune and luck.
If Anwar and the unity government truly did their best – even if they couldn’t get the desired result – we can understand and accept that fortune was just not on our side. The problem is that we don’t believe that Anwar has tried his best or is even trying at all.
We don’t see Anwar trying to re-establish the doctrine of separation of power, institute the independence of the judiciary, fight against corruption, practise good governance, make educational reforms or uphold human rights or freedom of speech and religion.
As a matter of fact, a number of things that Anwar has done since he assumed power is that he is moving in the opposite direction of his promise.
As of Tuesday (Nov 28), there are five opposition MPs who have debased the Parliament and made a mockery of the anti-hopping law by switching their support for Anwar while remaining within the opposition fold.
Not only has Anwar not spoken against it but a lot of people also see him as the prime mover of the entire event. He is the prime beneficiary of the move after all.
How are we supposed to believe that Anwar runs a government that honours the concept of separation of power when not one – or two or three – but five parliamentarians are debasing themselves for the sake of the PM?
Kit Siang better be right
This is a man who promised that the PM will not hold the Finance Minister post before breaking his word without an iota of shame.
If he had any sense of shame – even if he had to break his word and hold the Finance Minister post – he would have been ashamed to hold it even if had to and he would have done his level best to ensure he wouldn’t have to hold one second more than he has to.
From his behaviour, I don’t think he is ever going to let go of the Finance Minister position. Not only does he not behave like he finds it shameful to hold on to the position, he is acting as if he sees it as a sign of achievement.
I am not going to blame Kit Siang for putting his trust in Anwar. Maybe Lim Kit Siang thinks that Anwar is just cleaning the house. When you clean the house, the house will become messier before it is clean after all.
Kit Siang and Anwar are also probably friends and it is indeed hard to see the faults of one’s own friends and family. I will not be throwing stones on this count – or at least be throwing too many stones – when I am aware that I also possess the very same sin.
All I have to say to Kit Siang is I hope you are right. I hope that Anwar is indeed just making everything messier because he is cleaning the house. I hope that in three or four years – if Anwar is still around – everything will be clean and I will regret thinking so poorly of Anwar today.
But saying that, I also hope that as an elderly politician, you will also not insult the intelligence of the people when you speak to us. Don’t just ask us to trust you or Anwar as if it is very obvious to us that all of you are such pure and genuine people.
Convince us. Make sense to us. Persuade us. – Nov 30, 2023
Nehru Sathiamoorthy is a roving tutor who loves politics, philosophy and psychology.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main pic credit: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Facebook
