PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has decided just in the case of the recent Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election not to show up in the upcoming Sungai Bakap state by-election.
He has not given any specific reasons why he didn’t show up in the earlier by-election and in the forthcoming one.
However, his diehard sycophants rationalise that Anwar as the national leader was too busy in the earlier KKB by-election, hence the same applies to the soon-to be-held in Sungai Bakap polls where a PKR candidate has been nominated to represent the unity government.
I can understand that Anwar did not make an appearance in the KKB polls as he was not too comfortable to be seen around with the DAP Chinese candidate.
But this time around, it is puzzling to note why Anwar would not show up to support his own party’s candidate.
Maybe, there is a real reason why Anwar refuses to show up in the by-elections. By-elections are not ordinary elections for they are just barometer of the feelings and sentiments of the society at micro-levels.
Abandoning reforms
But the voting patterns of by-elections might be reflective of national political trends. In this respect, by-elections are as important as national elections.
I think that Anwar’s popularity as national leader has plummeted after he became the PM in the aftermath of the 15th General Election (GE15) on Nov 19, 2022.
It might be close to two years since he has been the PM. But on all counts, Anwar has proved to be an ineffective leader. Basically, he has said goodbye to reforms which he and his party PKR had championed when in opposition.
Apart from the political propaganda of reforms, the need for reforms have been subordinated to the need to stay in power and to prolong the stay at whatever the cost.
As result, apart from the brakes put on far reaching reforms, the regime headed by Anwar has been marked by systematic attempts to curb the freedom of the media, discourage and threaten those who want to debate on race, religion and royalty (3Rs) while the other 3Rs (reading, wRting and aRithmetic) are neglected in schools.
It was expected that the regime-minded Anwar might move politics beyond the narrow confines of the entrapment of race and religion.
However, when the regime is obsessed with staying in power, the easiest way is to reinforce these divides rather than to dislodge them in the long run.
While the Malays have shifted their political allegiance to the opposition, ie Perikatan Nasional (PN), the Chinese are still banking on DAP ‘to save’ them from swallowed by the Green Wave.
Arrogance
I suppose this delusional thinking might last for some time until DAP is exposed as non-representative of the Chinese. That their leaders are pre-occupation with power, positions and perks is bewildering to say the least.
More and more Indians have made up their minds starting with the six states elections in August 2023 that the PH-led coalition is a proverbial albatross around their neck.
Anwar has gone on record to belittle the efforts of the Indian community since taking power. The decline of Indian support for the PH-led coalition continued in the KKB by-election and will continue in the upcoming Sungai Bakap by-election and beyond.
Anwar is seen as the symbol of what is wrong with the country today. Malays have abandoned him and his government while the Indians are extricating themselves from identifying him as the leader or the “Malaysian MGR” (abbreviation for the legendary Tamil movie actor MG Ramachandran).
Anwar knows the feelings and sentiments of those on the ground in the country. He might be right in not showing up for the Sungai Bakap polls because his presence might not be politically conducive to the chances of the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition candidate.
Anwar’s earlier absence in the KKB polls and the upcoming one is testimony that the Madani government is slowly but surely going astray in governing the country.
The government latest implementation of the targeted diesel subsidy has invariably hit the low wage earners in the country.
Yet, Anwar has the temerity to boast that he was the only political leader who had the guts or the political will to introduce the targeted fuel subsidy.
Such careless and unthinking remark coming from the PM makes mockery of the sufferings of ordinary people in the country who are dependent on fuel and other subsidies in the country.
Wonder why Anwar doesn’t want or dare to show up in the Sungai Bakap polls? – June 15, 2024
Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
