Azmin’s PM pipe dream

KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s dream of becoming prime minister is as good as gone, said analysts, pointing to two major episodes that benched his plan.

They said the leak of gay sex video clips implicating the former PKR No. 2 in June last year and his decision in February to back Perikatan Nasional have ruined his chances of taking the top job, which he was tipped for by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when Pakatan Harapan (PH) was in power.

Despite his recent appointment to the Bersatu supreme council, Azmin’s comeback looks unlikely, barring a shake-up in the country’s politics.

“To me, his future looks bleak and gloomy, especially if Umno and PAS impress in the next elections. His proposition of former PKR leaders being in PN will be irrelevant,” Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Prof Jeniri Amir told The Vibes. 

“He might not go as far as he would have hoped.”

Dr Mahathir created the economic affairs portfolio for Azmin in the PH cabinet, a move seen by many as the then prime minister’s strategy to have the Gombak MP succeed him instead of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim taking over after two years as agreed by PH parties prior to the 2018 general election.  

Sex scandal the start of the end

Things went south when sex clips of two men, one of whom is said to be Azmin, were circulated last year amid his falling out with Anwar.

Tensions were high between the pair in the run-up to the PKR elections in 2018, with speculation that Azmin’s desire to lead the party and eventually become prime minister had sparked the rift. 

He has vehemently denied being in the videos and cried sabotage from within PKR, but the damage was done. 

“Things were already bad for Azmin when he started his conflict with Anwar, especially leading up to the party elections, and they were only aggravated by the release of the videos,” said Jeniri.

Independent political analyst Prof Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin believes the clips were what drove Azmin to seriously consider leaving PKR.

Azmin took a back seat following the incident, only to re-emerge with guns blazing for the infamous “Sheraton Move” in late February, taking 10 MPs with him out of the party and teaming up with the Bersatu faction led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to form Perikatan Nasional along with Umno, PAS and a clutch of Sarawak parties.

What appeared then as a lifeline for Azmin has, however, shown itself to be a misjudged gamble. He is perceived as a traitor by a large section of the public, and in the ruling coalition, many are wary of his ambitions, resulting in a hesitance to give him too much freedom and power.

“Even if he successfully defends his Gombak seat in the next elections, we can expect a significantly smaller majority given the protest against him,” said Jeniri.

“On the other hand, Umno will also want to control his movement to ensure their positions are not compromised, considering the things he did behind Anwar’s back.”

Patience pays off?

Azmin’s goal of setting up office in Putrajaya may seem out of reach for the foreseeable future, said Shamsul, but in Malaysian politics, no individual should be completely written off.

Patience, and with any luck, an upheaval like what happened in February or a disaster akin to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd fraud could put him back on track.

“In Malaysia, even the dead can be revived. Just look at how Dr Mahathir returned as prime minister,” said Shamsul.

“What I can say is, Azmin will, and should, bide his time and wait for the right moment to pounce.” – The Vibes, September 24, 2020