KUALA LUMPUR – “You have to learn that when you are with Anwar Ibrahim, you have to be patient.”
These were the words of Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself the night after the 15th general election when sought for an update by press members on the formation of the new government, amid fierce speculation over the country’s future.
His comment was rather apt, considering patience – and persistence – were the very qualities that led him to Putrajaya’s hot seat today.
This is particularly evident through his long and arduous journey to the prime ministership and his fight against corruption, which spanned over two decades and were mired by multiple setbacks.
His first blow came in September 1998, when he was sacked as deputy prime minister and Umno member by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, following a bitter falling out over the former’s accusation of nepotism and cronyism in the party.
Anwar was later arrested after leading a massive rally in the heart of the city and detained under the now-repealed Internal Security Act. It was also during this period when he turned up in court with a black eye, inspiring the now popular PKR logo.
He was later sentenced to six years in prison in April 1999 for corruption and handed a nine-year jail term two months later for sodomy, the latter of which was overturned in 2004.
This series of events gave birth to the Reformasi movement, which later formed the foundation of his party PKR.
Following his release from prison, Anwar made an immediate comeback to politics, contesting and winning in Permatang Pauh in the 2008 general election before defending the seat five years later, during which period he also served as opposition leader.
However, he was again sentenced to jail in February 2015 over another sodomy charge that was slapped on him in 2008, and was ordered to serve five-years in Sg Buloh prison.
As fate would have it, PH – then led by his wife Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and former foe Mahathir – won the 2018 national polls, paving the way for his release from prison via a royal pardon.
Under an agreement within PH, Anwar was supposed to take over as prime minister from Mahathir two years after PH’s victory, but an ensuing internal struggle saw the collapse of the government, and with it Anwar’s chance of helming the country’s top post.
He was once again relegated to playing the role of opposition leader in Parliament until its dissolution on October 10 this year.
Unperturbed by the series of impediments, and amid growing calls for him to step down as the head of the coalition following recent state election defeats, Anwar led PH into this year’s general election buoyed by what he described as euphoric support from the public akin to the Reformasi rallies in 1998.
While PH fell markedly short of winning the required 112 seats to form the government, it secured a total 82 constituencies, making it the single largest coalition in Parliament.
His swearing in yesterday as the country’s 10th prime minister puts an end to an almost week-long political impasse and his decades-long wait to be prime minister.
For his supporters and those close to him, his perseverance through the years would at least now feel not for naught, but for Anwar, his real work starts now.
What next for the new prime minister?
The PKR leader takes over the nation at a critical juncture amid soaring inflation, a weakening ringgit, racial disharmony, and a divided political landscape.
When Anwar officially clocks in as prime minister in Putrajaya today, he would do well to hit the ground running by immediately addressing these core issues.
In fact, the PKR leader appears to acknowledge this very fact when he, in his first press conference as prime minister last night, specifically mentioned the need to resolve the rising cost of living.
All eyes will now be fixed on how his government will address this concern, particularly after how his coalition had hounded the previous Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN) administrations over the issue.
But perhaps more pressing would be the need to reduce the heightened racial and religious tension incited by certain political leaders and supporters since the start of the election campaign.
Arguably, the country has not been in such a divided state since the deadly riots on May 13, 1969, and – if recent social media posts by unscrupulous individuals serve as a signal – this must be arrested immediately.
Beyond this, Anwar also has the critical responsibility of pacifying the various political parties, as rightly demanded by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
This might explain why he made an immediate overture to PN to join PH in the unity government in the immediate hours after his swearing in as prime minister, despite animosity between leaders from the two parties.
There is also the worry of a full-blown internal crisis within BN that has been brewing since its chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi decided to work with PH, which could threaten the political stability that Anwar so desires.
The next one year could offer some indication on the country’s direction under Anwar’s leadership and whether the concept of a unity government would work.
But in the bigger context of a full parliamentary term lasting five years, Anwar should be accorded some space and time to prove his ability and mettle.
Until then, Malaysians can only hope for the 10th prime minister to inspire confidence and unity in a nation that desperately needs such values, just as how he has been credited for inspiring the Reformasi movement now synonymous with PKR. – The Vibes, November 25, 2022
