The Azmin-Ali factor in Pakatan

Much as TMI has bravely reported Azmin Ali saying Dr Mahathir is the best Pakatan can offer, in reality Azmin is fuming over Pakatan's rather indecent haste to anoint Mahathir as the coalition's PM-designate.

The MM Online published news of Azmin Azi informing the press that Selangor PKR was never consulted on joint statement to endorse Pakatan’s PM-elect, to wit, Mahathir.

Azmin revealed his party’s state chapter was 'never consulted' on a joint statement issued by three other Pakatan Harapan parties endorsing the coalition’s Mahathir-Wan Azizah leadership.

And precisely because he was not consulted, Azmin declared, “So there is no issue about PKR not being together (with DAP, Amanah, Bersatu). We were not consulted”.

In other words Azmin has virtually said that if he and his PKR Selangor were to go on their own (not being together with DAP, Amanah, Bersatu), so what, and f**k everyone else, wakakaka.

Narinder Singh of Berita Daily wrote (extracts):

Despite some strong grassroots backing and vocal voices from within PKR in favour of Azmin, the Pakatan Harapan presidential council sidestepped its election director [Azmin himself] and instead named the grand old man as its choice for the seventh prime minister if it wins GE14.

[...]

Azmin’s tweets and those of his supporters, though vaguely put at times, indicate that there is unsavoury flavour brewing in the pockets of Pakatan Harapan, especially in Selangor PKR team.

Naming Mahathir as PM candidate means taking a gigantic risk for he is not in the best of books of many voters.

It also goes to show that there is lack of trust in the leadership in a potential like Azmin, who could have been an attraction especially to the young Malay voters.

It is ironic and rather sad, provided there are no changes made to Pakatan Harapan’ election machinery, that Azmin will now be going round the country leading the Opposition’s campaign to make Mahathir the prime minister again.

What a shame! All the hopes got shattered because Mahathir will never allow anybody to be superior to him.

But Narinder said Azmin has an ace up his sleeve which Pakatan fails to see or refuses to entertain, his good relationship with PAS.

Narinder continued (extracts):

PAS, even at the national level, has never condemned Azmin after all the turmoil and break-off from the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat. On the contrary it was supportive of Azmin when he decided to keep his state government intact with PAS members so as not to rock a stable state government and give advantage to BN on any fronts.

But all know that Mahathir and DAP are dead against PAS ..... And if Azmin comes to the fore as PM candidate, he could possibly extend an olive branch to PAS once again, which definitely would be the biggest slap to Mahathir first and then DAP.

So, would not Azmin have been a better choice if Pakatan Harapan had wanted to avoid three-cornered fights with BN?

Embracing Mahathir and PPBM and letting him snatch the baton off Anwar and family was the biggest blunder Pakatan Harapan has made in its political trajectory.

Azmin has every right to be sore for Mahathir could have poured cold water on his game plan prematurely without taking into consideration the bridge that Azmin has built with some core PAS leaders via their representatives in Selangor. [...]

Will Azmin remain the subservient, obedient kid around the block that will further disappoint his loyal supporters, or will he go rogue on Pakatan Harapan and voice his displeasure in the open?

I believe Azmin Ali will strike when he ready. He moves stealthily, slyly and sinisterly, wakakaka. One only knows Azmin has made a move when one has been knocked out by leng chai.

There are a few things about Azmin we need to know - he is very ambitious, calculative (his degree is Maths, wakakaka), Machiavellian, cautious, smooth & suave, and ruthless. He has good relationship with HRH, PAS, state civil servants and his 'inner coterie' is fiercely loyal to him.

He will be an extremely formidable foe to mainly DAP as he doesn't like his PKR to be second best to the Rocket Party.

I suspect Azmin has come to a stage when he has to advance forward on his own and so to bid farewell to Anwar who is now politically fossilised. His ambitions may yet see him work out a deal to abet his ambitions. 

Watch out, Lim Kit Siang.