The Fall of Anwar Ibrahim?

Malaysiakini - Leery about Anwar's intent to contest for PKR chief (extracts):

It's a measure of the drop in the standing of Anwar Ibrahim in PKR that his announcement yesterday he would contest the president's post was treated with deep scepticism by detractors within the party.

PKR's polls are scheduled for end August to early September. The closing date for nominations is July 29.

These days, remarks about the loftiness of Anwar's stock in PKR emerge only from outright courtiers, such as secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who recently described the party's de facto leader as someone of “incomparable” standing in PKR.

Saifuddin's fawning is as amateurish as an autograph hunter's.

Others in the party, of more sober mien, maintain a politic silence about Anwar's plans, while others regard his statement of intent to contest as credible only if his wife is publicly unequivocal about standing aside for her husband.

Already, word has emanated from another flunkey that Wan Azizah ought to be made party chairperson.

Presumably, this will enable her to maintain her post as deputy prime minister in the ruling Pakatan Harapan federal government, while Anwar gets around to contesting for a parliamentary seat which, in addition to being PKR president, would bring him closer to being prime minister of the ruling coalition.

After all, what was make-believe (ketua umum or party supremo) with respect to her husband's position in the party all these years can be made to be so for the wife.

Bad, albeit exigent practices – such as the one that in 2007 saw Anwar conferred the title of de facto leader because he, at that time, was still under a five-year ban from holding positions in political parties – are set to be perpetuated in PKR should Wan Azizah be made party chairperson.

The party has had, of necessity in exigent circumstances, one "ketua umum" (de facto leader); it does not need as party chairperson, a label with no constitutional validity, for someone who only last year in an interview with Al Jazeera said she regarded herself as a “seat warmer.”

But the danger is seat warmers can, over time, become convinced that forms of going through the motions is actually the real thing.

Anwar's detractors have grown so leery of his word that unless his wife unequivocally declares her withdrawal, they believe that her husband's announcement of intent to contest is a gambit to forestall a challenge for the position by the current deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Azmin will not contest the presidency should Anwar be the sole candidate for the post.

This is not from excessive deference to the de facto leader of PKR, as it is acceptance of realpolitik.

Fallen as Anwar's current stock may be in the party, a challenge by Azmin would be construed by the party faithful as an attempt at impudent supercession, given what the supremo has had to endure of Umno's victimisation over the past two decades.

Terence Netto is correct in his opening remark, to wit, It's a measure of the drop in the standing of Anwar Ibrahim in PKR ... because we have all noticed that with the new Sun of Mahathir outshining his mere manmanlai Moonlight. Erstwhile anwaristas have already told Anwar (some aggressively, some rudely) not to kacau, to be patient, and to wait for his turn ... which of course may never come so long as Mahathir is the PM, wakakaka.

The fact that Terence Netto, once a pro Anwar journalist, has penned the above Malaysiakini article, shows the monumental drop, nay, plummet in Anwar Ibrahim's standing.

Yusof Rahmat in FB wrote:

Something gone very wrong in many peoples' heads lately:

1) Anwar cannot comment, others can.

2) Anwar cannot travel anywhere but others can.

2) Prime Minister in waiting cannot, which was already agreed by PH leaders before GE14.

3) Now running for President in own party also cannot.

Very soon ...

4) Anwar cannot even be allowed to cook in his kitchen, because many would then say, Anwar is trying cook up something in his kitchen.

Wakakaka. See also my Anwar Ibrahim's D-Day on Nor-Maddy beach.