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Any attempt to exert the slightest pressure on Mahathir will most positively backfire |
By TAY TIAN YAN
Sin Chew Daily
Anwar Ibrahim claims that he will become the country's next prime minister in 2020, probably around the month of May.
He told Bloomberg TV's Haslinda Amin that it was a Pakatan Harapan consensus. Moreover, “There’s no sign of any party introducing or promoting or lobbying for other names.”
Which means, there will not be another person to be the next PM besides him.
After watching the interview, I felt that Ms Haslinda's questions were not straight to the point enough, and Anwar's answers only told half the truth.
If I were Haslinda, I could have asked, “Will Mahathir retire in 2020? Will he accept you as the next prime minister?”
Sin Chew Daily
Anwar Ibrahim claims that he will become the country's next prime minister in 2020, probably around the month of May.
He told Bloomberg TV's Haslinda Amin that it was a Pakatan Harapan consensus. Moreover, “There’s no sign of any party introducing or promoting or lobbying for other names.”
Which means, there will not be another person to be the next PM besides him.
After watching the interview, I felt that Ms Haslinda's questions were not straight to the point enough, and Anwar's answers only told half the truth.
If I were Haslinda, I could have asked, “Will Mahathir retire in 2020? Will he accept you as the next prime minister?”
What I'm trying to say is that consensus is not the main thing here. It also doesn't matter whether another name has been proposed. Everything is in the hands of Tun Mahathir!
As the main thing is not the PH consensus, who would bother about the so-called PH consensus?
Mahathir, in particular, has not been known for his conformity to any realistic consensus. Just look at the PH election manifesto and you should have some idea.
As the main thing is not the PH consensus, who would bother about the so-called PH consensus?
Mahathir, in particular, has not been known for his conformity to any realistic consensus. Just look at the PH election manifesto and you should have some idea.
Mahathir is a staunch follower of Machiavellianism. Niccolò Machiavelli wrote in The Prince: “A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.”
Machiavelli was not a tyrant. He was only an Italian political theorist 500 years ago, sharing a more or less same role as China's Confucius. To him, a prince (leader) must have superior power tactics if he were to enjoy superior status.
As for “no other names”, that was purely Anwar's own perception. Mahathir never considered an heir when he sacked Musa Hitam; nor did he have a succession plan for Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak when he took them down.
Moreover, has Anwar ever become Mahathir's favored heir in the first place?
His sacking of Anwar in 1998 was way more drastic than what he did to Musa, Ku Li, Abdullah and Najib.
Machiavelli was not a tyrant. He was only an Italian political theorist 500 years ago, sharing a more or less same role as China's Confucius. To him, a prince (leader) must have superior power tactics if he were to enjoy superior status.
As for “no other names”, that was purely Anwar's own perception. Mahathir never considered an heir when he sacked Musa Hitam; nor did he have a succession plan for Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak when he took them down.
Moreover, has Anwar ever become Mahathir's favored heir in the first place?
His sacking of Anwar in 1998 was way more drastic than what he did to Musa, Ku Li, Abdullah and Najib.
If Mahathir has really changed, then his recent “cabinet adjustments” should have set aside a place for Anwar in the cabinet, not just to show his sincerity but also for smoother power transition in future, which is a good thing for the stability of both PH and the nation.
Unfortunately all the signals from the prime minister have pointed to the denial of an opportunity for Anwar in the cabinet.
Is the 2020 date for Anwar's ascension really that optimistic?
Or he was just trying to appease his supporters and get people on his side, or he was just trying to send a signal to the PM?
However, it is not easy to get a stone-hearted Mahathir to bend. Any attempt to exert the slightest pressure on him will most positively backfire.
Unfortunately all the signals from the prime minister have pointed to the denial of an opportunity for Anwar in the cabinet.
Is the 2020 date for Anwar's ascension really that optimistic?
Or he was just trying to appease his supporters and get people on his side, or he was just trying to send a signal to the PM?
However, it is not easy to get a stone-hearted Mahathir to bend. Any attempt to exert the slightest pressure on him will most positively backfire.
Anwar's predicament now is like a rooster trying to cross the road.
The rooster wants to cross the road, believing that is the right direction for it, and a goal it should not give up.
But to cross the road, it could very likely be crushed by the passing vehicles.
The rooster keeps looking around desperately, afraid of missing the opportunity but having no guts to charge forward.
Or will it pick up its courage, flap its wings, and make the decisive flight across?
May 2020. Only eights from now!
The rooster wants to cross the road, believing that is the right direction for it, and a goal it should not give up.
But to cross the road, it could very likely be crushed by the passing vehicles.
The rooster keeps looking around desperately, afraid of missing the opportunity but having no guts to charge forward.
Or will it pick up its courage, flap its wings, and make the decisive flight across?
May 2020. Only eights from now!
Fat hopes. Pribumi can make decision to leave Pakatan Harapan by forming alliance with UMNO-PAS-Pribumi in return for dropping all charges against Najib, installing Hadi as PM and rehabilitating Najib in exchange for no action against Mukhriz/Mahathir family !! Hey presto GE15 in early 2020!!
ReplyDeletemahathir worry more abt hadi, he know anwar is just a rabble rouser n less harm compare to that hadi.
DeleteThe cockerel is crowing while confidently crossing the road...
ReplyDeleteQUOTE
There is now certainty to Anwar becoming PM
P Ramasamy - September 21, 2019
Finally, there seems to be some certainty as to when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammed will hand over the post to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
In an event yesterday, Mahathir told the press that he would hand over the power to Anwar as promised.
However, the actual date of the transfer of power has not been decided.
Mahathir’s statement of handing over power to Anwar was in response to remarks made by Anwar earlier that he would be the prime minister in 2020, although he didn’t mention the exact date.
The latest statement by Mahathir on succession can be considered as the nearest he has come to endorse Anwar as the most likely candidate for the post.
The interval between Anwar’s assertion that he will be the next prime minister and Mahathir’s concurrence were well-timed. I don’t think it was just a coincidence.
The question of others competing for the post doesn’t arise in the first place.
Anwar has dismissed them as rivals with no credibility.
It was not a question of Mahathir’s choice as the matter of Anwar taking over power was decided before the last general election.
Since Anwar was in jail, it was a natural choice to allow Mahathir to hold the post, until such time that the former was able to assume the post.
The momentous election victory gave an opportunity to Mahathir to become the prime minister.
The question in the minds of many Malaysians was when Anwar would take over power in accordance with the pre-election agreement.
Anwar was no hurry, for it was important to give some time to Mahathir to resolve some of the crucial problems to stabilise the country.
It was more or less a consensus that Mahathir will hold the post for about two years before handing over to Anwar, although the actual timing of the transfer was not mentioned in the succession agreement.
Whatever you say of Mahathir, he is a man of principles and would not forsake the promise made to hand over power to Anwar.
To date, Anwar has been an extremely disciplined leader. He never applied pressure on Mahathir to give up the post early, he constantly consulted Mahathir on national matters and, above all, patiently waited for his turn.
There was nothing for Anwar to fear.
The post was his; it was just a matter of time.
Of course, there were spoilers who tried their best to derail the planned succession.
They even went on to suggest other names by creating scenarios that Anwar might not be the likely successor.
This projection of alternative succession scenarios has completely vanished to a point where Anwar has dismissed them.
It is not that Anwar does not deserve this appointment.
PAS, with its bankrupt ideas, can put obstacles in Anwar’s path, but the party leaders, apart from only knowing the worst forms of racial and religious extremism, are not in a position to contribute anything useful to the country.
UNQUOTE
handover on 30 April 2023, wakakaka
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