Handling UMNO’s political nemesis

 

How do you deal with the man with so many aliases? Anwar Ibrahim, Pak Sheikh, BABI, Mat King Leather etc etc.

I was talking to a former PKR member who has gone over to parti KITA. We are friends but that doesn't change how I see the party headed by Zaid Ibrahim. Parti KITA will be launched soon. It will be made up of some professionals and perhaps a handful of MPs. I am doubtful about the latter group or perhaps my friend meant a few MPs from PKR. As to its prospects in the coming PRK 13, the party in my mind has 2 chances- slim and none.

But, that aside, how will we handle this parti KITA? Anwar can't say- parti KITA parti yang teruk. Kita sudah beri dia orang peluang dia main kita punya belakang. He can't say that can he?

UMNO too can't say parti kita parti tak guna. Our party is rotten to the core? UMNO can't say this. Only Tun Mahathir can. At one point in time.

Zaid Ibrahim has a least managed to bring a little bit of hilarity into our politics.

We moved on to the next conversation topic. My friend was positive about the recent problems faced by PKR over its party elections. But I fear, his optimism is premature.

But how do you deal with Anwar Ibrahim? I told him, we cannot over exploit the recent internal political bickering in PKR. The reprieve came when those close to PM thought they were doing the PM a favor by having Anwar suspended for 6 months. That's like giving this demagogue of a politician a new breathing apparatus.

He will go around this country to goreng the public and the public will warm up to him. He can claim, this is yet another of those BN contraptions to silence credible opponents. Anwar will make it out as though he OWNS the truth. He will mesmerize thousands and thousands of easily swayed people to his cause- whatever he chose at that particular moment.

The problem here is this. UMNO machinery will not be there to answer him. This is the usual modus operandi of UMNO. Everything has to be done by the PM himself. In 1999, when Anwar's sympathizer's including those within UMNO itself went around parading images of Anwar with a bludgeoned and blackened eye, UMNO didn't answer. They were living under the illusion that any preposterous claims by Anwar's people will not be believed by people at large. Well they did and gave Najib a 241 majority.

If that can happen then, it is repeatable. Now, as opposed to then, the claims are much easier and digestible for the palate. Meaning whatever claims Anwar makes, will be translated into more popular support.

Bangun lah UMNO.

The one who suffered a dent in credibility most was perhaps the speaker of parliament. Never before in parliamentary times, a speaker had to descend from his perch and engaged in a lengthy debate explaining his position. If he wants, he'd better tell the PM he wants to step down as speaker and wants to become an MP. Then he can debate to his heart's content. He appeared at most times like a bewildered headmaster whose pupils are making fun of him.

Anwar's 6 months suspension had the immediate effect of reinvigorating the PKR people. It also provided a diversion from the internal problems. If we read Gobalakrishnan's tweeter, the messages he sent regarding Anwar can be turned in a roller-coaster of a steamy novel. People get entertained and amused but those things are not turning into vote getting storylines.

How do you deal with this creature called Anwar?

I once asked a close friend of Anwar who has been his schoolmate at MCKK and now a leading member of PKR. He says Anwar is beatable. You can dissect and demolish his thinking as expressed in his ideas, plans and ideas. UMNO must counter these and expose the hollowness and shallowness of Anwar's thinking.

Going on the offensive by the daily grind of vile and explicit vulgar description of Anwar is counterproductive. As one of his former schoolmates now residing in Australia has done, it only requires matching what the government has against Anwar with what the people can list against Najib and this government.

The government will be seen as the big bully who cannot handle the opposition and needs to resort to coercive methods. You silence your critics by jailing them, by causing bodily injury and probably by even bombing them. The government is seen as the big bad wolf.

This perception should not be nourished further by the unceasing media onslaught of picturing Anwar as a heinous animal. Because once the perception of a big bully government takes root in the populace, what does this show? This shows whatever Anwar and his propaganda machine churn out are believable and can win them votes. You can't break this lock jam of perception by legalistic means. People will simply turn around and say FU!.

Allow me to illustrate. If the mother to the gerakan youth in Penang goes religiously to Anwar's ceramahs without fail, that spells trouble. It means the idea of Anwar as a victim to a tyrannical government has taken root. If mums and dads stand by Anwar in a show of defiance, it shows Anwar can win.

I have a Malaysian Indian friend who is a successful IT entrepreneur. One day he heard his 75 year old mother praying for Anwar. He was shocked and proceeded to explain to the mother about Anwar. The mother answered back. That may be true, but the government here is the big bully. You can't answer Anwar, you lock him up, and you beat him up. Those are actions of a big bully and tyrant.

If this idea about Anwar as victim takes root, you have the idea of a government that is defeatable.

Instead let others do the fight for the government. Let Anwar fight his detractors. Let Nalakaruppan for example have his day in court. I am sure all the juicy details about this tennis playing partner of Anwar who also doubled up as personal chauffeur ferrying the fairer sex will be taken up by the public. Let all those Rahimi's Saifuls, Rashid the KY Jelly procurer do battle with Anwar. Let Jamil Kuching fight Anwar. Then Anwar will have to fight these people and at the end be a spent force.

The better way to demolish Anwar who relies on the court of public opinion to save him, is to use that very forum to expose him. The main cast of this drama will be people like Nalakaruppan, Jamil Kuching, Rahimi, Rashid and so on.

Let's see if PKR is evicted from their current premises as talk is rife that PKR owes the owner of the premises, a one Soh Chee Weng backdated amount of around RM 700k. Easily payable but it appears that Azmin and Syamsidar have a tight grip on Anwar's finances.