MANY of us from civil society responded to the call for “reformasi” and worked to help bring Pakatan Harapan (PH) into power, ending 61 years of unquestionable rule by Barisan Nasional. 

Now the squabbles within PKR are threatening the ruling PH coalition.

The underlying challenge is the tension between the reformers and those who want to maintain the status quo.

This can be seen in the slow delivery of the promises made in the PH manifesto.

The personality struggles between those in power and the racial undertones expressed all add to the confusing situation.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad must honour his promise and hand over the prime minister role to Anwar Ibrahim as agreed within the time frame of two years.

While I wish Dr Mahathir the very best, it is not conceivable that he will be prime minister until the next election due in another three years when he would be 96/97 years old.

Dr Mahathir has been a Machiavellian politician for whom the ends have always justified the means.

This has been his traditional style and it is not unlike him to say that the challenges within PKR raises questions on Anwar succeeding him.

Dr Mahathir would even rationalise his promise and say that he has done so in the larger interest of the nation. I only hope he proves me otherwise. 

There are many forces at work, including the deep state and they do not prefer the reformation agenda. The reforms are countered by racial undertones spelling it as a cost to the Malays.

Let us for a moment consider the major players. Apart from Anwar, his deputy Mohamed Azmin Ali and some in Umno, where are the credible leaders?

Bersatu, apart from Dr Mahathir, has no leaders except for some discredited turncoats from Umno who never had the spine to stand up and be counted.

I will not for a moment support Azmin because if a leader cannot even stand up for his personal credibility what has he got to offer?

Secondly, if you owe money as much as RM300,000 for travel and not pay the travel agency then this says a lot about your management of money, trustworthiness, your questionable motives and capability.

With all their religiosity, PAS is another party lacking in outstanding leaders who could be mentors.

I will not trust him with any leadership position. Anyone whose credibility has been tarnished as has Azmin’s who would not even stand up to clear his name, remains a politician whose intentions will always be questioned.

As a politician you are in the public space and this does matter. How do we trust such a personality?

Further, what has his contribution been apart from playing politics, dividing the party now that he realises that his future looks unpromising?

The only person I see who has both paid an enormous personal price, stood up against the relentless trials and tribulations brought against him by the previous government is Anwar.

I am sure not everyone agrees but I respect him for his reform agenda, which is critical for this nation in the long run.

Issues such as the separation of powers, the abolition of restrictive acts, judicial selection committee, electoral reforms and recommendations of the select committee for institutional reforms are all necessary.

Anwar with his family has paid a huge price personally. He has been accountable for the years in prison and when a man spends as much time as he has there are aspects of self- reflection and introspection that makes an inner difference in his life.

We see in him and in his views a broader mindset and an inclusive approach. For this and more, he stands in need of our faith in him and his leadership.

He remains the person whom we can hold accountable. The lukewarm response by people like Dr Mahathir only reveals that they are not interested in leaving this nation as a progressive democratic country.

Those who play race, religion and royalty are politicians who are devoid of a commitment to make the lives of the citizens of Malaysia better.

They show little interest in human rights, the rights of all citizens, issues of poverty, the stark issue of neither corruption nor responding to the legitimate interests of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.

PKR should stay committed to leaders with credibility. Azmin is definitely not one of them and to waste our time on this issue is to fall victim to the ploys of those who want to destabilise the nation, split the ruling coalition and roll back the promises made by this government.

Many who have lost the trappings of power now are facing the possibility of judicial cases and realise that their only hope lies in bringing back a semblance of the old regime.

The Umno/MCA/MIC combination represents a coalition that has been tried and tested. What do they stand for apart from being imprisoned within their ethnic ghetto mindset.

They are there only for themselves and do not have a reform agenda apart from the 3Rs. The gap between their promises and their delivery is large and nebulous.

As we consider their erstwhile leaders, we can only conclude that they have all done well for themselves personally, secured the titles and honours and sold the nation’s integrity.

How many of them have accepted personal responsibility for their lapses?  

Many of them have violated their oath of office and loyalty to the constitution. The ongoing trials of some of their leaders are a testimony to this fact.

Trust is at its lowest and the present government has many challenges to face from the perspective of finance, the economy, security and justice.

We need a party that serves all Malaysians and has objectives beyond race, religion and royalty. We need to regain credibility in the eyes of the world of what it means to be a Malaysian and restore the dignity due to all Malaysians.

The common scape goats are the DAP, the Chinese agenda, issues of race and religion. These are the smokescreen or red herrings that are often floated to distract people from the real issues facing the B40 and other poorer sectors of the Malaysian community.

For all his talk of Islamic values in the administration, his vision 2020, the Rukunegara, Islam Hadhari nothing has helped to bridge the ethnic divide and while it is easy for Dr Mahathir to blame the Malays, he himself takes no responsibility.

He has been part of the problems of Malaysia for the last nearly three decades. We have given him a second chance but the old cheetah seems not to have lost its spots.

Malaysia of 2020 needs more than Dr Mahathir can deliver. Hence it is only appropriate for him to hand over the reins to the prime minister-in-waiting who has a reform agenda.

Give him the three years so that we can hold him responsible and accountable. Not to do so will only show Dr Mahathir in bad light.

Just as Malaysians have given him a second chance we feel that it is only appropriate that Anwar be afforded the opportunity.

In doing so, Dr Mahathir can to some extent redeem himself. – December 3, 2019.

* K. Haridas reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.