KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must "move on" from the past and focus on his role as dedicated leader, said a veteran newsman.
Datuk A. Kadir Jasin, in a Facebook post today, said over 100 days had passed since Anwar took office but it appeared he was still caught up in a "time warp" with past "baggage".
This, he said was evident in Anwar's speeches and the phrases he used.
Kadir, who is also former Bersatu Supreme Council member pointed out that Anwar holds a "powerful" position as both prime minister and finance minister.
Additionally, he said Anwar had authority over federal territories, religious affairs and matters of the law, which fall under the Prime Minister's Department.
"So, let's make it happen. Move forward as a dedicated prime minister. Don't get caught in a time warp, fighting against your own shadows," he wrote.
"We all have our pasts, but not all of us have the time, position and channels to entertain our nostalgia. We have to bury our hatchets, heal the wounds and move on."
While it is alright to seek justice, Kadir warned that in politics, especially one that's as "vile" as in Malaysia today, the line between justice and revenge is blurry.
"So let us leave the search for justice and truth to the law-enforcement agencies and the courts of law.
"Ministers interfering in the decisions of government departments - like the Home Minister overruling the order of the Registrar of Society (RoS) in recent days - isn't a good example of transparency and accountability," he added.
Kadir further said while Anwar may want to continue speaking of his struggles in the past, it would not "help the people today put food on their table or pay the bus fees to send their children to school".
Kadir also recalled the day in March 1982 when former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad introduced Anwar to the press as "the newest member of Umno".
"I had seen you as the crown prince of Umno. You could do no wrong. I saw you being the toast of Wall Street wannabes when you addressed the Council on Foreign Relations in New York in 1998.
"You could still be that 'Renaissance Man' two decades later – older and wiser," he said.
Anwar, yesterday, took a veiled swipe at Mahathir's concerns about declining Malay dominance, suggesting that the former prime minister only raised concerns about Malays losing dominance after leaving office.
Anwar also claimed that Mahathir had enriched his family and himself when he was in power but only now wants to speak of the people's wellbeing.