IN the elevator of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) headquarters in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya, is a black and white picture of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s face with a smile, with the words “I’m back” written next to it. It remains unknown when the picture was put up.
It’s not hard to understand the meaning, after the former deputy prime minister was given a royal pardon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on May 16, and since then, has been to move around as a free man.
The office of the PKR president-elect is on level 3A of the building. On its wall is a picture of a young Anwar on a jet ski. The picture is believed to have been taken when Anwar was deputy prime minister in the 1990s, and once adorned the cover of the now-defunct Asiaweek magazine.
Anwar is now taking yet another step in the political arena. The first was his release from prison following the royal pardon, the next is winning the PKR presidency uncontested, which will be formalised in November.
The third is him contesting the by-election which will enable his return to Parliament. The Pakatan Harapan government had previously decided that Anwar would be the conuntry’s eighth prime minister after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Observers had before this opined that as long as Anwar isn’t an MP, his future path to Putrajaya remains hazy.
When the announcement on vacating the seat was made by Port Dickson MP Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah at a press conference on Wednesday, Anwar was still in Hong Kong.
With that, another by-election is set to be held soon to enable Anwar to return to Parliament. This marks the fourth by-election after the 14th general election.
In an exclusive interview with the NSTP recently, Anwar for the first time revealed his plans to return to Parliament, which he said could be as early as October. It has since become reality and all that’s left is for the Election Commission to announce the dates.
“I feel healthy, there are no problems and I don’t need to return to Turkey for follow-up treatments,” said Anwar, 70, in the interview recently. Anwar is known for his wit and humour. “Look, I’m not wearing socks because I can’t bend down to wear them. Inshaallah, I’ll be okay after this,” he quipped.
The role of PKR president is an important one as PKR has 48 MPs, the most among all PH coalition parties, thus giving Anwar the locus standi to assume the role of prime minister.
Perhaps winning the by-election is no problem for Anwar as it is deemed a safe seat for him and PKR. There has also been no shortage of seat offers for him.
But the question now is when will Anwar take over the prime minister role, and when will Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad step down and hand over the reins.
There were whispers before this that certain quarters were out to prevent Anwar from becoming PM. Some had also noted that there is no written agreement among PH leaders, what more the two years given to Dr Mahathir to continue in the role.
But in that interview, Anwar explained that there is indeed a signed agreement. “I wish to clarify that there is a signed agreement. I have a lot of experience, I waited tens of years but I was patient. I didn’t think it would be that complicated but I don’t deny that there are manoeuvers in politics. I underwent a bitter experience in 1998 so I know and am not as naive as before.
“There are some among my friends who asked and advised me not to have a repeat of the past. I replied that we can only do our best. There is an agreement (to become PM) and this was announced; in fact, Dr Mahathir himself had many times repeated this. To me, it is enough, unless Allah deems it that I should pass away first. I think that path will become reality, God willing,” he said.
However, Anwar admitted that the agreement does not state a date or exact timeline because when it was made, “I was still in prison.”
“That episode has ended. There is a consensus among the (PH) leadership and I share the view that Dr Mahathir needs to be given room to govern the country without obstacles and pressures. At 93, Dr Mahat
hir had explained that he has a job to do to ensure the country’s transformation, done in a peaceful manner, is seen through,” he said.
What if Anwar loses in the Port Dickson by-election? Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal, a constitutional expert with the International Islamic University, says there are no obstacles for Anwar to continue contesting as he has no past court cases and has been pardoned.
To believe that Anwar could lose may be stretching it, and PH and PKR will undoubtedly be mobilising their election machinery to the fullest to capture not just a win, but also a bigger majority than the 17,710-vote majority obtained by PKR in GE14.
Apart from the by-election, which could be held by the end of this month or early October, the focus will also be on the PKR elections, especially on the battle for the deputy presidency between Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Rafizi Ramli, in November.
Once Anwar becomes PM, the next question would be on who would become his deputy. It is highly unlikely that Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Ismail would continue helming the post in that scenario.
Anwar, when asked on this, had replied:
“If you know me, I’m still the same. And I hope that in this mature age, also wiser. I’m a democratic person, I believe in justice and hate injustice. The people know who I am. It’s important that I remain consistent.
“I have ethics and character. That’s what the country needs. Now, Dr Mahathir has a heavy task due to the problems affecting the country. I pray for his success. On who my deputy will be once I’m prime minister, that is not my decision. We have a consensus but what’s more important is that I become the prime minister first,” he said.
To Anwar, whether it’s Azmin or Rafizi, both are needed in PKR. However, he refused to entertain the notion that Rafizi is openly supported by several leaders in the party while Azmin is said to be favoured by Dr Mahathir.
“I don’t like to entertain this perception because both of them (Azmin and Rafizi) are committed to the party’s agenda. I feel that in democracy, we should make room for healthy competition. Leaders should be able to offer their views and speak freely. I don’t think the perception has spread to the supporters.”