Wednesday September 24, 2008

Anwar’s clock ticks loudly

ONE does not have to be the three witches in the tragedy of Macbeth to accurately predict the political debacle post the 2008 general election.

As the dust settles after the general election, Pakatan Rakyat has been relentless in criticising the ruling government.

The Opposition coalition launches attack after attack on economic policies and soaring inflation rates notwithstanding the esteemed growth predicted by the Government’s economists and the most controversial use of the infamous Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) on bloggers and politicians, to name a few.

Anwar Ibrahim, who recently resurrected from political incarceration by the previous administration under Tun Dr Mahathir, had declared in no uncertain terms that Pakatan Rakyat will take over the Government on the symbolic date of Sept 16.

Anwar’s confidence was fuelled to the inflammatory point after he won the “mother” of all by-elections at Permatang Pauh €“ a seat which was vacated by his wife to pave the way for him to enter Parliament.

He has held countless press conferences to that effect sending a shiver down the spine of the ruling Barisan Nasional and its hard-core supporters.

Anwar has confidently stated that he has enough “defectors” from the ruling coalition to form a simple majority in Parliament thus lending him the ticket to the premiership.

He has promised, inter-alia, a government for all, notwithstanding one’s race, to revamp the New Economic Policy which thus far has only benefited the elite Malays.

In his bid to sweeten the deal further, Anwar pledged to lower fuel prices by 50sen if Pakatan Rakyat took over the Government.

The promises are all music to the people’s ears. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated Sept 16 dawned and set as eventlessly as any other ordinary day.

Anwar failed to publicise the names of the “defectors” as anticipated by many. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi publicly called Anwar’s bluff by challenging him to publish the names of the defectors, leaving Anwar tethering at the end of his rope.

Sept 16 went down in history as a very bad day for Anwar.

My political stand, however, will never be the same again. To me, Anwar is just another consummate political animal who would give his proverbial right arm to be Prime Minister.

His ardent desire to head the country leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. In his rush en route Putrajaya, he betrayed the trust of fence-sitters and some of his supporters as the widely-criticized Barisan Nasional remained in power on Sept 16.

Post Sept 16, Anwar’s claim of having more than 30 “defectors” to crossover to his side sounds rhetoric.

But one must bear in mind that Anwar is just another product of Barisan Nasional’s system. His political path is largely formed on BN’s platform.

As Anwar’s clock ticks loudly and the patience of the people grows thinner vis-a-vis the current standoff between Anwar and Abdullah, the former has a distinct, but tiny window of opportunity to do the right thing: either walk the talk or shut up.

ELVIZA MICHELE KAMAL,

Kajang.

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