The knives are out for Azmin
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants to tread carefully around the two Tuns who have become campaign fodder in the contest for the PKR deputy presidency.
“THEY want to get to know the future PM.”
That was how Prof Datuk Redzuan Othman summed up the large number of foreign diplomats at the launch of a book on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
It was quite grand as book launches go – the venue was a fivestar hotel and the packed ballroom included a string of foreign heads of mission and legal personalities.
On top of that, the title of the book, The Return of Anwar – The Final Twist, sounded like the precursor to a Hollywood action movie. “We need to engage him.
“As far as we are concerned, he is the next PM. That’s the official line for us. When and how that’ll happen, that’s another thing,” said one foreign mission official.
One of the guests was Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Azman Ujang who, in 1998, had broken the story that Anwar was about to be sacked from the government. Then, months later, he reportedly let go a Bernama photo showing Anwar with the infamous black eye that sparked off a huge outrage against the ruling regime.
That was a long time ago, and Azman now notes with a laugh that it was the first time he was meeting Anwar since that fateful day.
As for Redzuan, an Anwar stalwart and the man behind the book launch, the event was also to formally welcome Anwar back to the free world as well as to present him as the future prime minister.
But 20 years is a long time and Anwar is also trying to connect with the new generation that grew up during those years.
Anwar was a surprise presence at the Sultan of Selangor Cup match between Selangor and Singapore last weekend, where he was seated beside Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
The stadium crowd let out a roar of welcome when his name was announced before the start of the match.
It has been a long and arduous journey and Anwar is determined to get it right this time around.
He has moved quickly to quell conspiracy accusations made by some of his party leaders against the two Tuns – Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Daim Zainuddin.
He does not want to make enemies out of the two powerful Tuns.
He also made an effort to attend a Hari Raya event by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in Klang, where he spoke warmly of Dr Mahathir.
But that has not stopped others in his party from continuing to take it out on the two Tuns as the PKR election campaign gathers heat.
A video of Ijok assemblyman Dr Idris Ahmad criticising the two Tuns at what appeared to be a party event in Melaka has been making the rounds.
Dr Idris did not hold back and used some choice words on the Prime Minister, while alluding to “hidden hands” who are making use of a PKR leader to undermine the party.
“So sorry, but I am openly rejecting Mahathir,” said Dr Idris.
Some think it is a case of “sour grapes” because Dr Idris narrowly missed out on the Selangor mentri besar job.
Dr Idris was endorsed by the Pakatan Harapan parties for the post, but it went to Amiruddin Shari, who was nominated by Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
The incident has made Dr Idris an enemy of Azmin, whom he described as a “puppet” of “hidden hands”.
The knives are out for Azmin, who is defending his deputy president’s post against a concerted challenge by vice-president Rafizi Ramli.
Ordered by Anwar to stop attacking Dr Mahathir, the Rafizi camp has now turned to attacking Azmin as a puppet of outside forces.
The PKR divisions start voting in a few weeks’ time and word is that Rafizi’s campaign has established a momentum.
He is coming in as an underdog, albeit an aggressive one.
He has a simple and clear-cut message to make Anwar the next prime minister and he has painted his opponent as someone who is not with “Team Anwar” and who is also eyeing the top job.
It did not help that when Azmin was recently asked whether he is with Team Anwar, he replied that he is with “Team Keadilan”.
Selayang MP William Leong, who has joined Rafizi on his campaign trail, said they want to play a complementary role to Anwar when he becomes prime minister.
“There is trust between Anwar and us.
“With us on board, he doesn’t need to keep checking the rear view mirror when he gets into the driver’s seat,” said Leong, who is vying for a vice-president’s post.
The Rafizi campaign strategy has pushed Azmin into a tight corner.
All things being equal, Azmin is by far the better bet for the No. 2 post, because as one of his supporters put it: “The president will be the next PM. The deputy president is the future PM.”
In terms of experience, track record, age and health, Azmin is certainly in line for the top job.
But politics is rarely a level playing field and Azmin is facing the toughest political fight of his life.
The accusations against the Economic Minister are growing more explicit as Rafizi’s campaign gathers steam.
Rafizi had a responsive crowd when he campaigned in Penang where Anwar maintains a firm grip.
Emboldened by the support, Rafizi switched it up, telling the crowd about a leader who had bypassed their president on key decisions in recent months.
He was obviously talking about Azmin, implying that the incumbent deputy president had bypassed the coalition’s choice of Dr Idris for the Selangor Mentri Besar job and used the back door to put Amiruddin up there.
He also claimed that the party president’s list for ministers and deputy ministers was sidelined in favour of a list featuring those aligned to Azmin.
These are serious allegations which Azmin has yet to deny and which confirms speculation of a dual leadership in PKR all these years.
There will be lots more dirty laundry aired as the race on who becomes Anwar’s deputy escalates.