A Kadir Jasin
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Mary MacGregor - Torn Between Two Lovers
WHAT is happening in the People’s Justice Party (PKR) today reminds me of the song “Torn Between Two Lovers” above and the 1979 TV movie of the same name that it inspired.
The party’s Ketua Umum (General Leader), (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim is torn between his loyal wife, (Datin Seri) Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and his loyal aide, Mohd Azmin Ali.
Like Diane (Lee Remick), the woman in the movie, who was torn between her husband and her lover, Anwar is torn between Dr Wan Azizah and Mohd Azmin.
But whereas Diane’ s love of the two men was a private affair, Anwar’s torment is public and political.
Dr Wan Azizah is the PKR President and Mohd Azmin is her deputy. But events in the party has locked the three of them in what The Star newspaper dubbed “a game of throne” – after the TV series of the same title based on the work of US writer George R.R. Martin.
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| A Game of Throne - will the crown change at PKR |
So, to avoid Mohd Azmin challenging Dr Wan Azizah in the upcoming PKR election, he has to challenge his wife and, hopefully, win the post.
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| The Trio - Anwar, Wan Azizah and Mohd Azmin |
Mohd Azmin may continue to be loyal to Anwar but with the power that the job offers, he could gradually wean himself of Anwar’s influence, more so when the latter faces the prospects of spending four years in jail for sodomy.
So to stop that possibility, Anwar has to take on Dr Wan Azizah. The latter can withdraw and give her husband a walkover victory. But that would be undemocratic and hollow.
Being a democrat that he is, Anwar has to show a semblance of democracy by having the post contested and, the chances are, being a good wife, Dr Wan Azizah will lose gracefully.
But that may not solve the war of attrition between Mohd Azmin and Abdul Khalid especially if Anwar eventually goes to jail after the Federal Court appeal.
Anwar realizes this. After being disqualified from contesting the March 23 Kajang State Legislative Assembly by-election because of the sodomy ruling, he has to win the PKR President post in order to have a legitimate claim on the party.
If he goes to jail once again, he will go as President of PKR. For a man who was quoted saying, “jail holds no fear for me,” Anwar fears being forgotten.
He knows too that he stands to lose the post of PKR President if he is committed to the prison. But that’s ok because in spirit he can claim to be the leader of choice of the party.
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| Abdul Khalid has a healthy war chest |
For Mohd Azmin, not fighting Dr Wan Azizah does not, however mean that he will be reelected Deputy President. He is facing five challengers including Abdul Khalid. Others are Batu MP Tian Chua, PKR secretary-general (Datuk) Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, (Datuk) K. Ramachandran and Murali Subramaniam.
Abdul Khalid is a formidable challenger. His sales of state land, mainly to (Tan Sri) Danny Tan’s Tropicana Corporation Berhad, had generated surpluses for the state and thereby fortifying his position in the state government and the party.
Anwar approach to solving his personal problems lacks moral latitude. He fights to stay on at all costs. In contrast, the DAP National Chairman, Karpal Singh, who faces a lesser sentence (for sedition) temporarily vacated the post while waiting for the outcome of his appeal.
Such are the plots in our political dramas. For Anwar, ambition and desperation, like fire and steel, have forged into one.