The Anwar Dilemma

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At the age of 63, with a bleak historical record of a political career and a 6-year jail term served, what should Anwar do to have a meaningful remaining life as a Malaysian?

ato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Anwar), a Cherok Tok Kun man born in 1947 with early education in MCKK and later University Malaya, was once a Prime-Minister-to-be when he was the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. This ex-protégé of Tun Mahathir now struggles to achieve his targeted height of a political career when disappointed by attacks that covers a spectrum of issues.

One can imagine a miserable life having to deal with court cases while leading a wobbly coalition of opposition parties with not much time left in his life. Lets face it. Anwar is in his early 60's. When does he expect to reach his targeted height? 65? 70? And if it does happen, if it happens, the probability will be as bad as getting a Royal Flush in a poker game. Will he have the stamina to do it? Seriously, do you think another Mandela will emerge?

Why bet on a Royal Flush when you can gain steadily on Pairs and Double Pairs? Putting aside political preferences, Anwar's current political involvement is quite redundant. His fights have detrimental impact to the political stability. Such instability, as any economics graduate would conclude, damages the economy. Whilst his leadership inpires many followers, an uncertain chance of success is not a fair match to sacrificing a country's well being.

Let's be real. Are we expecting a mega drama such as the fall of the Indian Congress Party in India? Whilst it is not impossible, it is highly improbable, especially after the fiasco that amused everyone in his plan to topple the current government on 16 September 2008. A gimmick that revealed the 5 cards to the opponents on the poker table. Alas nothing materialised. So he lost the chips he earlier threw on the table.

A Malaysian with an indifferent political preference would prefer a healthy balance of a shadow government in the parliament without any distortions relating to personal aspirations or vendetta. One can argue that he fights for the truth and not any vendetta but it's sad to say that deep down inside, everybody acknowledges that when a truth is not supportable beyond reasonable doubt, it is as good as not proven. And in those circumstances, the truth becomes irrelevant because perception overrules.

Ceteris paribus, removing Anwar from the current political scene presents a healthy platform for the Malaysian politics to grow with focus, positive results and in a dignified manner. Malaysians do not need a Bill Clinton-type scandal. A 1Malaysia concept can only materialise when everyone is focused on what matters to the public and the nation's well being. MP's of both sides can and should continue to have healthy debates in the parliament with the sole purpose of serving the community.

At the age of 63, with a bleak historical record of a political career and a 6-year jail term served, what should Anwar do to have a meaningful remaining life as a Malaysian? Well, assessing the practicality of his case, I actually do see the light at the end of the tunnel. His best bet is probably to clear his name and re-establish his family's dignity. Somehow I feel that those legal litigations would disappear if he himself disappear from the political scene.

Next, he should serve his remaining term as the MP of Permatang Pauh and start thinking about the society. Like many ex-politicians, he should pursue non-political but socialist initiatives. His aims ought to make a difference to people's lives rather than causing political instability. There are good examples to benchmark with and there are numerous areas he can venture into such as 1Malaysia, Education, Poverty, Image of Islam, Economics and many more which are not necessarily by political means.

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye for example, has done tremendously in making lives better. Despite having a strong history as a worthy opponent to the government in the 70's and 80's, he now serves the people via NGO's addressing various issues such as Occupational Safety & Health (OSH). He even helps the government in areas such as the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation, KL City Hall Advisory, Special Royal Commission to enhance the operations and management of the Royal Malaysian Police and many more. His care for society is best explained in the publication, Nasionalis Humanis.

There are many other ex-politicians whom Anwar can learn from. At the age of 63, it's best if efforts are channelled to philanthropy. With his international contacts, particularly with the super powers, it's best if he aims to tackle issues such as the Palestinian-Israel debacle, repairing the perception of the world on Islam or even serve the United Nations. Like I said, "Pairs and Double Pairs" should make his remaining life a useful one with a dignified ending.




* kopihangtuah


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