DAP and PAS’s loyalty to Anwar under scrutiny following sodomy allegation
NST (10/7/08): Ever since Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor and de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was accused of sodomy by his former aide, the leaders of the two other opposition parties in the coalition pact basically agreed that the issue be settled through legal means.
However, there have been no indications that they have accepted the allegation to be unfounded.
Hence, the question arises as to how far the DAP and PAS would remain loyal to PKR in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if Anwar is found guilty of the offence in the court of law.
The loyalty of PKR leaders and members towards Anwar, meanwhile, cannot be denied as the party had emerged out of the struggle to free Anwar 10 years ago when he was faced with the first sodomy allegation and abuse of power when he was still in Umno and the deputy prime minister then.
PKR information chief Chang Tian Chua, in a press interview, not only acknowledged the members’ loyalty to Anwar but also their readiness in facing those who tried to stifle the party’s struggle.
He, however, did not deny that presently only PKR appeared to be at the forefront and facing the onslaught.
“No matter how difficult it is, we will overcome it,” said Tian Chua.
Firmly refuting that PKR was in a leadership crisis following the latest sodomy allegation against Anwar, he was confident that DAP and PAS were together with PKR over the issue and that PR was still strong. “As a pact, we are strong. But we are confronted with a very big challenge now,” said Tian Chua.
Behind those firm words of commitment, DAP and PAS’ loyalty towards Anwar and PKR have not actually been tested and their clearly different political ideologies may pose Anwar as a liability to the struggles of PKR’s opposition partners.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, for instance, when asked about the matter, said that so far there had been no change in DAP’s policy towards PR.
But his refusal to comment further on the sodomy allegation against Anwar and its impact on PR could be felt as trying to evade the issue.
To an earlier press query, he said the allegation should be resolved through the country’s legal system as “what is right, will still be right and what is wrong, will still be wrong”. But statements by PAS leaders on the issue have clearly shown that the party is loyal to the opposition pact “for the moment”. “We are still with Pakatan Rakyat. Whether he (Anwar) is guilty or not, that’s a question we will deal with later,” said PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar also admitted that the cooperation was for the time being because in future they would have to go separate ways according to their own plans.
“Right now there are no internal issues (in PR) related to current developments. But in future, we will move forward in line with our own party’s struggle,” he said.
So, it appears that the partners in the coalition front have their own agenda and plans although they now collectively enjoy public support.
As political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Zainal Kling put it: “The people’s support will determine whether Pakatan Rakyat can weather the controversy involving Anwar as a coalition pact, or distance themselves from PKR.” “To me, Anwar’s credibility among PKR members is not affected as based on past experience, he had cleared himself of the earlier allegation. So they regard this again as slander.
“However, there may be doubts in the minds of the public, who may regard this as ’sandiwara’ (drama) or an excuse on the part of the PKR leader. It must also be remembered that although Anwar was eventually cleared of the charge by the court there were evidence which the court did not dismiss (which indicate that homosexual activities did take place), so people might believe this (the allegation).” The former dean of the Arts and Social Science Faculty of Universiti Malaya also agreed that the statements made by leaders of PKR’s partners in the PR indicated that they did not reject the possibility that the latest sodomy allegation could be true.
“Their (DAP and PAS) loyalty to Pakatan Rakyat depends on the outcome of the investigations, the court hearing and judgment. If the decision is negative for Anwar, I believe it will eventually have a negative impact on PKR and society at large,” he opined.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer, Prof Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff, also believed that the latest controversy surrounding Anwar would not affect cooperation among the three PR partners for the time being.
Instead, he said, this was an opportune time for the opposition front to portray an image of solidarity against what they might claim as abuse of power by the government.
“Even if the decision in the end is negative for Anwar, support for PR will depend on public perception so to whether the investigations, trial and judgment are transparent and fair.
“If not, it will only serve to strengthen the opposition as they are now together in fighting against what they claim as abuse of power by the government.” Moreover, he added, DAP and PAS leaders were now seeing the second sodomy allegation against Anwar as personal rather than having to do with the party.
Mohammad Agus said the latest controversy had little impact on public support for PR as it still benefited from the current economic situation due to the oil price increase, by offering hope that things would change if they came into power.
“Although that hope cannot be fulfilled yet, it is enough for PR to gain public support and sympathy while it is confronted with a moral issue,” he added.
But he agreed that the opposition pact would not remain in the long term because of their different ideologies, especially between PKR and PAS, when it came to Malay politics.
“PKR sees its politics as people’s politics, while PAS’ politics is religious politics and protecting Islam is its priority.
“PKR practises what we call minority mentality, where they depend too much on the support of other races although in reality the Malays do not have to do this as they are the majority race in the country,” he said .
Whatever the outcome of the latest controversy involving Anwar, what is clear is that PR has never come out to state that their cooperation would be a long lasting one.
In fact, prior to this, leaders from PKR’s two partners in the PR were rather quiet on Anwar’s plan to topple the Barisan Nasional government by Sept 16, the latest, and replaced by PR, indicating their doubts about the realisation of the plan.
As Lim Guan Eng had said: “That (the plan), you have to ask Anwar. I am of the opinion that anyone has the right to plan.”
However, there have been no indications that they have accepted the allegation to be unfounded.
Hence, the question arises as to how far the DAP and PAS would remain loyal to PKR in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if Anwar is found guilty of the offence in the court of law.
The loyalty of PKR leaders and members towards Anwar, meanwhile, cannot be denied as the party had emerged out of the struggle to free Anwar 10 years ago when he was faced with the first sodomy allegation and abuse of power when he was still in Umno and the deputy prime minister then.
PKR information chief Chang Tian Chua, in a press interview, not only acknowledged the members’ loyalty to Anwar but also their readiness in facing those who tried to stifle the party’s struggle.
He, however, did not deny that presently only PKR appeared to be at the forefront and facing the onslaught.
“No matter how difficult it is, we will overcome it,” said Tian Chua.
Firmly refuting that PKR was in a leadership crisis following the latest sodomy allegation against Anwar, he was confident that DAP and PAS were together with PKR over the issue and that PR was still strong. “As a pact, we are strong. But we are confronted with a very big challenge now,” said Tian Chua.
Behind those firm words of commitment, DAP and PAS’ loyalty towards Anwar and PKR have not actually been tested and their clearly different political ideologies may pose Anwar as a liability to the struggles of PKR’s opposition partners.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, for instance, when asked about the matter, said that so far there had been no change in DAP’s policy towards PR.
But his refusal to comment further on the sodomy allegation against Anwar and its impact on PR could be felt as trying to evade the issue.
To an earlier press query, he said the allegation should be resolved through the country’s legal system as “what is right, will still be right and what is wrong, will still be wrong”. But statements by PAS leaders on the issue have clearly shown that the party is loyal to the opposition pact “for the moment”. “We are still with Pakatan Rakyat. Whether he (Anwar) is guilty or not, that’s a question we will deal with later,” said PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar also admitted that the cooperation was for the time being because in future they would have to go separate ways according to their own plans.
“Right now there are no internal issues (in PR) related to current developments. But in future, we will move forward in line with our own party’s struggle,” he said.
So, it appears that the partners in the coalition front have their own agenda and plans although they now collectively enjoy public support.
As political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Zainal Kling put it: “The people’s support will determine whether Pakatan Rakyat can weather the controversy involving Anwar as a coalition pact, or distance themselves from PKR.” “To me, Anwar’s credibility among PKR members is not affected as based on past experience, he had cleared himself of the earlier allegation. So they regard this again as slander.
“However, there may be doubts in the minds of the public, who may regard this as ’sandiwara’ (drama) or an excuse on the part of the PKR leader. It must also be remembered that although Anwar was eventually cleared of the charge by the court there were evidence which the court did not dismiss (which indicate that homosexual activities did take place), so people might believe this (the allegation).” The former dean of the Arts and Social Science Faculty of Universiti Malaya also agreed that the statements made by leaders of PKR’s partners in the PR indicated that they did not reject the possibility that the latest sodomy allegation could be true.
“Their (DAP and PAS) loyalty to Pakatan Rakyat depends on the outcome of the investigations, the court hearing and judgment. If the decision is negative for Anwar, I believe it will eventually have a negative impact on PKR and society at large,” he opined.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer, Prof Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff, also believed that the latest controversy surrounding Anwar would not affect cooperation among the three PR partners for the time being.
Instead, he said, this was an opportune time for the opposition front to portray an image of solidarity against what they might claim as abuse of power by the government.
“Even if the decision in the end is negative for Anwar, support for PR will depend on public perception so to whether the investigations, trial and judgment are transparent and fair.
“If not, it will only serve to strengthen the opposition as they are now together in fighting against what they claim as abuse of power by the government.” Moreover, he added, DAP and PAS leaders were now seeing the second sodomy allegation against Anwar as personal rather than having to do with the party.
Mohammad Agus said the latest controversy had little impact on public support for PR as it still benefited from the current economic situation due to the oil price increase, by offering hope that things would change if they came into power.
“Although that hope cannot be fulfilled yet, it is enough for PR to gain public support and sympathy while it is confronted with a moral issue,” he added.
But he agreed that the opposition pact would not remain in the long term because of their different ideologies, especially between PKR and PAS, when it came to Malay politics.
“PKR sees its politics as people’s politics, while PAS’ politics is religious politics and protecting Islam is its priority.
“PKR practises what we call minority mentality, where they depend too much on the support of other races although in reality the Malays do not have to do this as they are the majority race in the country,” he said .
Whatever the outcome of the latest controversy involving Anwar, what is clear is that PR has never come out to state that their cooperation would be a long lasting one.
In fact, prior to this, leaders from PKR’s two partners in the PR were rather quiet on Anwar’s plan to topple the Barisan Nasional government by Sept 16, the latest, and replaced by PR, indicating their doubts about the realisation of the plan.
As Lim Guan Eng had said: “That (the plan), you have to ask Anwar. I am of the opinion that anyone has the right to plan.”
