Anwar won leadership tussle but Azmin's next move crucial

Anwar Ibrahim conducted a master class at the PKR retreat, getting Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to finally show up on his side.

The loser at the weekend is Azmin Ali because of his glaring absence.

<<This was the ultimate chance for the deputy President to come and tell the crowd he is not the man in the video and he supports his leader.>>

Or he could have used the platform to lambast his leader if he felt this was the appropriate time to do so.

With Dr Mahathir show of support for Anwar’s leadership at the party’s retreat, it is a double defeat for Azmin, the Economic Affairs minister.

Azmin Ali’s absence speaks volume of the party’s future and of his future in the party.

Rumours are still out there that 20 or more MP’s and YB’s and party officials may jump ship from the PKR after the video episode.

Some say the number is 28, based on those who signed the document lambasting Anwar for his stance on the video issue.

It is clear Anwar’s statement that if the police find it conclusively that it is Azmin in the video, the latter should resign had spooked the 28 Azmin men and women.

But it is the way the media — including Malaysiakini — presented Anwar statement that triggered Azmin’s harsh response to “tell him to <<muhasabah>> and look into the mirror.”

It showed Azmin on the defensive and ready to hit back at anyone who wants him to vacate the prized ministerial seat.

Azmin is still on the warpath even though Anwar offered an opportunity to patch up and move forward.

The party will surely ask questions on the absence of many pro-Azmin MP’s and YB’s at the retreat.

Unless it is not a sane thing to do to ask questions anymore?

Azmin is the deputy President a post he fought hard to win against serious contenders in the party and he misses an opportunity to come and claim the scalp of his direct opponents?

This raises a lot of questions and it leads to one constant: In politics when MP’s and high officials shun party meetings and a retreat it shows that something is fishy.

The tone adopted by Azmin and his supporters in the party, including the Menteri Besar of Selangor shows there is a wider rift expected.

Perhaps this will lead to a battle royal within the party’s instances and some will leave the political organisation to form their own.

Whatever it is, the crisis is far from over in the PKR and in the Pakatan Harapan.

Anwar may have won a tactical battle that has tightened his grip on the party apparatus for now but it is certain there are many still in the party that want to overshadow him.