The hijack of the reformasi movement
Lately, there is a lot of talks of reformasi and who is the icon of the movement or the precursor of the ideas of the Malaysian reform movement.
Many are dismissing Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the rightful opposition leader of the country, as the icon of the reformasi.
They are portraying him as a has been, with a weak leadership and having lost total control of the movement.
It is normal for so many politicians and parties to claim the loot of the reform movement in Malaysia.
They know it is worth the try, worth the gambit and they believe Anwar Ibrahim is in his sunset in politics.
The breaking of the PKR in two in Febuary was a blow to the party and to Anwar’s chances to become Prime Minister of Malaysia.
The loss of 10 or 11 MPs (I lost count of the number of betrayers in the country) is hurting the party. But it is good for everyone to know one thing.
Their demise from the PKR will not bring the demise of the party nor the demise of the reform movement.
Not because they will raise the flags of the reform movement in government, no.
But because they are worth nothing once they leave the reform party. And, altogether, they were never true reformists if you retrace their steps.
DISGRACE
As a matter of fact, they fell in disgrace in the eyes of the masses. The people is showing disrespect to those who left the PKR to form a new government.
Unless they are clustered in their own world in Putrajaya and are glued to their ministerial seat, they should know the ground has slipped under their feet.
It is disgrace that is awaiting them in the next general elections and this is the opinion expressed by a large number of folks.
Some of them joined the PKR after they left Umno and were in limbo. They got a chance to become MPs under the PKR banner but decided to betray the party at the first opportunity.
Now they are having trouble keeping up with reforms because they are part of a government that is against reforms.
The Perikatan Nasional government is bringing back the old systems and ancient ways of governing. They are incapable of pushing new ideas, except the ideas that keep Twitter and Facebook reeling with laughter or disgust.
From the letters of support to the refusal of ministers to resign for their glaring faults and limitations, the PN is not the right example for the public.
SNAP POLLS AND REFORMASI
The next example the PN will give that will show to everyone it is far from reformism will be the snap polls it is arduously preparing.
The PN knows it has only one chance and if it take it, it will reap the benefits of this one chance that is offered to it now.
It can win, with a big or a slim majority, thinking this will legitimise its overthrow of the duly elected Pakatan Harapan.
If this is the rule of the people, then they will be celebrated as winners.
However, it will not rule out Anwar Ibrahim or the PKR. The party is in the process—according to sources and signs on the ground—of rejuvenating its bases.
It is also in the process of consolidating Anwar’s leadership with the expansion of its grass-root and dumping of ex-PM and Harapan leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
It has 1 million members or more now, and more people will join if the PKR continues on this march, unabated.
The party cleaned its abode, pushing out the rebels who helped break the PH government. Some are still in the party, perhaps waiting for another chance to claim their loss of faith in Anwar’s leadership?
Nevertheless, the reform movement, true to say does not belong to anyone in particular but without Anwar it would be non-existent.
Why? Because look at the number of people that joined the PKR in the last 20 years?
Some people are pointing out to the fact that the PKR and Anwar has seen more leaders and members leave the party in 21 years than any other party!
But the point is, none of these leaders who left in the past succeeded in bringing down the Reformasi movement.
Minister Azmin Ali and Minister Zuraidah Kamaruddin who claims to be hard core reformists has abandoned the ship. They joined the non-reformists and nationalists who are against any reforms in the country.
They were the biggest supporters of Tun Mahathir, another failed reformist, who is now trying to cause the political end of Anwar with his Pejuang.
They will fail in their attempt to cling to the reform movement.
WHY HIJACK REFORMASI?
It is simple to understand. They are devoid of political struggle and they are lost causes, they are bankrupt of ideas.
They were at some point at the heart of the reform movement and they saw the power of the slogans and the policies that galvanise the crowds.
For their political survival, they want to hijack the reform movement to dupe the people and stay in power.
This is what they think will happen, that is when they claim they are true reformists and not ‘penghianat’ the people will support them.
They may be right. The PN-BN-MN-PAS-UMNO are winning all the by-elections with big and bigger margins.
This is indication the public is in support of the regime. For them, this means they got popular support. Hence, they want to destroy the reformasi movement from outside after failing to destroy it from within.
Hijacking it and downplaying Anwar Ibrahim’s role in the reformasi movement will, according to them, end the PKR’s rule in the reformasi arena.
But if they succeed, which we pray they don’t, then it is the reformasi movement that will die an unnatural death.
However, we believe that the PKR and Anwar Ibrahim needs a magical formula to wrestle the hijacking of the movement from the powerful ministers.
To do that, Anwar has to get the PKR and the reformasi banners out in Selangor and across the peninsular.
He also have to invent new policies, those that will be accepted and will awe the youth, in order to bring the PKR to greater heights.
It is all about making the PKR greater and to make the PKR greater, it needs Anwar to fight the ‘penghianat’ on the ground.
Keep the people busy with the idea of a reformed Malaysia with clearly defined terms and rules. This is what the people wants to see from the PKR and from Anwar.