Dr M, who are the 'we' who reject Anwar?
MalaysiaKini.com
Dec 7, 2014

COMMENT Dr Mahathir Mohamad has mended ties with numerous political foes in the past, but his vendetta with Anwar Ibrahim is one that would never see the hatchet being buried in this lifetime.

Unlike the other deputies and adversaries he had deposed, Anwar seems to be cast in a different and much robust mould.

It has been almost two decades since his unceremonious ejection from Putrajaya, but the maverick politician continues to be resilient and refuses to fade like the rest.

Anwar continues to threaten the ruling regime and Mahathir’s legacy.

For should he conquer the administrative capital, it would mean that the former premier’s son, for whom the father has grand plans, would not be able to reach the political summit.

Another reason for Mahathir’s bitter animosity towards Anwar is that the latter had successfully soiled his former superior’s reputation in the west.

Hence, it came as no surprise that Mahathir lobbed criticisms at the US after its vice-president
tweeted that Malaysia could redeem itself with regard to the upcoming verdict on Anwar’s final appeal over his sodomy conviction.

In other words, Joe Biden (left) had implied that the case against the Malaysian opposition leader is a sham and therefore the Federal Court should not commit a travesty of justice.

Fair enough, Malaysia’s ruling politicians were up in arms, calling on the US to cease meddling in the affairs of other nations.

According to Mahathir, the US does not wish to see Anwar land in prison because it harboured the notion of him becoming the prime minister.
                               
He also pointed out that the US should gaze at itself in the mirror before judging others.

Granted, the superpower has been accused of a slew of abuses and violations of human rights both on its soil and abroad.
               
Mahathir also added, “That is up to them (US wanting Anwar (left) as PM), but we don’t”.

However, the former premier did not clarify whether the “we” referred to him and his family, Umno and BN or Malaysians.

If Mahathir believes that he was speaking on behalf of all Malaysians, then the octogenarian had got it dead wrong since the last two general elections have sent a different message.

In the 2008 general election, the BN was for the first time denied a two-third parliamentary majority and in last year’s national polls, the ruling coalition lost the popular vote for the first time in more than five decades.

This means that the majority of Malaysian voters had backed the opposition bloc lead by Anwar and thus endorsed him as their prime minister.

Set aside the First-Past-the-Post-System which has ensured that BN continues to rule despite the electoral debacle, Mahathir must understand that Malaysians had already appointed Anwar as their prime minister.

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