Anwar delivers a tough message to PKR MPs and ADUNs in Penang
November 9, 2009
Ultimatum to PKR leaders
by Athi Shankar
PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has issued an ultimatum to party leaders and elected representatives – toe the line or leave the party. Stressing that they should be loyal to the party, the parliamentary opposition leader also pointed out to PKR divisional leaders, assemblypersons and parliamentarians that they should always adhere to party policies.
“A person shall not think that he or she would be leaders and elected representatives forever,” he warned while opening the Penang PKR convention in Komtar Dome, Georgetown last night.
“You must deliver, reach out to the people and adhere to the party’s reform principles and policies. Otherwise, you will be sacked from the party.”
Anwar said that while certain criticisms against the party leaders and elected representatives were acceptable, he would not compromise when it came to those refusing to follow the stipulated party policies. “If you cannot do that, then leave and join UMNO,” he told the PKR crowd.
Anwar said the stance was taken as there were many PKR leaders who wanted stern action taken against errant members. He also gave a stern warning to grassroots leaders who wanted to be division chiefs, parliamentarians, state representatives and councillors – all at the same time.
“If this is the case, go form your own party … then you can hold all the positions,” said Anwar, the Permatang Pauh parliamentarian.
According to Anwar, party leaders and elected representatives should not become arrogant and forget that they were sitting in their current positions because of the people’s support. “The people are the ultimate judges in deciding our political fate. We shall never forget them,” he said.
Pro-BN Hindraf leaders slammed
He also accused certain Indian Malaysian leaders of being Umno stooges in hijacking the spirit of Hindraf, or Hindu Rights Action Force.
Pointing out that Makkal Sakti (people’s power) was Pakatan Rakyat’s battle cry in the last general election, he accused these UMNO-sponsored Indian leaders for usurping the “spirit of Hindraf” for their own selfish gains.
“I would like to tell them that I’m a Malay and a Muslim leader who will fight for Indian interests and defend Hindu rights,” he said drawing applause.
Anwar also touched on the PAS national seminar yesterday, saying 
party president Abdul Hadi Awang had vowed that the Islamist party was fully committed to Pakatan. “Hadi has made it clear that PAS rejects UMNO,” said Anwar.
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Well, well, Anwar Ibrahim is talking tough, but let us see what he will do next when it comes to dealing with the recalcitrant Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, Menteri Besar of Selangor and Zulkifli Noordin, MP for Kulim-Lunas who continues to be an embarassment to PKR. Right now, the blogging community is in a wait and see mode. Haris Ibrahim and his Barisan Rakyat bloggers will not be easy to convince this time around as they feel that Anwar Ibrahim did not live up to his promises.
If he wants to have a chance to be in Putrajaya, Anwar has to reorganise his party and make sure it functions in a coordinated and focused manner. He should also learn to listen to the professional core of his party, led by Dato Sallehuddin Hashim, PKR Secretary-General.
Proarte - November 9, 2009 at 10:16 pm
The political in-fighting that we see is only to be expected. Forces align and re-align themselves to take advantage and keep up with the changing political fortunes of party leaders. They elbow each other for political space to ready themselves for a Pakatan victory.
That victory may never come.
Mr Bean - November 9, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Mr Bean
Anwar talking tough is necessary but not sufficient.
He has to clean up PKR first. There are frogs and saboteurs in PKR.
The litmus test of his leadership as far as PR voters are concerned and whether they will still vote for PKR in the GE13 will be how he disciplines Zulkifli Noordin.
Anwar MUST make amends for his error in judgment in accepting firstly Zulkifli Noordin, a PAS Reject, into PKR and then putting him as a PKR candidate for Kulim-Bandar Baharu, and asking voters to voter him into Parliament and which voters, stupid of them in hindsight , listened to Anwar’s advice. Simply said, PKR voters were misled by Anwar in putting Zulkifli in Parliament.
MB Khalid Ibrahim is no match for the street-fighting tactics of Khir Toyo and UMNO. Khalid was even boxed hopelessly into a corner by PAS’s Hasan Ali.
Khalid is a disgruntled UMNO chap and whose only credentials is that he was a CEO and with a newfound mantra about multiracial politics. But Khalid will be eaten for lunch by UMNO.
After a year and a half in power, Khalid appears limpy and weak at the knees and don’t have a the balls to take on UMNO. The DAP chaps are being made the hatchet men for PR against UMNO and that is bad Opposition Politics. Instead the other Khalid from PAS ie Khalid Samad who showed he had the balls to take on PAS and UMNO in one go.
Khalid Samad of PAS should have been made the MP of Selangor. Perhaps PR should think of changing the MB from the PKR Khalid to the PAS Khalid to win Selangor in the coming GE13. At this point in time, PKR Khalid Ibrahim will be LOSING Selangor back to UMNO/BN.
The right political tactic in Selangor politics is for PKR to take on UMNO, not DAP or even PAS . DAP’s task is to take on MCA , Gerakan and MIC and which they did pretty good. Gerakan is virtually decapitated and MCA is about to be castrated.
And what is Khalid Ibrahim and PKR doing in Selangor to date? He is trying to play the victim and appearing ballness and brainless against the tactics of UMNO. If you play victim ALL the time, you are perceived as one who should stay in hospital throughout your political career.
Frank - November 10, 2009 at 12:12 pm
correction
Khalid Samad of PAS should have been made the MB of Selangor.
Frank - November 10, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Mr Bean
MB Selangor Khalid Ibrahim has just confirmed what I had said about him. A weakling in the eyes of UMNO and in the eyes of PKR voters.
UMNO condoned the cowhead protest as we knew from Hishamuddin’s press conference and then trying to get malaysiakini to remove the video clip on this press conference.
When you condone the actions of your UMNO members, you are as good as actually supporting the action.
Anwar can almost say goodbye to Selangor in the next GE or earlier if a coup is to take place any time soon. And PR supporters would not be surprised at all. Khalid Ibrahimis as good as Nasharuddin of PAS as a Pro UMNO leader in PAS to be labeled a Pro-UMNO faction leader in PKR, with Zulkifli Noordin has his other supporter.
Frank - November 10, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Mr Bean
Meant to attached this link to my statement below:
http://malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28451:cow-head-protest-not-umnos-doing-says-khalid&catid=19:newscommentaries&Itemid=100131
MB Selangor Khalid Ibrahim has just confirmed what I had said about him. A weakling in the eyes of UMNO and in the eyes of PKR voters.
Frank - November 10, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Anwar Ibrahim says “toe the line or leave the party”. About eighteen months too late I reckon.
Isa Manteqi - November 10, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Lee-tean Marvin is more interested in camel’s toe.
Mr Bean - November 11, 2009 at 2:12 am
As for Khalid Ibrahim, at one time he was a CEO who wanted to be a politician. Today he is a politician who wants to be CEO. The timing is all wrong.
___________
A keen observation, New Yorker Bean. Some people tell that he is delegating down the line for quick action, but that won’t work because bureaucrats do not make decisions since they are trained to follow instructions. That is why after 18 months after taking office, he has now to micromanage and give orders. Under UMNO-BN rule from Mat Tyson to Khir Toyo, bureaucrats just followed instructions.–Din Merican
Mr Bean - November 11, 2009 at 2:15 am
“About eighteen months too late I reckon” – Isa Manteqi
Yes. Anwar has evolved into a RE-ACTIVE leader instead of becoming a pro-active leader after he was appointed the Opposition Leader. Always trying to see which way the wind blows.
Anwar has lost the fire to win. He should now plan for his succession and the sustainability of PKR and PR.
My choice:
Make Azmin the the Leader of PKR. and make Zaid a Senator and then make him leader of the Opposition. Azmin be given a chance to come out of Anwar’s shadows and rewarded for his loyalty.
OR make Khalid Samad from PAS the Opposition Leader in Parliament.If not, make Nizar the Opposition Leader.
Let PAS take on UMNO in Selangor instead of poor DAP because each time DAP talks, UMNO takes it as racial posturing. s
Khalid Ibrahim should be sent to the party back-room and do more thinking about what he wants to do with himself since as MB, he is becoming less effective as a politician.He can work closely with Tunku Aziz of DAP to theorise on the future of PR.
Anwar upgrade himself as Party Mentor (whatever prestige that brings and on-call to bring in the crowds at ceramah). He, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh can act like Lee Kuan Yew mentoring PAP.
Meanwhile Anwar can help clean out the frogs and saboteurs in PKR.
Frank - November 11, 2009 at 2:53 am
Hey Frank,why dont you try becoming a wakil rakyat?cakap pandai,kelentong kuat,couch potato semua!No doubt,there are moles and agents,and Zul Noordin is definately one of then,but there are others who are not weaklings but under tremendous pressure frm the hostile UBN!Not at all easy to get rid of BN’s inertia,moreover,this coutry is an ultra materialistic country,and the fact that ,today,in Malaysia,we have at last a united opposition is a sign,that ,there is indeed an invisble hand,who wants to change things,and set things right!!
jeff - November 11, 2009 at 12:10 pm
UBN is weak… onlyverry weak..they can show “artificial power” but they r sinking,losing,just like the IDF’s and US army,getting whooped by the highly inventive 4GW’s like Hizbollah and Afghan tribesmen
jeff - November 11, 2009 at 12:15 pm
The geng 7 who defended Zul,have exposed themselves..kahkahkah..yalah,malays and indians,are by nature,very “iri hati” type..they better embrace,the new consciousness that is emerging in Malaysia,which is ketuanan rakyat..dari hasil titik peluh rakyat,wakil rakyat dapat gaji,negara dapat hasil..and it’s the rakyat who bears all sorts of shocks,burdens,macam macam..and rakyat is the majority..and anyone who betrays rakyat,gerenti akan dapat chop “vote of no condidence”..
jeff - November 11, 2009 at 12:22 pm
“Hey Frank,why dont you try becoming a wakil rakyat?”- jeff
The way PKR/PR are messing themselves, the best option of any Malay person wanting to get into Parliament or become ADUN is to join BN/UMNO.
If you are Chinese, make sure you stand in a seat where the majority are Chinese and then join DAP.
If you are an Indian, stand in place where Indians are majority (none) or with significant Indian and Malay manority and then join MIC- tht is the best option because UMNO will pour its money for sewing machines for the Indian voters and promises of lands for temples, after all UMNO’s policy in the last 50 years is that if there is an Indian problem, it is not a problem.
Become a wakil rakyat for PR? Not with the unresolved mess which Anwar is not willing to put his foot down, especially with his own people ie Zulkifli Noordin and the useless PAS leadership of Hadi Awang and Nasharuddin and not willing to recognise Khalid Samad as still the most reliable and worthy MP/ADUN in the PR line-up. Anwar should surrender his Opposition Leadership to PAS’s Khalid Samad. Perhaps if that happens, I might put my hat in.
Frank - November 11, 2009 at 1:05 pm
The message cannot be any clearer.Lead,follow or move aside,if that cannot be understood by leaders,then the people have made a grave mistake electing them.
If the people could vote for you,they can also remove you.
Ronnie Klassen - November 11, 2009 at 10:22 pm