Anwar Ibrahim’s Performance under scrutiny
November 11, 2010
Anwar Ibrahim’s Performance under scrutiny
By LIM SUE GOAN
Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE
I am not sure who is behind the “Oust Anwar” campaign” mentioned by PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. But I do agree that Anwar is surely not truly qualified to lead the Pakatan Rakyat based on an assessment on his performance over the past two years.
Anwar has made at least seven costly mistakes. First, he has not responded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s transformation plans.
Najib has been going all out to conduct reforms since he took the office in April last year. He introduced the 1Malaysia concept, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), National Key Result Areas (NKRA), Government Transformation Plan (GTP) and Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).
As the Pakatan Rakyat supremo, Anwar should have a counter-strategy to the Najib blueprint, but he has not responded at all so far, but just let swing voters gradually lured by the BN.
Second, he has allowed the Pakatan Rakyat morale to sink. Although the Pakatan Rakyat won eight of the 13 by-elections, it has been defeated in the recent ones, except in Sibu because of Chinese votes.
The Pakatan Rakyat has been facing both internal and external problems and its members have lost their high morale of the 2008 general election. Anwar has not come out with new strategies to boost morale.
Third, Anwar has no plan to implement reforms. The Pakatan Rakyat was able to gain control of five states after the 2008 general election because it has promised to carry out reforms. Anwar has apparently taken the people’s support for granted and does not fulfill his election commitments, making the promised reforms remaining as mere slogans.
Fourth, the Pakatan Rakyat is still a loose organization, and there is no effort to consolidate and strengthen the coalition. Compared with the BN, the Pakatan Rakyat lacks an effective structure and organisation, and its discipline is in a mess. The Pakatan Rakyat is also facing contradictions and conflicts in terms of political ideology and has failed to introduce new policies.
Fifth, there is no no political resource integration. Anwar should apply his administrative experience as the deputy prime minister in integrating the resources of the four Pakatan Rakyat state governments and introducing a plan to stimulate economy in the four states.
The blank in this area has caused the Pakatan Rakyat state governments to lack performance to retain confidence of their supporters. As the economic adviser for Selangor, Anwar has shown no achievement so far.
Sixth, Anwar seems helpless to quell the PKR infighting. Internal problems of the PKR had been started since the 2008 general election, including choosing inappropriate election candidates and resolving problems by creating by-election through resignations. The people will not be cheated again and again.
The withdrawal of Perak state assembly members from the party has caused the collapse of the Perak Pakatan Rakyat state government. A few MPs and state assembly members have also quit the party after that. Anwar claimed it as a plot by UMNO, but he has never seriously put any effort in resolving the factional, personnel and power struggle problems in the party.
Eventually, it leads to the outbreak of a major crisis in the party. Again, Anwar puts the blame on a conspiracy outside the party. He is too lazy even to find a more decent reason.
Finally, Anwar lacks the ability to lead and judge: A leader should be responsible, fair and unbiased. Anwar’s stand in the party election is ambivalent. For the direct election mechanism, even outsiders have expected problems, but why did an experienced leaders like Anwar fail to anticipate them? Isn’t the situation not serious enough to cause concern when 165 complaints about unfairness of the party election had been received?
Anwar was very bold before the 2008 general election and it was he who managed to put the three parties together to form the Pakatan Rakyat. But he has changed since the sodomy charges were filed against him, and the embarrassing failure of a purported regime change scheduled for September 16, 2008.
Leaders can always be replaced and the most important thing is achieving the main goals. Replacing the leaders might bring an opportunity to change. However, the plight of the Pakatan Rakyat is that there is at present no visible suitable candidate to replace Anwar.
Sin Chew Daily
Surprisingly …
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
And broke his crown
All the King’s horses and
All the Kings men
Can never put Humpty Dumpty
Together again.
San Peng. - November 11, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Well spoken. Anwar should move and make room for more dynamic non-ex-UMNO tainted leadership if the PR wants to move to Putrajaya .
Anwar is a good charismatic speaker for overseas international audeince, but a dead duck within Malaysia.
Robert K Chelliah - November 11, 2010 at 9:57 pm
“Leaders can always be replaced and the most important thing is achieving the main goals. Replacing the leaders might bring an opportunity to change. However, the plight of the Pakatan Rakyat is that there is at present no visible suitable candidate to replace Anwar.”
After all that rambling, just to tell us what we already know?? Gimee a break!
Mr Bean - November 11, 2010 at 10:04 pm
If Anwar Ibrahim cannot hold this ragtag band of UMNO dissidents and wannabes together, no one can.
Mr Bean - November 11, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Anwar position in PKR is Ketua Umum which is not constituted, meaning only in name and by right has no executive say and power. Is he actually that be? I percieve whatever decision taken by CEC must have Anwar approval. Without that the decision can not be implemented. How strange the arrangement of the party structure?
The position of Wan Azizah as the President looked more like a just Puppet and she is seen tied between by being Anwar’s wife and as President of PKR. I understand and appreciate Anwar’s baggage and therefor why not he become the The Real Advisor or Spiritual (not religious) Head for everyone seeking advice, that resemble the Post of Tuan Guru Nik Aziz.
Sulaiman Yusof. - November 11, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I think his biggest failure will be the inability to control and keep clean the current internal election process.
The idea of all members voting is excellent – it can lead to a great party but only if it is seen to be free and fair. The evidence is of large scale fraud in at least a few branches.
If this is papered over by pointing fingers at others as DSAI does so often, then the slide of PKR which began with the disastrous claim to Putra Jaya in 2008 will continue.
If the leopard changes its spots and DSAI stops the elections and ensures good, transparent and clean new elections, whatever the cost, then PR will be in Putra Jaya after the next elections.
If not PR will disband and the dream will remain just that.
Jag Kaurah - November 11, 2010 at 10:57 pm
My, my.., mysinchew has become up with the seven deadly sins. Good for them. Quite loquacious too, like Wah Lo Toi (err.., that’s the cantospeak Astro-cable channel). Do you think the Chinapek won’t be able to see this themselves? But guess who they’re gonna support – Be-End? Hahaha..
No worries, Dap is a different dynasty and Pas will try its best not to frighten lil’ children like nasty Zul Nordin.
Menyalak-er - November 11, 2010 at 11:05 pm
7 deadly “sins” that may cost him. there are no firend sin politics only changing loyalties. Anwar of all people knew this. Once you take youreyes off the game , some shark will come in for the feed. This si where Umno, you have to give it to them, 50 years of practice of swimming in shark infested waters .
Kathy - November 12, 2010 at 8:13 am
” I think his biggest failure will be the inability to control and keep clean the current internal election process.”-Jag Kaurah
No, Anwar’s biggest failure is he outsourced the responsibility of leadership to others so that he can teach the kafirs in the west about to come to terms with Talibanised Islam with Obama’s kind of democracy.
Anwar must learn to count the trees too while looking at the forest from the cloud.
Frank - November 12, 2010 at 9:41 am
Good response Kathy. sharks sharks everywhere…so we have to toughen up in order to survive – so it is with Pakatan Rakyat that has to surmount innumerable obstacles or trials before it “matures ” and has to be one long struggle.
To me, it would be unfair to ” lump ” it all on one solitary so-called leader who is not even properly constituted due to ” legal ” constraints of personal predicaments….
To be fair, do we realise that the seven insurmountible ” weaknesses ” that we crictise him for PKR’s pathetic performance, are actually programs & agendas that can ONLY be undertaken and implememted once in power & be at the helm of government?
For whatever it is worth, we must at least credit Anwar Ibrahim for his part to create public awareness about this ” exploitation ” by the powerfull few and try push the agenda for social change – give the credit where it is due
Abnizar7 - November 12, 2010 at 9:45 am
Anwar must sort out his priorities. Whether he wants to be recognised as a Muslim leader on a global stage only to be respected by the kafir leaders of the West, OR as a Malaysian leader in the Opposition Coalition wanting to win Govt and respected by Malaysians of all races?
Right now, it seems Anwar is more interested in personal glory on the world stage to be given kudos by Western media and kafir leaders.
The result is the current mess in PKR and the loss of momentum of Pakatan Rakyat for the best part of the last 12 months.
Anwar was not pro-active to weed out the frogs in PKR, instead, he was more of a REACTIVE-LEADER, more like a captain of a fire brigade team.
You hear Anwar only when there is a crisis… and usually to defend himself and his loyal lieutenants in PKR instead of preventing the occurence of future crisis.
It boggles the mind that Anwar, for all his street-smart politics, failed to anticipate internal organissational problems when Zaid joined PKR. Zaid’s political mantra, his politics and his persoal whims and fancies are already in the public domain.
Anwar or Azmin or Tian Chua cannot plead ignorance they do not know from where Zaid is coming from.
When Zaid initially protested against the flaws of the election system in PKR, why didn’t Anwar come out and addressed them… instead of leaving to others to sweep the dirt under the carpet.
The Zaid crisis in PKR is an indictment of Anwar’s lack leadership… in terms of focus and problem-anticipation.
Anwar cannot use the sodomy trials as an excuse all the time that he cannot focus on the internal divisions in PKR, while he has time to trot around the glove entertaining the kafirs and be darling of the western media. US and EU’s problems with Talibanised Islam are not issues of immediate concerns to Malaysians and to PKR or Pakatan Rakyat.
Anwar must make a choice… stay focus on PKR as a credible Opposition component party to try to win govt, or leave the scene to others who are willing to put time and money.
Voters who voted PKR and Pakatan in March 2008 are starting to walk away. The criticisms today of PKR by these voters may into massive votes against PKR and Pakatan come next GE.
Frank - November 12, 2010 at 10:09 am
Anwar for whatever is worth, is incapable of micromanagement – he sees the panaroma without the specifics. Most true leaders are like that. He’s a delegator and is genetically and constituitionally unable to ‘take the bull by the horns’ so to speak. Maybe a lot of bullshit too, but he sees the only forest and hopes that the trees will take care of themselves. A charismatic visionary who can be sloppy with his own personal ties. He is Malaysia’s best hope for a ‘paragidm’ shift in governance and the bulwark against the dastardly excesses and perversions of Octo.
Yes, he is flawed – just like anyone of us. As i said he is no ‘messiah’. Fortunately he knows this, and does not behave like one – unlike many prima donnas who do. If PKR falls (which i seriously doubt) because of his inadequacies, so be it! But i and many others will stand with him. That is the ‘nature’ of my reality, but not necessarily yours. Comprendo?
Menyalak-er - November 12, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Anwar is not perfect but he’s the best there is right now in Malaysia. It seems that all the people that are criticising him now were so full of praise for him back then. My my my how people change and that fast too. Anwar shouldn’t be treated like a diaper, shit and throw away. Anwar should be treated like a tooth, some time it hurts or develop cavity. Take care of it, brush, patch or even do a root canal or crown and then you will still have use of a good tooth. Don’t simply pull at the slightest sign of pain or rot. If you just pull you won’t have a tooth but have to make do with a denture.
I doubt anyone here can survive what he’s gone through. 99.9% of us here will have pull up our roots and vamoose or cave in to BN demand and toe the line yours truly included.
semper fi - November 12, 2010 at 12:48 pm
” A charismatic visionary who can be sloppy with his own personal ties. “- Menyalak-er
That is NO excuse in the current political climate in which the incumbent govt is not only a bully but a dangerous bully. You cannot afford to have a leader of a nascent party which others have hopes of taking down the bully, to be sloppy while giving high hopes and expectations to others.
We are not expecting a saint or a perfect leader. But the recent controversies and internal squabblings within PKR is, to say the least, scandalous.
I have withheld criticisms of PKR leadership to a minimum while giving my full support to Anwar and his team. But the recent fiasco regarding PKR election process, a showpiece by PKR to be different from UMNO-BN, and the inaction by Anwar and his team to sort out the mess, and led to the up-front and open expression of frustrations, not only by Zaid but by other PKR contenders, is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Anwar must make the decision where his priority lies, not for himself, but for PKR and more so, for the Pakatan coalition.
Blind loyalty to Anwar does NOT solve the problem for PKR or Pakatan. It will only serves the interest of UMNO-BN.
Frank - November 12, 2010 at 1:23 pm
“It seems that all the people that are criticising him now were so full of praise for him back then. My my my how people change and that fast too. “- Semper fi
Loyalty is never absolute. Loyalty is a contract. I have been a long time supporter and defender of Anwar, many years. But many of us have given Anwar and his team, even with unsolicited advice, far too long and too patiently, to get his own house in order.
As I said, good oratory and mouthing feel-good sentiments is not a substitute for effective leadership. Effective leader must be seen and palpable to his followers.
What Anwar needs to do NOW is for him, and himself alone, to decide where are his priorities as de-facto leader of PKR. If he cannot have the same or unable or unwilling fix the internal problems, let others do it.
There is a sense that Anwar is treating PKR like a family enterprise. You oppose him or criticise him, out you go.That PKR belongs to Anwar rather than Anwar belongs to PKR.
Frank - November 12, 2010 at 1:30 pm
“I doubt anyone here can survive what he’s gone through. 99.9% of us here will have pull up our roots and vamoose or cave in to BN demand and toe the line yours truly included.”- Semper Fi
Sympathy for Anwar’s personal and problems do not solve Anwar or PKR’s problems or able to offset the onslaught of UMN-BN machinery to crush Pakatan Rakyat.
At best, we can empathise, NOT sympathise with Anwar’s problems.
Sobbing tears for Anwar will NOT help PKR or Pakatan to get a foot into Putrajaya.
Frank - November 12, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Frank, i repeat:
“That is the ‘nature’ of my reality, but not necessarily yours. Comprendo?”
Menyalak-er - November 12, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Menyalak-er
I am not questioning YOUR reality, whatever it is. It is NO concern and of no relevance to me either way.
I am questioning “WHAT IS” happening right now regarding PKR in our national political landscape.
Anwar’s personal motivations are his own. But when he presents himself for consideration of others to be on his side, surely, his priorities which impact on the fate of PKR and Pakatan are of concern to those who had hitched their aspirations on PKR and Pakatan. And his public persona and actions are par for the course as far as PKR and Pakatan voters and supporters are affected,
Frank - November 12, 2010 at 2:52 pm
It is the way politics is. Those who put Gillard in are now questioning whether she can really deliver. She hasnt got what it takes. She spews rhetoric. People are not stupid they will see through this.
It is the same for leaders anywhere. When they are not seen to deliver then their party will have to find a leader that can bring them forward to govern a nation.
Kathy - November 12, 2010 at 3:25 pm
There is in other words the bigger picture, over and above individual needs and that is to govern a nation well.
Kathy - November 12, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Frank,
Exactly. And neither do i belong to PKR nor any political party. No bigger picture than that. Go yell at Anwar!
Menyalak-er - November 12, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Well
It is sad that there are LOTS of people in our country that prefers the leaders in this country to be murderers, stealers, bigots, RATHER than to have the only leader truly trying to integrate the country. No one is perfect, but the current course is leadership seems to fit the populace of probably the same kind of morality.
james - November 12, 2010 at 6:01 pm
“Go yell at Anwar!”- Menyalak-er
That is what I am doing….
Frank - November 12, 2010 at 6:13 pm
My views of the man have not changed much and that I believe is because I take him warts and all from the very beginning. The harsh criticism of the man today may suggest that those who once indulged in excessive adulation of the man are coming to terms with themselves rather than him. This is one man who has never been able to walk away from controversy. Whether he is macromanaging national issues affecting the country or micromanaging issues of party unity, controversy has followed him every step of the way.
But the question we should be asking is “Wither goes the movement for change?” The problems that plague PKR today are structural and ideological i.e. the very same problems facing the coalition which remains essentially an electoral coalition. PKR itself is an experimentation in multiracial politics its partners have chosen to be aloof to. The euphoria of a major election victory has not left it. Its leaders today jostling for political space and leadership positions seem numb to the reality facing the movement which is fast losing momentum. At best it is a distraction. At worst it exposes a systemic weakness.
The problem lies with our politicians. Our representatives sitting in parliament are professional politicians. They are not in it for the people they represent but themselves. They are not interested in governing but in scoring political points and are completely partisan in their approach to issues. We need a new breed of politicians who view public service for what it is – public service. They are there to serve the public. They are not there and should not be there for the spoils of public service.
For the rest of us and until they do, we remain in the category of those referred to by George Santayana as “those who do not know the past are condemned to repeat it”.
Mr Bean - November 12, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Good for you, Frank. Carry On.
Very well and precisely stated, Bean.
The problem is that 2 whole generations have been ‘wasted’.
‘Public service’ is a totally alien concept.
Democracy is a bye-word for oppresion, anarchy and gangsterism.
Idealistic concepts are being implemented without proper sociocultural and economic consultations or inputs.
Above all – the rabid infatalism and emotionalism that so pervades the adversarial form of this type of ‘democracy’. The learning curve is very steep and they haven’t got a solid grip on things yet.
Menyalak-er - November 12, 2010 at 8:18 pm
As I said, good oratory and mouthing feel-good sentiments is not a substitute for effective leadership. Effective leader must be seen and palpable to his followers.
Anwar is not the President of PKR. The President is Wan Azizah so how can Anwar exert authority that he was not vested with in the first place. Wan Azizah should make the call here.
Loyalty is never absolute. Loyalty is a contract. I have been a long time supporter and defender of Anwar, many years. But many of us have given Anwar and his team, even with unsolicited advice, far too long and too patiently, to get his own house in order. Mongkut Bean.
We are not talking about loyalty to Anwar here. It’s just to judge him based on his position within PKR and what he can and cannot do or what he has and has not done. If Anwar is the President of PKR then he should take the full blame for the mess PKR is in today. Perhaps I don’t understand the title of Ketua Umum, Is there such a thing in the PKR Constitution for such a position and if so what are the responsibility and authority that go with the title.
Semper Fi - November 13, 2010 at 1:13 am
Mr Bean
“The problems that plague PKR today are structural and ideological”-Mr Bean
In politics,it is all about leadership. The job of the leader is to fix those structural and ideological problems of the party, and/or to package the party ,with warts and all, with the highest degree possible of acceptability ie in consonance with voters’ aspirations and expectation.
Leaders are there to fix those problems, instead of trying to live through and live out the problems.
One can dissect the moral issues of the politics of the day into bits and pieces or ruminate on the causes of failures or success of political systems, end of the day, it all bores down to issues of leadership.
In the US,, the Congress and Senate can create havoc, but still the state of the nation falls on the occupier of the White House.
PKR (or the old KeAdilan) is a party not born from yesterday or last year. It has been around for at least 10 years.
Anwar and the party had the mandate from March 2008 election to sort out its internal problems to position itself as a viable alternative to the incumbent govt or as a govt in waiting (with other PR component parties).
I still hold the view the buck stops on Anwar’s table. The genesis of the current crisis lies with him.
Frank - November 13, 2010 at 1:35 am
“Anwar is not the President of PKR. The President is Wan Azizah so how can Anwar exert authority that he was not vested with in the first place. Wan Azizah should make the call here.”- Semper fi
That is exactly my point.
The President is his wife. Anwar did NOT want to stand to be President.If he stood and lost, fair enough.
Anwar has been the spokesman for PKR and although he is not the President of PKR, he accepted the position of Leader of the PR Opposition in Parliament. Thus, he is TRULY de facto leader, a position he accepted it by deed and by action.
I have never questioned the skills and the contribution of Anwar in mobilising support against the UMNO-BN govt. He acts as a magnet and a voice of those who dare only to speak out in whispers or in dark corners (like in this blog). But that should not detract the fact that the internal problems in PKR is also the result ( if not fully, the most part of it) are due to lack of effective leadership by Anwar to arrest and pre-empt problems like this from blowing up into such proportions.
Frank - November 13, 2010 at 1:45 am