Leadership Dilemma in Malaysian Politics

February 14, 2012

by Rusman*

For going on four years now there are some who continue to question why Malaysia’s political opposition has yet to produce a single leader who could operate at the national and international levels in place of the charismatic Anwar Ibrahim.

This discussion ramped up in the lead up to Anwar’s January 9 court date in which 99 percent of all people predicted would end in Anwar’s conviction and eventual incarceration. Even still, rather than name a successor, allies in PAS and DAP rallied behind Anwar to say that even if he is in jail, he is still  Pakatan Rakyat’s Prime Minister.

Is this madness?

On the contrary, it’s at least one sign that the coalition is holding together. Whether or not Anwar Ibrahim is guilty of the crimes he was accused of committing is a matter for the courts to determine. And few people can deny that the court’s proceedings were anything but just. So why capitulate to the powers that be in the face of this injustice by relegating Anwar to the dustbin. The solidarity around Anwar and PKR demonstrated espirit de corps.

But the question still remains why does Pakatan not have real leaders other than Anwar? It’s a fundamentally flawed question. It’s also a privileged question people ask as a result of the work Anwar has done in cementing the opposition coalition together.  Who even cares who replaces Anwar in the absence of Pakatan Rakyat? People do now, because Pakatan matters.

Let’s look at the other side. Where are the great leaders in UMNO-BN? Ever since Tun Mahathir resigned in 2003, UMNO leaders have been one sorry disappointment after another. Tun Abdullah Badawi was a dismal failure as a leader. He was lucky to have been chosen as successor by Mahathir, who later publicly stated that he had made a wrong choice and then campaigned vigorously for his ouster.

Has Najib shown great leadership? Hardly. He has spent over 100 million ringgits hiring the best experts money can buy to craft economic policies that he can hardly get passed by a government that his own party controls. He literally bought airtime on BBC and other networks yet his public image is no better than what it was the day he assumed office.

Everywhere he goes Najib is still hounded by questions of corruption, scandal and murder. Even a simple holiday to Australia is marred with the scandal of his wife, self-appointed First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM) buying too many clothes. How frivolous and unstatesmanlike.

If Najib did not directly or indirectly own the television stations and newspapers that sing his praises on a daily basis, do you think his approval ratings would still be above 50%? Doubtful.

And who else is there in UMNO? The respected Tengku Razaleigh has, in the  midst of this moment of tectonic shifting in Malaysian politics, has been unimpactful, ineffective and largely a non-factor. If Anwar Ibrahim is a man who only cares about being Prime Minister and nothing else, at least he’s doing something about it. Razaleigh, on the other hand, is a bystander.   Ku-li is also known as someone who cared a great deal about becoming Prime Minister. He felt it was his right. What is he doing about it? Pretty much nothing. He clearly has no chance of circumventing the power structures in UMNO.

Yet Ku-li refused to throw his lot in with the opposition – something that would have been so natural and appropriate for him in 2008-2009, because he couldn’t be certain that he would be the first person to be the Prime Minister. And so he’s done nothing.

After that you have the likes of Muhyuddin, Hishamuddin and others. These people are nothing but mafia bosses. These men are not cut from the same cloth as Mahathir or Anwar. They don’t inspire people. They have no vision. They have nothing to contribute.  Some talk about Khairy having PM material in him. How much of that was because he was the son-in-law of the former Prime Minister. I think his performance in the debate with Rafizi shows that he still has a ways to go before he can be credible at the national level. Wearing nice suits doesn’t cut it.

Why is it so surprising that Pakatan does not have someone to replace Anwar when UMNO has yet to find someone to replace Mahathir – after almost 10 years and with unlimited resources to bring to bear.  Both figures are larger than life. Even in his old age, Mahathir makes UMNO rank and file stand at attention with greater fear and respect than the current UMNO president. Media flock to TDM’s house when he walks out to pick up his paper only to see what story he reads first. In the meantime, they may care that Najib tweeted. Maybe not.

In the Opposition you have figures who are not tainted. You have figured who stand for something. Who has a vision of the country. Certainly they don’t have the pedigree of Anwar. No matter what his opponents throw at him, Anwar keeps coming. He can’t be deterred. That sort of ambition is rare. It’s not exactly the worst quality to find in a head of state. Ambition is important and must be tempered by humility. Does Anwar have that. Did 6 years rotting in jail give him a sense of humility to temper the experience of being in government for 2 decades. He has a leg up on his competition and so you can see the moon and stars when the sun is shining but when it sets then all of a sudden things become more clear.

*Rusman is an occasional commenter on this blog. As a researcher, he has in recent years become a keen observer of  Oppositional Politics, Democracy and the Malaysian Economy.