The chickens come home to roost for Anwar: 'We had a deal or not' Najib stirs up a house arrest circus for PKR, DAP

Written by Wong Choon Mei, PoliticsNow Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (politicsnowmy.blogspot.com) - A complex game is being played to free disgraced ex-premier Najib Razak from prison and into home detention instead.

At the centre of it is Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who finding himself caught between a rock and a hard place, has apparently thrown the hot potato to the current King, Sultan Ibrahim.

“I have met the previous Agong several times and never was the addendum issue raised,” Anwar told Parliament a day ago. “But because the matter has been repeatedly mentioned I have raised this for consideration with the current Agong so when the time is right it can be referred to the Pardon’s Board meeting that the current Agong would chair,” the prime minister added.

ANWAR'S DILEMMA 

Yet if the addendum decreeing home detention for Najib and allegedly issued by the previous King was never raised, why is Anwar now rushing to leave the matter in the current King's hands.

"The people find it confusing but I think they all know which way the wind is blowing. It looks like Najib will get what he wants from Anwar but Anwar and Pakatan won't get away with it from their supporters who will see it as yet another reason to reject them in the coming general election," an analyst told PoliticsNow Malaysia.

The previous King, Sultan Abdullah from Najib's home state of Pahang, had in the last days of his rule cut Najib's original 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine to six years jail and RM50 million. Sultan Ibrahim took over in January 2024 as part of Malaysia's constitutional monarchy system that rotates the office of the King every five years.

At the crux of Anwar's dilemma are the deals he purportedly struck with Umno president Zahid Hamidi and Najib, who still wields clout in Umno despite his imprisonment since August 2022. Despite repeated denials from the trio, the public perception not only remains rife but has deepened that Anwar had agreed to free Zahid and Najib from their corruption court cases in exchange for their support to become prime minister following the 2022 general election that failed to yield a conclusive winner.

It is due to these purported deals that Anwar has lost the independence to do what he should as the country's leader, say some analysts.

"Of course Anwar is frightened by the backlash from Pakatan supporters who voted for him and the DAP. Hence all these crazy dramas, one after another to deflect attention from his own underperformance in the economy, effecting reforms as basic as standing up to corruption," an analyst told PoliticsNow Malaysia.

"It's no point saying I told you so because if he did it, he did it deliberately for the sake of getting the PM's post for himself even though he must be aware that his own PKR party will be savaged at the next election or even before that, the DAP might pull out from his unity government. If he didn't do it, there's no reason why his government prosecutors withdrew all the corruption charges against Zahid and he's now passing the Najib addendum to the new King to decide on. He may have thought he could handle it but obviously, he's no match for Zahid, Najib and Umno."

NO MATCH FOR ZAHID, NAJIB & UMNO

Anwar's Pakatan Harapan coalition, consisting of PKR, the DAP, Amanah and Upko had won 82 of the federal Parliament's 222 seats in the 2022 election - while the corruption-riddled Umno, then at its weakest, could only win 30. In a move that shocked the Malay community especially Umno members, many of whom detest Anwar and the Chinese-dominated DAP, Zahid with the support of the Najib faction decided to throw the party's 30 seats behind Anwar - instead of to the Malay-centric PN coalition which consists of Bersatu and Pas.

Together with the then King's help, Anwar managed to cobble together a unity government and the wafer-thin majority eked with the help of Umno's seats has since been expanded on with the inclusion of other coalitions from East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

DAP FALLS FROM ITS PERCH

All eyes are now on DAP - how will the party that has always stood out for its principled politics respond if Najib gets the home detention he has been manipulating for. What if the charges against Najib in the main 1MDB corruption trial involving some RM2.3 billion of stolen funds and that is still ongoing get dismissed, like Zahid's?

"If Najib gets his home detention and Anwar can make it seem like it's the current King's decision, the DAP can make it seem like it has no choice because it cannot disrespect a royal decree. But I think it's time Anthony Loke resigns as DAP's leader, the party has lost tremendous stature since he took over," said the analyst. 

"DAP does not need to withdraw from the unity government because it disagrees with the royal addendum. It can cite irreconcilable differences with Anwar's leadership as there have been too many broken promises, hardly any reforms with the people getting only the peanut skins while the monkeys continue to chomp on the cashews and the macadamia nuts," the analyst added. 

Indeed, it may be too little too late for the DAP as once Najib secures home detention, which would allow the corrupt ex-PM to spend the rest of his jail term in the luxury and comfort of his palatial homes, the next step of getting a discharge much like Zahid's infamous DNAA from his 1MDB trial looks a certainty.

That Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor, facing a 10-year jail sentence, will also escape imprisonment for her own corruption cases are already a given in the public's mind.

SECOND TERM AS PM?

Anwar's sudden meeting with the new King over Najib's addendum has also triggered speculation that he has struck further deals with Najib and Zahid so that he can have a second term as PM. This amid rising odds that PKR will lose the great majority of its 31 seats, the DAP to lose some 20% of its 40 seats while Umno may capture between 50 to 60 seats in the coming election, a marked jump as Malay support returns to it at the expense of Anwar's PKR and the opposition's Bersatu.

The outburst over the 'now you see, now you don't' addendum has incentivized politicians from both sides of the aisle to offer their two cents worth - but their focus appear more to be to embarrass and expose Anwar and the DAP for alleged political duplicity rather than sincere support for Najib. 

Pas is raising a motion to debate the addendum in Parliament while the MCA, which had gone against the Zahid and Najib choice for Umno to support the PN instead of Anwar's Pakatan in the aftermath of the 2022 election rather artificially asked if "prisoners had no rights?"

"It has become a circus and is intentional because it is very negative publicity for Anwar and Pakatan. Already there is a lot of disappointment in them and now this. I am not sure about a new deal but if Anwar still thinks he can control Najib and Zahid, good luck to him!" opined the analyst.

Written by Wong Choon Mei, PoliticsNow Malaysia

https://politicsnowmy.blogspot.com/