Anwar needs baptism of legitimacy

By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today,

GEORGE TOWN: While everyone jostles for positions, Anwar Ibrahim stands alone as supremo without a mandate, contented with being the power behind his wife's throne, said a political scientist.

In view of this, Prof Sivamurugan Pandian said the opposition leader must contest for the PKR president post and legitimise his role.

Otherwise, he said, Anwar would be a politically unlawful leader and it would be unethical and morally wrong for him to continue as such.

“If he does not want to contest, then Anwar should declare to party members that he is not the PKR supremo,” he said, adding there were no provisions in the party constitution that recognise the title.

Calling on Anwar to walk the talk that PKR stood for reform, democracy and accountability, he said it was pertinent that the supremo obtained the members' mandate.

“Or the public should see him only as an ordinary member, who does not have the moral authority to be called supremo,” added the deputy dean of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s School of Social Sciences.

Undermining status of other leaders

Being an “illegitimate de facto leader”, Sivamurugan said Anwar’s participation in the decision making process with regards to policies and actions was politically unconstitutional and unconventional.

Even his media statements could be considered politically invalid, he added.

Furthermore, he said Anwar’s position as a non-mandated supremo would also severely undermine the status of other elected leaders, including his wife and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The professor pointed out that PKR's acceptance of Anwar's “unconstitutional, unelected and undemocratic” position meant that the reformist party was subscribing to undemocratic priciples.

Sivamurugan also said that by refusing to contest and insisting on being the unelected force behind PKR, Anwar was suggesting that the president was only a ceremonial position.

Sudden change in political attitude

The academic also expressed surprise with the change in Anwar's political attitude within two years.

In 2008, he said, Anwar was in a rush to return as an elected representative to Parliament and forced his wife to vacate the Permatang Pauh seat to push for a by-election.

“Why is he not emulating his own example now? He should lead by example,” he added.

Wan Azizah has received some 70 divisional nominations as of yesterday to re-contest the president post in the coming party national polls to be held between October and November.

Anwar has received eight nominations but this was because he had announced his decision not to contest.

In 2007, Anwar, who had spent six years in prison, was named as PKR's de facto leader by the national congress.

Back then, he was advised not to contest for the president's post and avoid putting the party’s registration in jeopardy since he was still legally banned from holding any positions in a political party due to his conviction.

Commenting on this, Sivamurugan said the the congress' mandate was for the 2007-2010 term and not forever.

He said Anwar’s legal status was different now due to his elected public offices as Permatang Pauh MP and opposition leader.

“To end the argument, Anwar must get elected as president. Whether he gets elected opposed or unopposed is immaterial. The crucial issue is Anwar must get the members’ mandate,” he added.