There is no doubt that Anwar Ibrahim has gained more admirers after his expulsion from the Mahathir cabinet than before. Many young Malaysians who had doubted his sincerity and tenacity and personal conviction have now become his most ardent supporters.  Many are willing to sacrifice time and money including personal comfort to show their loyalty to his just cause.  Otherwise, how would one explain why were there so many who had braved the acid waters from the police, or the physical harrassment and torture while in detention?

Anwar Ibrahim is a very brave and courageous leader indeed.  If he is such a lame duck leader, I am sure he would have agreed to resign and throw whatever the principles that he had at that time, and follow and swallow everything that his nemesis, Mahtathir Mohammed had put to him.

If Anwar Ibrahim had agreed to resign, he would not be the first deputy prime minister to have done so.  In other words, he would not have to feel guilty or sad. His predecessors, namely, Musa Hitam and Ghafar Baba had agreed to resign quietly, and resigned to the fact that their political careers and future were sealed forever.  It was their fate that they were not to be the next prime minister of Malaysia and Mahathir's successor.

Musa and Ghafar are now in political limbo, appearing occasionally to make statements that nobody knows for what purpose they were made in the first place.  Musa does not seem to be able to decide if he indeed wants to say anything that would hurt Mahathir, while Ghafar wants people to think that he is a strong backer of Mahathir and his policies, although he (Ghafar) fully realises that it was not just Anwar who had wanted to challenge him (Ghafar) for the vice-presidency of UMNO, but Mahathir himself who had encouraged Anwar to do so.  In other words, Ghafar is now trying to show his loyalty to Mahathir, although secretly he has an axe to grind with Mahathir.because he just cannot feel otherwise, bearing his age and reputation, and even place in UMNO politics which is basically shaky. Basically, Ghafar is a political has-been!

For most UMNO members and the Malays, Musa and Ghafar are has-beens who should not be taken too seriously.  They had played the same charade before they resigned quietly.

As for Anwar, one can tell, from past experience what he could expect if he indeed had agreed to resign quietly, like Musa and Ghafar.  Surely, Anwar would have been appointed the United Nations ambassador like Musa, and be given the title of 'Tan Sri' (Tan Sri Anwar Ibrahim and Puan Sri Wan Azizah?) and offered shares and chairmanship of many blue-chip UMNO and Mahathir and Daim controlled companies.

If Anwar had indeed done so, his political career will be over and done with.  He will be something like Musa, Ghafar and Hanif Omar now.

But, fortunately, Anwar did not do so.  He chose, rightly to fight on.  He refused to resign.  If he had done so, he would have admitted to all the lies that had been spread throughout the country and world about his reputation.

Anwar is a very brave and courageous leader indeed.  He knew what he was up against, Mahathir's Might.  Yet, he chose to defend his honor, regardless of what was to come.  And he also knew what he could expect from the police, attorney-general's office and Mahathir's controlled press.

Despite all this, Anwar agreed to play the fool and subject himself to Mahathir's tirade and persecution and let the whole know who Mahathir really is.  This is something which Mahathir and his lackeys have not yet realised. Whatever that is happening now, is prove that Mahathir and his lackeys are indeed what many had felt for a long time, but could not see its potential and in graphic detail.  Now, the whole world knows who Mahathir and his lackeys are, and what they can do.

In other words, Mahathir and his lackeys have indeed fallen right into Anwar's trap!!  How about that?

There is no need for anybody to repeat all the allegations and physical abuses that he had to endure while in detention and in court, since his arrest on that fateful day of 22 September.

But, what one must admit is that Anwar had survived it all.  Anwar is not a defeated man. He is standing strong.  And he can withstand whatever that Mahathir and lackeys can think of to inflict further damage to his reputation.

What else can Mahathir and his lackeys do to him now that has not already been done before during that time?

More mattresses?  More strange charges?  And after that what else?

What is happening in the courts with regard to the Sukma case, is basically a repeat of what had happened in the same court before.  So, what else is new, Mahathir?  What else is new, Mohtar Abdullah?

Mahathir and his lackeys have spent all their tricks, and now they have run out of them. Yet, Anwar still exists and he remains stronger than before. One cannot deny the fact that Anwar is a much stronger person now than before, and better respected by all Malaysians and the international community who follow his struggle to free himself from political persecution by Mahathir and his lackeys.

Other men would have perished.  Musa or Ghafar would certainly not have withstood just a tiny part of the sort of allegations that had been hurled on Anwar.  Both would be left for dead in no time on the strength and folly of just one tiny allegation that could be made up.

It is therefore not such a big surprise if the younger generation of Malaysian of all races back Anwar today because they believe in the future.  All are waiting for his agony to end, as they too have been suffering along with him.

The majority of the people are sick and tired of Mahathir and his small group of leaders in the present UMNO supreme council and youth wing, who do not seem to know what the majority of the Malaysian public is thinking. They are so aloof to what is happening around them.

by
AL-HAKEEM.