Anwar’s statesmanship or Umno-Pas game-man-ship?

BY MARTIN VENGADESAN

Critics of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have been absolutely silent over his recent deals to help supplement and secure Malaysia’s energy supply.

As well they might, for why would they want to draw attention to his success in the field of economic diplomacy that will have positive implications for the nation?

This came after Anwar concluded official visits to Russia and Turkmenistan aimed at strengthening economic partnerships and enhancing Malaysia’s long-term energy security.

He announced that Petronas had secured access to one of the world’s largest gas fields in Turkmenistan through new agreements with the Central Asian nation’s state energy entities.

He added that Russian president Vladimir Putin had assured Malaysia of oil and gas supplies for the next 20 years, reducing reliance on annual contract renewals.

Now considering the erratic actions of the sitting US president Donald Trump in Western Asia and its impact on oil prices and spillover economic pressures, this is a necessary and enterprising action.

It contrasts sharply with the manoeuvres of small-minded politicians who have tried to use the corridor of economic uncertainty as an opportunity to create political instability.

Despite very recent precedent in the Sheraton Move that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, some factions in Umno have been pushing their own agendas and doing so at the risk of ushering in another period of political chaos and economic recession.

Let’s be honest, that’s why we have state elections in Johor and Negri Sembilan. It’s a regional power play aimed at shifting political allegiances at the federal level.

The Umno recalcitrants aren’t the only ones trying to shake the foundations of our political system. The main power behind the opposition PN coalition is busy wheeling and dealing too.

PAS handed Bersatu divorce papers and welcomed Hamzah Zainuddin’s splinter party Wawasan into the fold. Despite the window dressing of the seatless Gerakan and MIPP, let’s make no mistake that this is a right-wing coalition with an elected representation that reflects racial, religious and gender-based hegemony.

A couple of weeks ago we were treated to a flimsy defence of PAS’s governance failures by its information chief Ahmad Fadli Shaari.

The Pasir Mas MP’s feelings were hurt when he read an analysis pointing out that the three poorest states in Peninsular Malaysia are Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah.

He bristled at the reminder that Kelantan has consistently recorded the lowest median and mean monthly household incomes in the country. He was unhappy when it was pointed out that PAS-governed states also dominate figures for social ills such as incest, rape, pornography, drug use, school dropouts and petty crime.

His response was whataboutism and denial, pointing his fingers at Sabah as a poorer state and the Federal government as the being the root cause of the PAS administrations’ various failings. Instead of admitting and confronting these flaws, they are trying to export it to the other states!

It is clearly too naive to expect a political ceasefire when the temperature rises, but surely there should be limits to the level of gamesmanship that some are prepared to stoop to?

Martin Vengadesan is a former editor who currently serves as a strategic communications consultant to the communications ministry.