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LYRICS | Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim eventually met with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong about the former’s claim to gain enough support to form the next government.
Except for Anwar himself and those in his inner circle, no one knows for sure if he has the real numbers. If he’s done it, good for him, otherwise he’d just live with the disgrace of doing the “I’ve got the numbers” trick too many times without success.
My concern is not so much whether Anwar has the numbers or not, but where the DAP stands in the middle of the political business. For a long time, I have been a strong supporter of the party.
With 42 deputies, it is the only party with the largest number of federal legislators. And unlike Umno, who has many factions, DAP is a solid block.
Obviously, DAP still has hopes of returning to Putrajaya given their short 22-month stint there. After all, 2018 was the first time the party entered the federal government since its formation in 1965.
But at what cost does he want to return to power? Is the party willing to sacrifice its principles by joining forces with people like former Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Umno President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, whom the party had vilified for years, if not decades?
In fairness, Anwar has yet to reveal whether the aforementioned Umno MPs and others like Tengku Adnan Mansor and Bung Moktar Radin, all facing corruption charges, are on the list of supporters of the PKR president to be the ninth prime minister of the country.
But it would not be an exaggeration to imagine that they are. These are the people who can win by closing deals with Anwar. Other Umno MPs who already hold government positions or have been appointed to government-linked companies would likely prefer the status quo.
On Wednesday (October 14), Najib in a Facebook post already said that DAP General Secretary Lim Guan Eng would surely be delighted to work with Umno. Whether it was said in jest or otherwise, that prospect is truly terrifying!
If the DAP chooses to side with Bossku and Zahid, the latter facing a record 87 corruption charges, the party can be sure it will lose strong support in the upcoming general election. Consider this a warning shot from a staunch supporter.
There are some lines that cannot be crossed no matter what, and some principles that cannot be diverted, not even for convenience. As it stands, it was already seen that DAP was leaning too far back during its brief period in power, such as its restraint in expressing its opposition to the Malay dignity congress meeting.
DAP better heed the warning about working with the devil. If they do, the payoff at the polls will be swift, decisive, and definitely harrowing.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author / contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
