With Anwar Ibrahim in jail, Malaysia's opposition threatens to fracture
As opposition head serves jail sentence, the loose multi-ethnic political alliance he worked hard to maintain now threatens to fracture
The jailing of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim a fortnight ago united his supporters in outrage.
But the question now is whether a replacement for such an iconic figure can be found to hold together the loose political alliance of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) grouping. Internal bickering over various issues, including Islamic law, threatens to fracture the multi-ethnic coalition Anwar worked to maintain.
Anwar's supporters have been holding candlelight vigils outside the Sungai Buloh prison every night since he was jailed on February 10. The former deputy prime minister is serving a five-year prison sentence for sodomy, a charge critics saw as a politically motivated effort to keep him away from power.
Anwar's party, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat(PKR), still hasn't announced his replacement.
"Anwar has played an immense role… It won't be easy shoes to fill," the head of the PKR youth wing, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, said.