Malaysia by-election: will ‘impatient’ Anwar upset the Pakatan Harapan apple cart?
Move to contest Port Dickson parliamentary seat paves the way for the Malaysian democracy icon to take over from Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. But critics say he may be moving too far, too fast
The news caps a remarkable turnaround in Anwar’s fortunes – it was not until after the general elections in May that he was granted a full royal pardon for his convictions of sodomy and corruption, charges he says were trumped up by political rivals to keep him from power.
But some observers fear the by-election could cause instability within the Pakatan Harapan government, which is still finding its feet following five decades of rule by the Barisan Nasional coalition it toppled.
Anwar had thrown his support behind former foe Mahathir – whom he blames for one of his two stints in jail – in the run-up to the election, in a concerted effort to topple the scandal-tainted Najib Razak. The pair had an understanding that after two years in power Mahathir, now 93, would hand over the reins to Anwar, effectively making him a prime minister in waiting.
On Wednesday, Anwar took a step closer to the top job with the announcement by his People’s Justice Party (PKR) central management that Port Dickson incumbent Danyal Balagopal Abdullah would be standing down to make way for him. Having a seat in parliament is a prerequisite for becoming prime minister.
Danyal appears happy enough to stand aside, publicly thanking PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli for “facilitating” his “offer” to step down, and PKR appears keen to calm any nerves about the move. Its secretary general Saifuddin Nasution repeatedly stressed no time frame had been set for Anwar to take over.