Mahathir wants to work with Anwar for Malaysia’s general election, but scepticism abounds
- Calls unlikely to inspire any confidence, observers say, as even Anwar appears to have had enough of his former mentor’s overtures
- Mahathir’s new alliance could alienate core supporters of Pakatan Harapan coalition, voters who felt betrayed by 2020 political coup
But a political coup triggered the collapse of their Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition within two years, with some critics blaming instability within the party on Mahathir’s alleged reluctance to yield power to Anwar.
As Mahathir once again urges Anwar to work together ahead of the November 19 election, observers say his calls are unlikely to inspire any confidence.
“At this stage, a Mahathir-Anwar partnership looks unlikely. That ship has sailed,” Adib Zalkapli, Malaysia director for political risk consultancy BowerGroupAsia, told This Week In Asia.
Mahathir last week said there was a need to rediscover the same spirit from four years ago that saw him and Anwar set aside decades of animosity to unseat the corruption-tainted Umno party.
“To me, personal feelings, arrogance, ego, self-importance … have no place in a struggle, especially when dealing with religion, race and country,” Mahathir said in a video message posted on social media on Friday.
At this stage, a Mahathir-Anwar partnership looks unlikely. That ship has sailed