Hear ye, Malaysians, hear ye! AKJ was party

JUST about everybody became amateur political pundits since the weekend beginning Sunday and for the following 48 hours through Monday and Tuesday.

Some huffed and puffed with a tonne of serious analysis while others just spouted hot air with utmost vehemence – all trying to unravel what Malaysian politics has wrought.

More precisely, what rabbit former Prime Minister, anointed 7th PM and now 7 (+) PM and maybe 8th Prime Minister has pulled out of his sack of wizardry surprises.

For illumination, you cannot go far wrong if you look to The Scribe – aka Datuk A Kadir Jasin in his most recent weblog posted on Tuesday Feb 25 at 2:02 pm.

Why AKJ – his nomme de guerre and the three-letter initials he is widely referred to – you might ask?

Firstly, he is your proverbial `fly-on-the-wall’ present in or at; even the most exclusive of Tun Dr Mahathir’s private engagements.

Those who had the pleasure (some say pressure) of serving under AKJ during the heydays of the New Straits Times and/or Berita Harian of the late 1990s (yes, I know; some of you snotty-nosed smart alecks were just a mere notion in your parent’s procreative perambulations) can readily attest to this `confidante’ closeness.

So, here we go.

Tuesday morning and the entire media circus was stationed outside the exclusive entrance of the Mines Resort in Sri Kembangan.

The `house-call’ made on him (TunM) by `leaders of Bersatu’ at his home at the Mines Resort so early in the morning WAS unplanned (up to you to take this with two grains of sodium).

Now unplanned, by who – I was expecting the good Datuk to be more precise. Never mind the status of the welcome – if indeed it was; the reason they came was to PLEAD with the good doc to cease and desist, withdraw his `withdrawal’, as it were, from the Chairmanship of Bersatu.

On to the next conundrum weighing heavy on everyone’s mind – why had TunM done that in the first place – ie resign?

Don’t take it from so-called analysts-in-the-know hailing from as far as Jogja or closer to home in Janda Baik.

AKJ says Tun M did so because he felt the majority of members (yup Bersatu members, which in the Malay language means U-N-I-T-E-D ya’all!!!) of the party leadership council listened more to his Political Secretary than to him!

Now, AKJ could be a little less unhelpful by fingering who this pol sec is – of which Tun M has many!

Should you be of the opinion that Bersatu meetings are mundane, meek and muted affairs; you think wrong!

AKJ went on: “…the heated debate at the council meeting on Sunday….future of Bersatu in the Pakatan Harapan was discussed.”

Now here is where it gets pretty intimate. Tun M used that meeting to explain the mandate given to him by the PH Presidential Council to hand over the reins of power to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim AFTER the November APEC Summit.

More specifically, he appealed to the party leadership council not to force him to renege on the deal to hand over the Premiership mantle to Datuk Seri Anwar after the APEC Summit in November.

AKJ also revealed what was on the agenda of the Prime Minister that needs unfettered executive attention.

This includes managing the economy, steadying the capital market, continuing the proposed economic stimulus package and meeting leaders of major political parties.

Major political parties? Keeping coy, AKJ did not divulge friend or foe. He did reveal though that this would allow him (Tun M) to gauge the extent of his support from those parties purportedly standing in line with him; and intriguingly; “…to plot the next move.”

Was that a Freudian slip or merely an unfortunate choice of words?

Now, if the support was genuine, Tun M will not face any challenge to his authority and therefore be free to form a government.

This is where the delicious prospects (for some) of a unity government comes into the picture. Tun M’s views on who to exclude remains firm – the kleptocrats and the discredited (from UMNO) are to remain excluded.

The Malay ultras (those wont to wear white tee shirts with tanjak headgear) are wont to exclude the DAP for fear of – what?

In the initial furore and in a kneejerk reaction; that meant both UMNO and PAS suddenly professed a preference for Tun M to be leader.

Irony, fantasy, reality? Take your pick! As it turned out, this was not to be.

So we shall wait and see what the next 24 hours brings. You can bet your bottom ringgit AKJ will be at the party!