Anwar's balancing act........

PKR may have the Chinese votes in their pocket but the recent Hulu Selangor by-election defeat proves that it has yet to win over rural non-Chinese voters. And just as the BN cannot consider Sabah and Sarawak as their "fixed deposit", PKR has to concede that it cannot rely purely on Chinese votes to guarantee victory in any election.

In this second and final part of a Malaysiakini exclusive interview, PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim reveals the shift in the party's attention towards capturing the rural Malay votes.

The opposition leader is not overly worried despite the downhill trend in Malay support, stressing that a conservative, rural Malay voting bloc does not necessarily translate to an impenetrable Umno fortress.

"I'm not worried. Yes, I was not satisfied with Hulu Selangor, but it's not something that deeply disturbs me," said Anwar.

"People have a short memory on that because even in 1999, there was a swing within the Umno hardcore members (towards PKR)," he said.

But 1999 was 11 years ago. And the general election then, though not a tsunami compared to the 2008 general election, was purely driven by Anwar's remarkable sacking as deputy prime minister and subsequent imprisonment based on trumped-up sodomy charges.

Sowing grassroots

However, Anwar says that it is time for a change in party strategy, albeit in baby steps. Moving away from the mammoth rallies in the urban areas, where crowd-pullers like himself and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang easily shore up thousands of appreciative ears, Anwar's new strategy is to go micro. He will be intensifying and increasing small gatherings in each kampung, where even a simple kenduri is enough.

"We need to do much more in the Malay heartland. We have to address the issues like the small-scale economy, poverty, unemployment, and identifying with their faith as Muslims," he said.

"We admit that we did not put in enough effort to be with (the Malay voters). We go to the urban and suburban areas, and we can articulate issues that the urban folk are comfortable with, like the judiciary, social justice and human rights," he said.

However, he said that there are forces working against them, saying that logistics in the kampung will always be a perennial headache.

"It's difficult to get space. Unless we have a private space like a Markas PAS (PAS centre), where can we (find a place to) ceramah in Felda areas? Sometimes we are barred outright (by locals).

"But we shouldn't find excuses. We should move on."

Still, it is a riddle only a capable politician can solve.

PKR will have to find a way to placate Malay voters by changing the perception that the party is not doing enough to fight for Malay rights, while at the same time keeping the traditionally fickle and issues-driven Chinese voters happy.

Through the course of the interview it is clear that while Anwar repeatedly stated that he is not taking the Chinese support for granted, he has to contend with the landmine of securing Malay trust and how the two will balance up.

Silver lining

Anwar brightened, almost jubilantly, when he spoke of Pakatan Rakyat and PKR's chances in East Malaysia.

"We have major support in Sarawak," he said.

He added that the party's strategy of giving almost complete autonomy to the state party leaders is working out quite well.

"Let the Sabah and Sarawak leaders craft (their policies). And then (the central leadership) will just come down and strengthen (our case with) national issues," he said.

However, PKR has had their share of East Malaysia troubles, for example the well-documented spat over Sabah involving Peninsular personalities Azmin Ali and Zaid Ibrahim, which ended in Zaid taking a six-month leave in October last year. Concurrently, Azmin's appointment as the state chief drew ire from the locals, forcing him to withdraw and hand the position to native Sabahan Ahmad Thamrin Jaini.

Despite the troubles, Anwar believes that the recent DAP victory in the Sibu by-election is a barometer of changing sentiments. He adds that this change is apparent even to the ruling party.

BN's weakening grip

"When (Mahathir Mohamad) was prime minister, he almost never went there (to East Malaysia). Even I as DPM would only spend half a day. Now the prime minister himself spent four days in Sarawak just because of Sibu.

"It is an important message that they are weakening," he said.

Despite the lofty political talk, a keen Anwar observer will recognise that since the Sept 16, 2008 government takeover farce he is keeping his cards close to his chest. Gone are the days of thumping tables and heralding a takeover of Putrajaya. Instead, he is travelling the 'safe' route using general terms, such as "prospects are good", and that he is "confident of East Malaysian support".

With heavy expectations resting on his shoulders, the opposition leader should know that success lies in managing the balancing act of attracting the Malay voters without sacrificing PKR's multiracial appeal, and keeping the notorious and fiercely parochial factions in East Malaysia in check without upsetting the local warlords. - Regina Lee

source:malaysiakini

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