COMMENT | Anwar is right to play the class card

“I want to tell the leaders with the titles of ‘Tun’ and ‘Tan Sri’ who are rich – if you really want to save Malays, give them half of your billions in profits tomorrow.”

– Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

COMMENT | As I argued before, Anwar, who was always more comfortable in his rabble-rousing role, did the right thing in organizing his Raya roadshow.

Recent comments in an open house in Penang indicate that he and his team understand that in this apocalyptic political battle with Perikatan Nasional (PN), class is the political terrain which would suit Pakatan Harapan best.

Attempting to raise populist sentiment, he called out the fat cat Malay plutocrat class, who claim to have the best interests of the Malay polity at heart but in reality merely exploit them.

He said, “They should not use their powers to enrich their family members. And when they are rich, but have lost power, they go on to say ‘long live Malays’ and ‘save the Malays’.”

Of course, all this is laying the ground for his battle royale in the courts with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who for some odd reason believes his family wealth is somehow immune from the public scrutiny that would come with a court case and an adversary with the machinery of the state at his disposal.

Anwar also said the quiet part out loud...