Jeniri Amir, a senior fellow of the National Council of Professors, said the leadership question was the core issue faced by the fractured opposition.
He said Mahathir was no longer relevant to the opposition’s struggle or the opposition’s need to win the support of Malay voters, while Anwar’s credibility had been affected by his failure to prove his claim of having majority support in the Dewan Rakyat.
Mahathir and Anwar have recently been at the centre of verbal exchanges about Pakatan Harapan’s future.
PKR Youth leader Akmal Nasir said recently that PH should move on from any plan to work with Mahathir, claiming the former prime minister only wanted to “divide and conquer”, after Mahathir attacked Anwar who had said PH could work with any party, even with Mahathir, to form a “great, grand coalition”.
Jeniri said PH’s main problem was one of leadership, which was tied to the lack of a successor to Anwar in PKR, the party holding the opposition together.
“People cannot see where PKR is going or its relevance. The party needs a new leader who is able to work with all parties, and lead the opposition. No more Mahathir or Anwar,” said Jeniri.
However, political scientist Wong Chin Huat, of the Jeffrey Sachs Centre on Sustainable Development, said Anwar had to shape up and offer a new direction or give way to others, such as Warisan president Shafie Apdal.
“DAP has made it clear, after the DAP-Amanah’s initial political reset statement, that it did not call for a leadership change.
“This means that if Anwar is willing to lead the opposition camp differently, instead of repeating his ‘strong, formidable and convincing numbers’ mantra, there is no question for DAP, and likely also Amanah, ditching PKR.”
However, if Anwar persisted in talking about numbers, talk of a leadership change would never subside.
“What Anwar will do next is now the biggest factor whether PH Plus can be revitalised to face GE15.”
Setting up a shadow Cabinet would send a strong signal that PH Plus will compete with the Perikatan Nasional-Barisan Nasional-Gabungan Parti Sarawak Plus government on policy and not by courting turncoat MPs, he said.
Syed Arabi Idid, of the International Islamic University Malaysia, said PH appeared to be losing its way as a coalition and needed to decide on its strategy together.
“PH showed cohesion during the Budget vote even though it may not have the numbers for a vote of no confidence against the prime minister. It should strengthen itself to face GE15,” he said.