Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim is stylising his press conferences to deliver fake narratives on the goings on in PKR and Malaysian politics.
He does this by planting one or two of his own men within press assemblies to influence other reporters and shape the tone of his deliveries.
The questions are meant to deliver the impression that it is the newsmen, not Anwar, who keep harping on premiership transition and tensions between him and Azmin.
The move is meant to convince the rakyat that the press, which does have a way of digging up secrets and triggering media storms, has reason to believe that the rakyat wants Anwar to take over as Prime Minister.
It is also meant to convince MPs that the press prefers to ask Anwar these questions, not Azmin, as the intel on the editors’ desks suggests that Anwar is in control of PKR and has majority support in Parliamen.
PETALING JAYA: Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim is stylising his press conferences to deliver fake narratives on the goings on in PKR and Malaysian politics.
He does this by planting one or two of his own men within press assemblies to influence other reporters and shape the tone of his deliveries.
The planted agents ask predertimed questions that Anwar’s men prepare well ahead ranging from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s plan of exit to Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali’s status in PKR.
The questions are meant to deliver the impression that it is the newsmen, not Anwar, who keep harping on premiership transition and tensions between him and Azmin.
The move is meant to convince the rakyat that the press, which does have a way of digging up secrets and triggering media storms, has reason to believe that the rakyat wants Anwar to take over as Prime Minister.
It is also meant to convince MPs that the press prefers to ask Anwar these questions, not Azmin, as the intel on the editors’ desks suggests that Anwar is in control of PKR and has majority support in Parliamen.
That explains why you hear reporters asking Anwar about Mahahir every other day and why Anwar was heard clarifying something about Azmin.
Earlier today, Anwar was asked about calls by one or two delegates for Azmin to be removed as PKR deputy president. To this, he replied that the only issue raised during the party congress was for everyone to be disciplined and united.
“That (Azmin’s sacking) was not raised by any leader. It was just by a small number of the delegates.
“Not one party leader responded by saying that they agreed to it,” he told a press conference after his winding-up speech during PKR’s 20th National Congress at Melaka International Trade Centre here today.
It was yet another case of planted agents trying to influence press reporters. Similarly, the delegates who called for Azmin’s removal were none other than Anwar’s men given that the majority of those aligned with Azmin boycotted the president’s winding up speech.
This time, the questions were meant to quash perception that Azmin is in firm control of PKR following the spectacular feat he accomplished yesterday by leading more than two thirds of PKR’s high command and hundreds others out of a conference hall where the party congress was ongoing.
The mass walkout, as it is being referred to, was in direct protest of Anwar’s speech which Azmin insists was in violation of a ceasefire agreement the duo had undertaken to honour late Wednesday night.
Yesterday, I wrote:
Late Wednesday evening, Anwar got his men to contact Azmin and sought for a four-eyed meeting. The PKR president was on the verge of a breakdown following renewed allegations of sexual misconduct that a young lad had hurled against him.
It was during this meeting that Anwar agreed to all of Azmin’s terms, including the right for the latter to officiate the youth and wanita congress and the need to review the sacking of Zakaria Abdul Hamid, Baru Bian’s former political secretary.
Anwar upheld his end of the bargain, though not in its entirety.
While he did allow Azmin to officiate the youth and Wanita congress, a well-placed source insists that he also ordered his men to prevent a number of Azmin’s people from attending the youth congress for no apparent rhyme or reason.
One of those affected was Mizan Adli Md Noor, who, only days earlier, was sacked from his position as youth chairman on grounds that made no sense whatsoever.
Anwar had promised Azmin to review the sacking.
However, the treatment Mizan received at the youth congress touched off a notorious and riotous assault outside the conference hall and ended with injuries and bloodshed.
Seemingly perturbed, Anwar sought for an investigation into the riot and made it appear as if he was concerned about the treatment Azmin’s men had received.
Later, however, he reneged on the ceasefire agreement he entered with Azmin by criticising the latter in a roundabout manner.
“He starts mentioning about Si Kitol and Raja Mandeliar, and this has opened the path for the debaters to attack (me) personally and break the unity of the leadership and members of Keadilan (PKR).
“The debaters for policy speech was also one sided and left out the grassroots voices… The speeches only brought up one man’s dream and brings down other leaders,” Azmin explained.
RJ RITHAUDEEN
