'Turun Anwar' rally alone won't dethrone PMX but a successful aftermath can rub off on MPs to vote him out'
Taking the cue from PMX who has stated that he will not step down because he did not steal money belonging to the rakyat, veteran journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin reckoned that pending the 16th General Election (GE16), 'the only way to make him fall is by authentically proving that there is support from at least 112 MPs'.
'The Turun Anwar tour is more relevant to his opponents in preparation for the GE which must be held before Feb 17, 2028,' the national journalism laureate penned on his Facebook page.
'But if the rallies, protests and marches cause his supporters in the Parliament to defect, the possibility that he (PMX) will lose his majority and be forced to resign cannot be ruled out.'
At any rate, Kadir does not expect PMX to retaliate by taking harsh action against the perpetrators and detractors, be they the opposition or even former PKR deputy president and ex-economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli's faction.
'Harsh action could further damage PMX's image as a reformist while increasing public sympathy and support for the opposition,' opined Kadir who is perceived by Madani backers to be a loyalist to twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who is now an adviser of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
'However, this does not mean that state apparatuses such as the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will not act'.
The former editor-in-chief of mainstream New Straits Times further corrected public misconception that PMX on his own did not win the 2022 national polls through the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition which he helms as chairman.
'The PH he led didn't have enough seats to form a government. Once again, UMNO defected by giving support to PH and PMX. As a result, PMX has enough seats to form a government and become PM,' recounted Kadir.
'UMNO which campaigned on the slogan 'No Bersatu, no Anwar, no DAP' went on to win the Deputy PM post following which the DPM (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) was further rewarded with DNAA (discharge not amounting to acquittal) on 47 prima facie cases.' – July 21, 2025
Main image credit: PAS Johor/Facebook
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