COMMENT | "Audio-gate" is a prime example of how Anwar is his own worst enemy. Everybody keeps saying there is nothing illegal in that recording and that the “investigation” by the state security apparatus is unwarranted.

Well, yes to both, but this is what the state does. This is what the state always does. This is mainstream politics in this country. But more importantly, it is this kind of behaviour and political norm that Anwar, Pakatan Harapan and the “reformasi” movement were supposed to put a stop to.

Ex-senator Ezam Mohd Nor claimed there was nothing in the audio clip "which could compromise the 'reformasi' spirit that gave birth to PKR". Really? So you do not see anything morally dubious about two men, one under a cloud of corruption scandals colluding with another who claims he wants to get rid of a kleptocracy?

You do not see anything wrong with one man claiming the other handled the Umno general assembly well by cutting off avenues of dissent when Harapan and reformasi are supposed to be about freedom of speech and expression?

You do not see anything wrong with the "no DAP" part of the speech which was supposed to be "tactical"? After all, the DAP has been demonised by the establishment for decades and when they were briefly in power and bending over backward to their Malay counterparts, they were still demonised.

You think Anwar, a Harapan leader who was just chosen to lead the "multiracial" coalition against a Malay uber alles regime in the 15th general election, who seems to be going along with this anti-DAP propaganda, does not compromise the spirit of reformasi?

I mean everyone knows that portraying the DAP as “extremist” is a tactical move, but what does it say when all these political operatives are advising the old maverick Dr Mahathir Mohamad of how the DAP is not extremist, but this audio, if genuine, demonstrates that the leader of Harapan is fine with making deals with someone who continues using this tactic to secure power?

What happens when Harapan is embedded with these cretins? Oh wait, we already know what happens and how Harapan dealt with the subterfuge and infighting that led to the Sheraton Move which formed the Malay uber alles government.

I understand the “no Anwar” part but to jovially scheme with the leader of a kleptocracy to destabilise his own party in the hopes of securing political victory does not sound like the spirit of reformasi that folks used to shout about when they were trying to “ubah” (change) Malaysia.

People wonder: who made the recording? Maybe Harapan made the recording in the hopes of further destabilising Umno? Maybe Umno made it in the hopes of destabilising its current president? Maybe the Perikatan Nasional (PN) regime made it in the hopes of destabilising factions within Umno that are hostile to the PN? And round and round we go.

With regard to that last part, the state security apparatus always attempts to project an image of impartiality which is complete horse manure. In my piece about Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah knowing the game is rigged, he said as much in an interview with Sinar Harian:

"Read what Razaleigh says about not underestimating the establishment: 'Don't look down on the government because they have power, they have the television, radio, money and the media. They also have spy equipment. They know more than us. They know what we don't know yet. With that power, whether those in government will fall, I don't know.'

"Here is an establishment politician admitting the state controls nearly every avenue of expression and uses its intelligence services as a means of securing political victory. In any functional democracy, this would be verboten but here in Malaysia and perhaps Southeast Asia, this normalising of authoritarian measures as a means of political victory and a tool of economic and social stability is considered par for the course."

And really, even if this audio recording is real, if the establishment wanted to ignore it, it would. Remember when the videos implicating Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali first surfaced, what did the old maverick say about this?

“Obviously, somebody is trying to make use of me to achieve their purpose. This is not a usual video that you see before; this is purposely created in order to achieve certain nasty objectives to prevent somebody from making progress in politics.”

And all this scheming is not needed. We do not need a “big tent” coalition – although I think Harapan does not really understand what “big tent” means – or scheming with kleptocrats or making dubious alliances with god knows who to take down the PN regime.

Also, when Harapan says “kleptocrats” are not welcome, could Harapan give us a list of kleptocrats who are not welcome in this “big tent”? This way, people who support Harapan would be safe and secure in the knowledge they were not voting for kleptocrats or alleged kleptocrats, even though in the last general election, folks who were deemed kleptocrats were embraced by the Harapan faithful and indeed one of them became prime minister.

All that is needed to bring down this regime are MPs - no matter from which political party - to declare if they support the current prime minister or not. At this time, Umno is fractured to the point that various potentates and their proxies are waging war in the press. Can you imagine any kind of working relationship between Harapan and Umno at the moment?

Keep in mind what the prime minister said on the campaign stump in the Sabah state election: “The Bersatu president added that should he no longer qualify to be the prime minister, he has two options - to step down or recommend that the Agong dissolves Parliament.”

Aren't Harapan supporters sick and tired of this nonsense, which only demonstrates how intellectually and morally bankrupt the 'reformasi' movement is?

Doesn't the Harapan base just wish the opposition would concentrate on rebuilding and strengthening alliances within the opposition instead of attempting to forge alliances with members of the old regime, like what the Sheraton traitors did?

As long as Harapan continues playing this game, this hurts their electoral chances more than the forces aligned against them.