Malaysia’s Anwar-Azmin rivalry expected to end in ‘uneasy truce’, for now, as PM Mahathir Mohamad enters fray

The premier has been invited to an event organised by the PKR, of which Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali are leaders, in the wake of a gay sex scandal

But while Mahathir’s involvement will bring about a ceasefire between the two men, who are both designated to succeed him, analysts say the rivalry will continue to intensify

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:25pm, 19 Jul 2019Updated: 4:22pm, 20 Jul 2019

An ugly public stand-off between Malaysian political heavyweights Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali over a leaked gay sex tape may be staved off, at least for the moment, said insiders and analysts on Friday as the prime minister entered the fray in purported truce talks.

Mahathir Mohamad attended a “retreat” organised by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) late on Friday, even though the elder statesman is from a different political party.

In a speech, he did not make a reference to the sex videos or any individual but urged his coalition’s leaders not to lose sight of responsibilities and expectations.

“We must also ask ourselves whether we will continue to get the people’s mandate if they see us constantly fighting for power, when without realizing that it is the fighting that will cause us to lose power,” he said.

PKR, helmed by its president Anwar and deputy chief Azmin, is the largest party in the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition, holding 50 out of the bloc’s 129 seats.

Political analyst Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani said the latest developments suggested the headline-grabbing tussle “will very likely end with an uneasy truce”, because both Azmin and Anwar – designated to succeed 94-year-old Mahathir – had nothing to gain by confronting each other at this stage.