The Sept 16 'heartbreaker'

The excitement in the air was so thick that one would have needed a chainsaw to cut through it all.

For weeks, it had been the talk of the town and when dawn finally arrived on that fateful day, the nation awoke to the possibility that things might never be the same again.

Throughout the day, the telephones buzzed incessantly with curious friends and relatives at the other end wanting to know if it would actually happen.

The online traffic at Malaysiakini escalated to dizzying heights.

An acquaintance later revealed that he had visited the website every 15 minutes to check for the 'Breaking News'.

There were also those forming a beeline at grocery stores in an attempt to stock up on essential items in the event all hell breaks loose should the unthinkable unravel.

All this because of one man - Anwar Ibrahim - and his promise that on Sept 16, Malaysia will have a new government and a new prime minister.

The nation had waited with bated breath to witness a roaring change but there was hardly a whimper. Like a time bomb that failed to detonate.

As the clocked ticked away and it became increasingly apparent that the opposition leader would not be storming through the gates of Putrajaya and that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would still be prime minister on Sept 17, many Malaysians were left disappointed and puzzled.

In the end, it was another (Zaid) Ibrahim that stole the limelight with his frank and hard-hitting comments about the prime minister and his cabinet.

Anti-climax

While some were relieved that the country did not plunge into chaos or the army did not roll out its tanks, the general feeling was one of being let down by a political arousal that failed to climax.

Sept 16 - a date etched into the mind of every Malaysian turned out to be nothing more than another working Tuesday. History was not made.

Some were quick to defend Anwar, saying that he would have (toppled the government) if he could have. There were just too many obstacles and last-minute unscrupulous tactics employed by his rivals, forcing him to postpone the 'inevitable'.

According to them, it does not matter whether it was Sept 16 or Oct 16, the important thing is that change would occur.

However, the Sept 16 debacle could prove to be an own goal for the opposition leader as far as the trust factor is concerned. Many had truly believed that change would happen but are now seeing red.

They are upset with the former deputy premier for creating so much anxiety and tension over the weeks. He did this with much help from his rivals who also chose to harp on the issue just as much as him. And for what?

Was it a gimmick?

"Was it a gimmick all along? Did he do this just to make his opponents uncomfortable and in the process feed us with false hope?" a disgruntled supporter posed these questions over dinner.

"If it was just a gimmick, then how can we trust him? If he has enough BN MPs on his side, he should just reveal their names and get it done instead of taking the people on a ride," she added.

"I was convinced it would happen," remarked a lawyer friend with a sigh. "I spent a lot of (mobile phone) credit forwarding all those SMS about the issue. Now, I feel heartbroken."

According to one observer, the euphoria was not so much related to Anwar becoming prime minister but rather a reflection of the people's desire for change and their curiosity to see if such a scenario was actually possible.

In other words, Sept 16 had captured the imagination of the entire nation.

Rest assured that BN leaders and the mainstream media would rip the opposition leader to pieces over this episode. From top to bottom, they would brand him a liar and dismiss Sept 16 as nothing more than a cheap political stunt.

From the other side of the fence, excuses and justifications would pour in. To be fair, opposition politicians had over the past days conceded that the deadline for the 'takeover' might have to be postponed.

Another spin

At a press conference yesterday afternoon, Anwar gave the issue another spin.

He claimed to have 31 defectors, including cabinet ministers, on the list and called upon Abdullah not to impose emergency rule in a bid to thwart the imminent political coup.

As usual, he chose not to reveal the names of the defectors and expressed his intention to meet with the prime minister to discuss a smooth transition of power.

Abdullah, however, rejected the possibility of a meeting and dismissed the opposition leader's claims as hogwash.

Sharing his thoughts on this, a BN supporter asked why doesn't the prime minister meet with his adversary and settle the issue once and for all.

He also conveyed his displeasure over the uncertainty the nation was facing in terms of political leadership.

"If Abdullah is so confident there are no defectors, then he should just hold the meeting, call the press and expose Anwar for the liar that he is. Why give him more room and time to peddle this gimmick?"

"Now there is talk that (Deputy Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) is going for the jugular and this could happen in a matter of days, if not hours. There is so much speculation going around that the people are confused and concerned.

"So who would be prime minister next Monday? Is Abdullah still going to be there, maybe the number two would become number one or could it be Anwar. This state of uncertainty cannot be allowed to continue."

Sept 16 might have turned out to be a dud but there is an important lesson for the embattled ruling coalition which could prove perilous if ignored.

The powers-that-be must not overlook the fact that the people were generally disappointed that there was no change of government.

It appears that Malaysians are craving for something different and are willing to experiment.

So if it is not Anwar and his political coup, BN might just find the scales tipping over in the next general election if it is not careful.

---

RK Anand is a member of the Malaysiakini team.