“No, [I’m not an optimist]. I am an ameliorist, which is something I made up. I believe that the glass is half full. It’s just probably poisoned. And so my job is always to be on the hunt for the antidote.” - American politician Stacey Abrams

COMMENT | Former ambassador Dennis Ignatius wrote a timely piece on the dynamics at play with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s collaboration.

Dennis rightly questions if Zahid will drag Anwar down. I have a different take on this issue.

First of all, Anwar and Zahid do not have different priorities. They both want to remain in power. Anwar as PM and Zahid as “the Big Cheese” in Umno thereby supposedly forestalling whatever legal consequences he may have to face.

Both need each other in a way that sustains the Malay political establishment, which is currently threatened by the rise of the religio-fascist alliance headed by PAS.

Dennis is right when he says Anwar talks about good governance, accountability, and the importance of political stability but here is the thing, Anwar is extremely good at talking and extremely hesitant in translating that into deeds.

This coalition government does not have...