COMMENT | With due respect to Malaysiakini columnist S Thayaparan, I feel he is shooting in all directions and does not even know who his enemy really is in the PAS-Madani issue.

The gist of Thayaparan’s recent piece is that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is no different than PAS in their ideology and political intentions. Nothing can be further than the truth.

Just because Anwar is seen doing a lot of “Islamic” things and making overtures for PAS does not mean anything directly in the world of realpolitik.

Let’s take a page from former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and first Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s history, shall we?

Mahathir recruited Anwar. Why? Was Mahathir smitten with the ideals of the Islamic reform? Those who have read and understood Mahathir know this was merely a political strategy to keep PAS at bay.

Mahathir knows that PAS was riding on the...