This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on July 22, 2019 - July 28, 2019

The failure of the police to bring to a satisfactory conclusion the affair of the compromising videos that allegedly involved PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has caused a lot of collateral damage to parties who were not involved.

The people, too, are being sucked into the gutter politics.

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been steadfast in his support of his deputy, insisting that nobody should prejudge the issue until the police complete their investigation.

But Anwar said if Azmin were the other “actor”, then he should resign. We could see that Anwar was trying to maintain an upright position, knowing full well that people would be assessing his sense of justice and fair play, as the issue concerns someone deemed to be very close to him.

Anwar did not make any legal or moral judgement, but left it entirely to the police and Azmin to deal with the problem.

Azmin, probably feeling abandoned by Anwar, retorted by asking Anwar to look in the mirror, whatever he means by that.

Suddenly, the twists and turns to the story are becoming uglier. Anwar, Azmin, PKR and Pakatan Harapan are embroiled in a family fight.

The enemies outside and within are having a good time. At last, they have found a way to drive a wedge between the two leaders. Some puppet masters behind the scenes somewhere are having a gleeful time with the plots and sub-plots of the drama unfolding according to their script. Many other fringe players are also jumping onto the bandwagon as they try to complete their own sinister agendas.

Yes, that is how it will turn out if Anwar and Azmin were to allow the destructive and dark forces to hold sway on events and developments.

But it should not be that way. Under no circumstances should Anwar and Azmin allow a very close, personal relationship and a political crusade between them that spanned more than 40 years to flounder on a slight misunderstanding, misapprehension or injured feelings.

Anwar has said that he remains steadfast in his opinion that the police should complete their investigations and that nobody should pressure Azmin to resign or take leave. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has taken a similar position.

So, there is no need for Anwar or Azmin and their supporters to cause further strain on both leaders and the party. Now is the time for cool heads to work together and protect the larger interests of the party. Party stalwarts must remain united to defend it from divisive forces.

Everybody in PKR knows too well how close Anwar is to Azmin.

In 1987, on Mahathir’s advice, Azmin started working for Anwar, then a minister in Mahathir’s government. Azmin served as Anwar’s personal and political secretary through his tenure as deputy prime minister from 1993 until the latter’s dramatic sacking in 1998.

Azmin remained close to Anwar after the dismissal, together founding the party that is now known as PKR.

They have gone through trials and tribulations together, facing the oppressive political prosecution and persecution under successive prime ministers — Mahathir, Tun Abdullah Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

They suffered anguish and humiliation when their personal and family lives were brought under close scrutiny, with lies, slander and deceit spilling out all over the media and in court, in an attempt to destroy their reputations and the fledgling opposition. While Anwar was in jail, it was Azmin and Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who held the fort and kept the spirit of “reformasi” alive.

There is no denying that Azmin was destined for bigger things. He was elected to the Selangor state assembly, then to the Dewan Rakyat, later becoming the menteri besar of Selangor and now as the powerful economic affairs minister.

Despite conspiracy theories surrounding his sudden elevation, including suggestions that he is being groomed as the next PM, it is well known that Anwar will be the one to succeed Mahathir when he calls it a day.

Under Anwar’s premiership, there will always be a special place and position for Azmin. In my reckoning, next to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as deputy PM under the power-sharing equation within PH, Azmin is the next key figure who comes to mind.

We know only too well that Anwar has always been protective of Azmin. Ezam Mohd Noor found out to his cost that Anwar would always support Azmin when it comes to the crunch.

Many have been ousted from Anwar’s inner circle over their differences with Azmin. Even Wan Azizah is aware that Anwar has always regarded Azmin a dear brother. Many within the inner chambers of PKR have to work within the ambit of such constraints.

Now, the police have revealed that the videos in question are authentic, although they are unable to confirm or determine who the actors are. It seems we are coming to some kind of closure of the case. At least that is how it looks.

The police findings will not make everybody happy. And, given the earlier findings of other forensic experts, they are bound to be challenged by unhappy parties. The credibility and integrity of the police will likewise be challenged.

Already, certain parties from Umno have taken the videos to Jakarta for in-depth analysis by forensic experts there.

The fallout from the latest disclosures by the police remains to be seen. But it would be naive of us to expect that the matter will now be treated as “case closed”.

Given the current political dynamic, with many stakeholders having their own agendas, we can expect more twists and turns to the story.

But at least for Mahathir, Anwar, Azmin and their respective supporters, it has given them the legitimacy to treat the matter as over and to close ranks and move on with the management of the nation.

Now is the time for sober heads to take over and rule the day. Now is the time for Anwar, Azmin and PKR to move forward, away from the gutter politics that has engulfed the nation for so long.

As the elder statesman, Mahathir, too, should help bring the matter to a proper close. In this context, the people should take comfort from the fact that there have been positive developments.

All’s well that ends well.

Wan Haron Wan Hassan is a senior practising lawyer and is active in civil society movements. He is also a former treasurer of the  Umno Kota Baru division (2004-2008).This article first appeared in Free Malaysia Today.

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