Give Anwar some credit

Some people have been super critical of Anwar and Harapan for willing to work with Dr M to oppose Muhyiddin.

I've been super critical of how Harapan had adopted a policy of appeasement towards Dr M during their time in power. They basically kowtowed to him based on a mixture of fear and hope. They feared that he might torpedo the whole endeavor. They hoped that by letting him have his way, he would keep to his promise of handing over power to Anwar. This was a flawed policy from the start. Far from encouraging good behavior, it emboldened Dr M to run roughshod over Harapan's Manifesto. If anything, it encouraged bad behavior.

So, yes, for that I am super critical. But that's the past. Let's talk about now. Should they team up with Dr M again? That requires a nuanced answer. It's not a straight yes or no.

Right after the Sheraton Move, I said that Harapan needs to chart its own course without relying on the Dr M faction of Bersatu and without Warisan. Don't forget, Warisan's allegiance is with Dr M, it is not with Harapan.

What this means is, going into GE15, Harapan must aim to win enough seats to form the government without external help. To do this means the three parties of PKR, DAP and Amanah have to contest a lot more seats than they did in GE14. They have to contest in all areas where they think they can win, even if it's a seat that Bersatu or Warisan has staked a claim on.

If they win the elections (on their own) and Bersatu and Warisan want to continue to support Harapan, by all means but it will be on Harapan's terms.

Between now and GE15 though, the Opposition (led by Harapan) cannot let the Perikatan government go unchecked. So, Anwar, as the Opposition leader, has to work with other Opposition leaders such as Dr M and Shafie Apdal. It makes sense for the Opposition parties to be united.

Anwar and gang at Harapan are not stupid. They may have made a big strategic mistake the first time around but this time they will not let Bersatu dictate things. Back then, Dr M had the nuclear option of blowing everything up if he didn't get his way. What does he have now? There is no nuclear option anymore thanks to his former right-hand man Muhyiddin and his former blue-eyed boy, Azmin, who already used the nuclear option to jointly blow up the Harapan government. Dr M has no leverage anymore. The harsh reality is that he needs Harapan much, much more than Harapan needs him.

In any battle, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. It doesn't hurt Harapan to have Dr M wage battle against Muhyiddin and gang, provided Harapan never falls into the trap of relying on Dr M. Harapan must work on the basis that they have 92 MPs not 109 (the number they are believed to have if you include Dr M's Bersatu and Warisan). They can work with Dr M and gang to keep Perikatan in check but come GE15, they need to win at least 20 additional seats on their own so they can form a government without relying on parties outside of Harapan. This is not a tall order. It is very doable and something they should work on.