Nothing petrifies the Barisan Nasional (BN) government more these days than Anwar Ibrahim: if he keeps quiet, if he does not, if he stays in Kuala Lumpur, if he moves about the country, if he travels abroad, if he does not.

It wants to see the last of him, tries its best to make him disappear, metaphorically if not physically. It tried to, but failed each time. It thought it had him when he was convicted in a series of trials kangaroos would applaud, but few else, for corruption and sodomy and corruption. But the judiciary, in the end, decided that its courts should not be the domain of kangaroos, and six years to the day his ordeal began, he was a free man.

Much to everyone's surprise, Anwar rose to the occasion. Let bygones be bygones. He could not forget the past but he would forgive those who placed him there. He could not forget but that is a private belief, not one of national policy. All that matters now is the future.

The BN, especially Umno, on the other hand took extraordinary steps to block his return to politics. It did so in such a hamfisted manner that it pushed Anwar right into the midst of Umno, a ghost perching on the shoulder of every uncomfortable leader. With every misstep, he rose high in the people's estimation.

He makes his point when he appears, and when he does not. He moves around the country anonymously since the newspapers, which BN controls, ignores him. He creates waves when he does. He travels overseas, and is the face of Malaysia especially, but not exclusively, in the Middle East, in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas. He presents the Malaysian view better than the government could. In short, BN does not know what to make of him.