An article by malaysiakini writer Sulaiman Abdul Manan has caught my eye. He has questioned Pak Lah's statement that Anwar Ibrahim is no longer a factor in Malaysian politics, and has gone further as to challenge Pak Lah to release Anwar based on this fact.

Quote: Kalau benar Anwar bukan faktor, saya cabar Pak Lah untuk lepaskan Anwar dari kurungan di Sungai Buloh hari ini juga .

Of course, we all know what Pak Lah's reaction to this will be. This challenge will without doubt be ignored. This, of course, will then in turn be taken by the opposition as a sign that Pak Lah is 'frightened' of Anwar Ibrahim's power over the people.

Sulaiman was not bothered to mention the fact that Anwar Ibrahim is currently serving a jail sentence after he was found guilty, therefore, there is no justification for Pak Lah to release him. Are we to expect our premiere to go around the jailhouses releasing prisoners every time he is challenged?

In his article, Sulaiman revisits the Anwar case at this crucial moment in Malaysian politics, no doubt to remind the people of the cause and justifications of Keadilan. Anwar was the party's strongest asset. The people's pity for him and the 'injustice' that has been dealt by the government towards him, is the sole reason that the party even exists. In fact, it is quite safe to say that the whole purpose of Party Keadilan Rakyat was to see Anwar released from prison and turned into the new leader of Malaysia Baru.

The Anwar factor was never a factor for Barisan Nasional. Even when the issue was hot, and the people gripped in a torrent of confused emotions, Keadilan did not manage to wrestle that many votes. But the Anwar factor is considered 'the' factor for Keadilan.

It has been the main focus of the party, ever since its establishment. They have spent their entire resources on reformasi campaigns under Anwar Ibrahim posters and even now, six years later, they are still standing on that same corner, singing that same old song.

Keadilan has never made a move to tackle the economic and social development problems faced by the country. And yes, I stand today and say that under the BN rule, there are problems in the country. To ask for a government that can deliver a country free of problems, is to ask for Utopia, which I fully believe, no government in the world has ever achieved.

But now that time is running out, and political analysts are making strong statements about Keadilan's dangerous position, we find Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail appearing in public with only one speech. A reminder to the people, that her husband is still in jail.

While reading Sulaiman's synopsis of the Anwar case, and revisiting the incident within his article and by also reading about the current campaign strategy of Dr Wan Azizah, I cannot help but get the feeling that Keadilan is working for a single purpose - to somehow attribute the fact that Anwar is still in jail as a sign of his power over the BN instead of simply that of a convict serving out his sentence.

Through the past eight days of campaigning, Keadilan has once again proven that they cannot move beyond Anwar Ibrahim and Mahathir Mohamad, and start focussing on the people.

A reminder to all politicians and political parties. You are not a factor in the general election. The people are.