COMMENT | Politics is a contact sport. In some countries, it is almost literally a blood sport. People get shot, killed, and permanently maimed. 

When writers use "sports" as an analogy to understand the dynamics of politics, they had better know the game and the rules of engagement.

Columnist Mariam Mokhtar claimed that Anwar Ibrahim scored an "own goal" in his Port Dickson move, by pushing for a by-election.

By that, she probably meant an own goal as in football. But own goals are rare in football.

Scientific research has shown in the past 30 years, that an average footballer does not have more than 40 to 50 touches of the ball throughout the normal 90-minute game.

When all 22 players race and chase for the ball, the amount of time you can actually dribble, stroke, and nudge the ball a few meters forward comes to no more than a few seconds.

In total, all footballers barely have more than two to three minutes with the ball.

But that still does not detract from the fact that every footballer – including world greats like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – does not have more than three minutes of contact with the ball.

When they do have those three minutes, they have to either defend their possession, make a decent pass, or, ideally score a goal.

Mariam argued that the Port Dickson move was an own goal for Anwar. While one does not have to take the metaphor literally, one does not have to accept the analogy either.

It can't be an own goal if the waiting time to return to the field of politics has been over 10.5 years, rather than a mere 90 minutes.

No injury time

If Anwar has the political stature equivalent to the talent of football greats such as Messi, Ronaldo, or Neymar, would it make sense for the manager to keep Anwar on the sidelines further, especially after the Agong has granted him a complete pardon?

Any great manager would immediately answer no. George Best was a perennial bad boy. Ditto Eric Cantona, who attacked a fan on the side of pitch. Diego Maradona, towards the later stage of his career, resorted to using drugs to pump up his performance.

Come what may, the moment these players attained match fitness, their managers would immediately send them to the field. The Port Dickson move was made due to a sense of urgency: any further delay would have jeopardised the performance of Pakatan Harapan in three ways.

One, given the untraceable amount of money from 1MDB, who knows what stunts Umno will be pulling? If Mahathir were to be injured, wouldn't it be reassuring to have Anwar Ibrahim already be an MP?

Yes, it would – as all other MPs in Pakatan Harapan, with no offence to Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, would look to Anwar Ibrahim for immediate inspiration.

Mahathir, Daim Zainuddin, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Mohamad Sabu and Salahuddin Ayub are all aware of the risks. Thus, it is better to swear in Anwar first, especially when he has vouched to give Mahathir a free rein.

Two, time is not on Malaysia’s side. In 20 years, Malaysia will age. Unless all hands are on deck to prevent the top-heavy national debt of RM1.09 trillion from destroying the country, Malaysia will be skirting with danger.

Three, just as each footballer gets three minutes or more to change the complexion of the game, the same goes for good governance. Unless Anwar is in Parliament, how can the vision of a better Malaysia be articulated?

It is cute to use the analogy of an own goal to underscore a point. But an own goal can be caused by oneself after a melee with the opposing members. It is a goal made in confusion.

Pakatan Harapan suffers from no confusion at all. All are in favour of the return of Anwar Ibrahim. They want his policy impact to count. Mariam seems to want to keep Anwar in cold storage first.

But then at what cost, especially at this juncture when Malaysia is faced with the need of quick and sweeping reform?

PHAR KIM BENG was a multiple award-winning Head Teaching Fellow on China and Cultural Revolution in Harvard University.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.