After almost six years in jail, Anwar is a free man. He says that his priority is not high political office but rather national unity and reform. He has also said repeatedly that he will remain with the opposition, though it is still not clear the exact role he sees for himself.

Some hope that Anwar will be the catalyst for the emergence of a stronger and more dynamic opposition. 'Anwar terajui perubahan' (Anwar spearheads change) is the headline of the latest copy of Harakah , the PAS party organ.

But whether a broad cross-section of Malaysians will accept Anwar's claim that he is serious about reform, and has what it takes, is another matter altogether.

No, I am not asking Anwar to account for his Umno past. I think that it does not serve much purpose to ask Anwar where he was when the judiciary was decimated in 1988 or what he was doing when Operasi Lalang took place.

While he was part of the status quo for many years, we should appreciate the fact that Anwar parted ways with the regime in 1998. Whatever the reason for this parting of ways, he has paid dearly.

People can change and Anwar should be given every opportunity to show the Malaysian public that he is serious about reform; not a man interested in political power, but a man interested in the creation of a just, free and democratic nation.

The acid test then is not the past, but rather how committed Anwar is to reformasi. His ability to garner support from a broad cross-section of Malaysians will depend on how he deals with some of the problems that plague the opposition and the movement for change.

One of the reasons the Barisan Alternatif (BA) was routed in the last general election was the conservative political line that PAS insisted on pushing. PAS' radical posturing after their triumph in 1999, made the Barisan Nasional appear more inclusive and accommodating than the BA.

Anwar needs to respond to PAS's conservative and exclusive approach to Islam if he wishes to build a movement that includes all Malaysians. He needs to take a stand vis--vis PAS rather than mollycoddle them. And he has to tell us where he stands.

Malaysians want to know what Anwar thinks about the Hudud Bill enacted by PAS in Terengganu. Malaysians need to know what Anwar thinks about PAS' Dokumen Negara Islam and PAS' intention to amend the Federal Constitution the very first chance they get.

Anwar needs to tell us if he is prepared to defend the Federal Constitution and the 1957 social contract. Anwar also needs to tell us where he stands in relation to PAS' policies regarding segregation and entertainment.

In short, Anwar needs to tell us how his Islam differs from that of PAS'. And Anwar must be explicit in this regard. He cannot behave like a politician and hide behind vague and general pronouncement. Rather, he needs to take clear positions on issues that PAS has introduced into the political arena.

In addition to this, Anwar must strive to be consistent. He cannot take a liberal line when speaking to the foreign media and then adopt a conservative Islamist line when he writes in Harakah .

People are not stupid. If Anwar is genuinely interested in reform he must be prepared to be honest and consistent.

There is also this attitude within a segment of the BA that it is all right to manipulate the masses with fake stories and rumours in order to gain political mileage. These past six years we have witnessed one spin after another speculation, misrepresentation and falsehood propagated as fact.

We are now in a situation where nobody, it seems, has any qualms about manipulating the masses. The BN manipulates the masses with the use of the mass media while elements within the opposition are prepared to manipulate the masses through the use of publications and pro-opposition websites.

Anwar needs to address this unhealthy practice. We need to be principled in our conduct irrespective of what BN does. It is wrong to manipulate the masses or resort to dirty tricks especially since we are the ones who promote this belief and promise in alaf baru/politik baru (new era/new politics).

Anwar must show his commitment to reform by promoting a political culture based on principles.

Finally, if Anwar is interested in reform, he has to be prepared to carry out political education and take his supporters to a higher level. He must be prepared to confront the more conservative elements within his own support base.

This he can do by taking clear and enlightened positions on sensitive issues pertaining to race and religion. It is also imperative that Anwar defuse the unhealthy phenomenon of cult that surrounds him. Genuine reform must be about policies and programmes, not about individuals or who is going to be the next leader.

I am happy that Anwar is out; happy for him and his family. Being out means that Anwar is finally in a position to address some of the thorny issues above.

Being serious about reform means being prepared to look critically at the movement for change and addressing its shortcomings. Reformasi cannot just be about criticising those in power or highlighting their shortcomings.

If Anwar is genuinely interested in reform he must give serious thought to some of the issues raised here and act on them. By doing so, he will help convince the Malaysian public that it is reformasi and genuine transformation, rather than power, that truly interests him.