COMMENT When the announcement was made that PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim would contest the Kajang by-election in a move engineered by those close to him, it was obvious that he is bidding for the state seat with the intention of becoming the next Selangor menteri besar.

The camps in PKR which have supported the 'Kajang move' reasoned that the current MB, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, does not have the political acumen to fend off political attacks by the BN in the country’s richest state.

The argument has been that the MB office is a political post and the party needs a seasoned politician, not a shrewd economic maestro like Khalid, to be in that position.

                

It initially appeared that Anwar's biggest obstacle on his route to become MB should he win the by-election would be the Selangor palace, which must consent to his appointment.

But three days is an awfully long time in politics. In the last 72 hours, Abdul Khalid has pulled off two last-minute surprises that could leave his own party comrades revising their strategies.

On Wednesday, he signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the federal government to finalise a deal for the state to take over water concessionaires, effectively bringing an end to a six-year saga between the state and federal authorities.

 

He proceeded to reveal in an interview later with The Star that he had purposely kept the party leaders in the dark over the issue after admitting that some of them, without naming anyone, attempted to influence the valuation of the four water concession companies.

Last night, he announced, with less fanfare, that he would challenge Azmin Ali for the PKR deputy president’s post, which is likely to be defended by his nemesis.

Not giving up without a fight

Does Khalid really lack the political acumen as claimed by his own party members? The last three days show that the 67-year-old man can pull out a surprise or two from his sleeve.

Politics is often a game of perception. While Abdul Khalid seemed comfortable with his image of being shrewd and apolitical for much of his term as MB, it seems he had found a new spring in his step.

For a man who had helmed so many companies with a decent, if not great track record, it is unlikely for him not to have some political acumen. Abdul Khalid did play his cards right to get the MB post in the first place, and it did not happen due to sheer luck. Moreover, he has surrounded himself with a retinue of hard-headed political advisers.

While the past five years had been all about the state, its financial reserves and resources, now Abdul Khalid is sending out a clear message to his party leaders - he is not going to give up the MB post without a fight.

The presence of close to 22 PKR division leaders when Abdul Khalid made the announcement of his decision to run for the deputy president post at his residence last night could not be taken lightly, even if Azmin ( right ) is regarded as being popular in the party and is still a favourite to beat Abdul Khalid in the contest.

And having made a habit of keeping his cards very close to his chest (for political and not executive reasons this time), Abdul Khalid could still come up with a few more tricks to try and secure either his position in the party or his position as MB, as he had insisted that he would like to see out his second term as MB.

Khalid may go for broke

What makes Abdul Khalid a dangerous political opponent at this juncture for his detractors and rivals is that he has next to nothing to lose. Having already made plenty of money in his corporate avatar, Abdul Khalid's only motivation is the legacy he leaves behind when he steps down as Selangor MB.

He does not have to join camps or try to appease anyone in order to secure a long political career. He can go for broke and place all his bets in this one round.

Whether he wins or not seems to be secondary. What's important here is he could give Anwar a run for his money.

And that is why, Anwar's biggest challenge is not winning the by-election or securing the confidence of the Selangor palace - his biggest challenge would only start after the Kajang by-election (provided he wins) on March 23 when the party puts together the final act of the Kajang move.

Indeed, the move could become an even bigger political saga than what it already is. With the party elections in April, PKR is heading for challenging internal battle that is sure to spill over at the party polls.

RAM ANAND is a member of the Malaysiakini team.