COMMENT | With all due respect to Malaysiakini columnist S Thayaparan, I feel like he is shooting in all directions and doesn’t even know who his enemy really is in the PAS-Madani issue.

The gist of Thayaparan’s recent article is that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is no different from PAS in his ideology and political intentions. Nothing can be further than the truth.

The fact that Anwar is seen doing a lot of “Islamic” things and making overtures in favor of PAS means nothing directly in the world of realpolitik.

Let’s take a page from the history of former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, shall we?

Mahathir recruited Anwar. For what? Was Mahathir enamored of the ideals of Islamic reform? Those who have read and understood Mahathir know that this was simply a political strategy to keep PAS at bay.

Mahathir knows that PAS was riding on…