LETTER | Many people may be aghast at this claim. How could it be? Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the saviour of the country for having toppled the corrupt-to-the-core Umno-led regime. So how could he have caused such trouble to the country?

But let me ask this question. If Mahathir has not been entangling the premiership's succession for so long, enticing Azmin Ali and unsettling Anwar Ibrahim, would it have led to the present crisis in PKR that may not only break up the party but also trigger the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan coalition? 

The latter is a high possibility, considering the inherent incompatibility between Mahathir and Anwar. mThe sex video is only a spark. But the explosive elements have been accumulating for some time.

To prove my point, Mahathir has only to announce his categorical commitment to hand over power to Anwar on a specific date, which should be a decision reached at a Harapan presidential council meeting and the turmoil in PKR would subside and the Harapan coalition could return its focus to fulfilling its reformasi pledges to the electorate.

Why can’t Mahathir do it if he has no intention to dishonour his commitment to the Harapan consensus before the last election? And why can’t the collective leadership of Harapan insist that this is done?

Unless the source of conflict is eliminated as suggested above, the present conflict will only worsen, leading to a tragic ending.

It is, hence, imperative that Harapan must be decisive now if it doesn’t want to risk losing its only chance to save the country from unrelenting decline.

Now, a word on the motive of sex video plot. My advice is to keep an open mind. 

Do not confine the possibility as only an attempt to injure Azmin politically. There are other possibilities such as a manoeuvre to prevent Anwar from assuming the premiership or a conspiracy to break up the Harapan coalition. The respective motivators should be self-evident.

Our priority at this movement is to save the coalition as suggested, relegating the sex video issue to a due resolution in accordance with the rule of law.

The writer is the author of the banned book The March to Putrajaya and the bestseller Where to, Malaysia?

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