COMMENT | It’s time to remind ourselves about what brought us here today, lest the enemy distracts us from the truth.

The fact is that Anwar Ibrahim and Dr Mahathir Mohamad have buried the hatchet a long time ago, dedicating themselves towards engineering regime change and the downfall of a seemingly unbeatable BN government.

In a world with no Anwar, there’ll be no Reformasi, no strong Pakatan alliance that laid the groundwork in previous elections, that sowed the seeds of a strong opposition.

Altogether, in a world with no 2018-era Mahathir, there will be no crucial support from the rural Malay hinterlands that tipped the scale in GE14.

There would have been none without the other.

It’s not Mahathir vs Anwar. It’s Mahathir + Anwar, working to save our country and bring power back to the people. This unlikely alliance has energised and vindicated many Malaysians including myself.

Some say Mahathir stole the thunder from the opposition when he sparked the first historic defeat of the BN. But to me, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Anwar said in Singapore recently it should have been him - leading Malaysia as prime minister.

Still, despite the repeated prodding, Anwar has always reiterated his support for Tun’s leadership.

Right now, there seems to be an orchestrated campaign against Anwar (photo) as the next prime minister.

There are allegations that Anwar is power hungry. You tell me, which politician is not? Only with power can a political leader effect change.

In fact, planting the seeds of hatred against Anwar - a former finance minister - will cost Malaysia a strong set of able hands that can steer the nation forward after Mahathir leaves.

Malaysians overseas acknowledge Anwar as the next prime minister.

We support his concept of Islamic agenda with a balance in the modern, multi-racial and multi-cultural Malaysia.

Anwar has said if he wins in the upcoming Port Dickson by-elections, he’ll work towards making our Parliament more effective. That will be a great start.

While we Malaysians all love a good political drama, it’s time for us to take a step back.

We have to work together to progress. Trust Anwar + Mahathir for the job.

KC CHEAH is an associate fellow of the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Thoughts Institute and has been a special advisor to the UAE sovereign investment arm since 2015.

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