'Choose your first boss wisely': Ex-reformasi icon recalls old mistakes under 'master of perception'

The man who was once one of Anwar Ibrahim's closest allies says he is not surprised by the PKR president's failure to make good on many of his promises upon becoming prime minister, describing it as part of his practice of basing his reputation on perception.

For Ezam Mohd Nor, who was the backbone of Anwar's reformasi movement in the late 1990s, the prime minister is an "actor".

"Here's what I see in Anwar. P Ramlee acted in films, but Anwar acts outside of films. That's his advantage. He is a great actor. He is a master of perception, he builds his reputation on perceptions," Ezam said.

On several occasions during his interview with MalaysiaNow, Ezam also referred to his former boss as a "con man".

When told that the term might be too harsh for publication, he explained:

"It's just that Anwar is a great con man. That is the modus operandi of conmen.

"He moves from place to place. He cannot stay at one point because he is based on perception. He is the best at talking, the best at presenting himself.

"A con man is not a thief. Thieves, we can see, look like bandits. Con men, they are the smartest, the most handsome, the best at talking."

Like many others who worked for Anwar, Ezam was young when he was first recruited by the politician.

Now 58, he recalled his days as a student leader in his final year of studying economics at International Islamic University Malaysia, at a time when the country was embroiled in a judicial crisis sparked by the dismissal of Salleh Abas as lord president.

He said that Salleh, despite his status as the highest judge in the country, had joined the university's Arabic night classes which he attended as a student alongside other members of the public.

Ezam was among those who spoke out against Salleh's dismissal, including before Anwar who was the education minister and president of the university at the time.

"He (Anwar) tried to explain. As a student leader then, I stated my protest. After that, he sent his people to meet me. I hadn't finished studying yet but he offered me a job at his think tank, the Institute for Policy Studies."

Ezam went on to become part of Anwar's inner circle, up until the dramatic events of Sept 2, 1998, when Dr Mahathir Mohamad sacked Anwar from his Cabinet and party positions following accusations of immorality and abuse of power.

Temporary friends

Ezam and several others, including prominent thinker Chandra Muzaffar and Anwar's former private secretary Azmin Ali, later formed Parti Keadilan Nasional which became known as PKR.

Despite being pioneers of the reformasi movement that brought Anwar to power, all three are now considered enemies.

Ezam said Anwar struggled to maintain long-term support due to his perception-based politics.

Adding that none of Anwar's followers was truly loyal, he said Anwar's struggle was not based on consistent principles, but on perception.

"That's why ever since the start of Parti Keadilan, the people around him were always changing. Five years down the road, those who are with him now might not be there anymore," he said.

He also said he would not be surprised if many who were considered close to Anwar today eventually became his enemies, giving the example of Farhash Wafa Salvador whom Anwar had only recently called his good friend.

'Fill up Dataran, topple the old man'

During the reformasi movement, he said Anwar had taught him the importance of large-scale protest rallies as a weapon to challenge the government.

But he said the same weapon had now turned on its master, as was seen during the "Turun Anwar" gathering in July which was attended by tens of thousands, making it the biggest demonstration since Anwar took office.

"That was his formula for me," he said. "I was the one who led the demonstration during his first sodomy case, when I was the youth leader of Parti Keadilan Nasional," he said.

"He told me, 'What are you waiting for? Go protest throughout Kuala Lumpur.' I still remember him saying that: 'You lead the Youth to run amok all over Kuala Lumpur.'

"That's what I did for Black 14," he said, referring to the demonstration on April 14, 2001 to protest the six-year jail term handed down to Anwar for four charges of corruption.

Ezam said Anwar had wanted Dataran Merdeka turned into a sea of people to show the people's rejection of Mahathir.

"That's what was said to me. We want to topple Mahathir, we need to fill up Dataran Merdeka. Fill Dataran Merdeka, topple the old man," he added.

"That's his formula. That's his benchmark. So I can imagine that Anwar is in a state of fear right now."

'The wrong boss'

Ezam served a total of three years behind bars in his service to Anwar, under the Internal Security Act and the Official Secrets Act.

But he said there was no question of regret about the choices he had made.

He said his personal weaknesses included having chosen the wrong boss.

"I always tell the youth, your first boss is very important. He is the one who will shape you and have a major impact on you.

"If you choose the wrong boss, you will have a long journey before you can readjust. In my case, I chose Anwar Ibrahim as my leader in terms of politics, struggle and so on. In the end, it was a disaster."

Ezam, who is now with PAS, also acknowledged his tendency to switch parties.

He said his goal was to build a party focused on combating corruption – a goal which ultimately failed.

In the end, he joined PAS, a decision he said had given him peace.

"I joined PAS after having given up everything. I have retired, I no longer want to be in politics."