Mahathir vs Abdullah Badawi. Where is Anwar Ibrahim in all this?

I have to admit, there's one factor in this whole Tun M - Pak Lah feud that I haven't considered much. And that's Anwar Ibrahim.

Articles from Raja Petra Kamarudin have alluded slightly to the Anwar factor, and so too, have many of the commentators on Malaysia Today. But nobody is exactly sure what role Anwar plays in all this.

But there are a few pieces of information that links everything together.

1. Tun M is pissed. And nobody is sure exactly why he's so pissed. It can't be for the simple things like a discontinued bridge or a sacked Proton CEO. As important as these things may seem, they're actually quite trivial in the overall scheme of things. But good as smokescreens to keep everyone busy.

2. The PM's son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin is central to all this. The recent speeches by Tun M, press conferences by Nazri are testament to that. But initially, I was under the impression that Tun M was angry at Khairy for his ties with Singapore (and the apparently increasing loss of Malaysia's national interests to Singapore). I thought that formed the basis of Tun M's allegation that Malaysia was losing her sovereignty.

3. But the freeing of Anwar Ibrahim soon after Pak Lah comes into power, and the recent mistrial judgement regarding Sukma Dermawan's conviction - lends to the notion that Anwar Ibrahim is a player or a pawn in all this intrigue and the govt of Pak Lah is somehow un-encumbering him for some reason.

4. Raja Petra Kamrudin has alleged that Khairy (soon after Pak Lah was installed), boasted that he will put Daim Zainuddin and Tun M in jail. Moves have already been made against Daim. The ongoing Metramac case where the presiding judge, Gopal Sri Ram in his preliminary judgement - implicated former Finance Minister Daim, as having his finger in the pie. Only time will tell if this will snowball against Daim.

Could the reversal of Anwar Ibrahim's legal fortunes, then be construed as a move against Tun M? Anwar already has a civil suit pending against Tun M. Will the govt do all in its power to let that carry through in court and put Tun M in real legal trouble? Possibly facing jail time? The recent poison pen letter against the judiciary under Tun M's time and the revelation of former TNB boss, Ani Arope, targetted at exposing Tun M's alleged misdeeds - are also of impeccable timing.

So, therefore and to summarise,

- is Tun M making a ruckus because he is angry that Pak Lah / Khairy are undermining the country's sovereignty

OR

- is he angry that Pak Lah / Khairy are not doing enough to protect him from the past or indeed have actually masterminded & initiated the increasing legal momentum against him by freeing Anwar Ibrahim and allowing old skeletons to surface?