Najib denies offering 'unity government' to Anwar: It is "imagination" & "naughty"

 KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Najib Razak described as "imagination" and "naughty" the recent news reports that he had used intermediaries to propose forming a 'unity government' with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
"The report that quoted Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar as confirming there was an effort by Datuk Seri Mohd Najib to form a unity government is a political statement that is meant to be naughty," Najib said in a statement issued by his office.
"The efforts by former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla before the 13th General Election to obtain Datuk Seri Mohd Najib's and Datuk Seri Anwar's agreement to avoid personal attacks and accept the results is the only political agreement that exists."
Najib also revealed that according to Jusuf, Anwar had contacted him before the general election to obtain an agreement to respect the people's decision, which he agreed to.
"However, Anwar refused to do so as he alleged that there was foul play in the election process. Therefore, Anwar's statement of an effort to form a unity government is just a "creation and invention" for the interest of the opposition pact, especially for its leader," added Najib.
Najib also reiterated there could not be any discussion for a unity government unless Anwar and the rest of his Pakatan Rakyat coalition accepted the results of the controversial and fraud-tainted May 5 general elections.
The Opposition has previously rubbished this demand as "sheer posturing" and "unreasonable".
It was real but there was ulterior motive
There are many views and opinions as to how real is the prospect of a unity government, whether all the talk and speculation was stirred up to help Najib drive up his 'bargaining power' in Umno ahead of its election in October, or was it a complex ploy to split up the Pakatan Rakyat.
For PKR, the Pakatan party at the centre of the maelstrom, Najib's denial was to be expected.
"We can only repeat what we have been saying. The offer was made and it was for Anwar to become deputy prime minister and bring in 4 leaders from PKR into the Cabinet. That is not a unity government to us. That is like asking PKR to join BN," Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
"For us, it is business as usual. We have already turned down the offer and we don't expect it to go any further. It will end here."
For Anwar and PKR, that may be so. But for Najib, Umno insiders say it is just the beginning!
Bringing Anwar back to the Umno fold
Umno leaders and grassroots have been unsettled by news of the unity government.
Many in Umno who had hoped for Anwar to return to the fold would be thrilled if it really came true.
Anwar was one of the most popular Umno leaders, holding the post of deputy president and deputy prime minister before he was sacked and jailed in 1998 by the then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who had feared Anwar's phenomenal rise.
Those who are close to Najib expect him to make full use of this episode to brag to Umno how he had tried to bring Anwar back to their party.

In Najib's first term as Umno president, he had succeeded in getting Mahathir to re-join Umno. Mahathir had resigned in anger at what he alleged was the incompetence of the then president, Abdullah Badawi.
Najib had hoped that by hooking Anwar, it would help him to win a second term as the Umno president. Even though Najib didn't quite succeed, his people believe the Umno grassroots will forgive him and appreciate his 'initiative'.
Cuts both ways: Stalemate all round
But there are also others in Umno who suspect Najib of trying to harm their party by consorting with the 'enemy' as Anwar is after all the Opposition Leader now.
Some take the view that Najib has bungled badly. They expect his rivals to exploit this failure as proof of his political naivete and inability to bring to fruition any effort.
"To make an offer to just PKR alone while leaving out DAP and PAS tells you everything. It is like extending an invitation you know won't be accepted. So yes, it cuts both ways. His enemies will say he is not smart and is insincere to make an offer he knows is bound to fail," an Umno watcher told Malaysia Chronicle.
The Umno watcher also explained that apart from PKR, the Najib camp had been ready to deal with DAP. However, the stumbling block was PAS.
"Umno tries to be holier than thou but they aren't really keen to bring in an Islamist into the equation. Perhaps there are already too many Malays in Umno as it is fighting for too few positions," he said.
"But I don't think PKR and DAP can abandon PAS. They are stuck too, the 3 of them need each other. So it is stalemate all round. If you want change, then the only way is through the ballot box and electing a new government, not through a unity government. That is just too complex and Umno is just too old-fashioned to be able to handle it."
Malaysia Chronicle