Malaysia’s sex-video scandal pits Anwar against Azmin – but Mahathir is the big winner

Analysts say the prime minister is throwing his weight behind Azmin, while he may simultaneously be trying to shore up his own party

The ever-shifting alliances in Malaysian politics could even see Mahathir’s son, Mukhriz, become a key figure in the tussle over who becomes the country’s next leader

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Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has deftly manoeuvred Malaysian politics over his seven-decade career. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:30pm, 23 Jul 2019Updated: 11:20pm, 24 Jul 2019

There are still unknowns in Malaysia’s now infamous sex-video scandal, which pitted political heavyweights Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali against each other, but analysts are sure of one thing – the big winner of the messy saga is Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Observers said the premier’s latest comments on the episode offered the clearest evidence yet that he was throwing his weight behind economic affairs minister Azmin, viewed in some circles as Mahathir’s blue-eyed boy and preferred successor over prime-minister-in-waiting Anwar.

The analysts also believe the 94-year-old’s actions may be a bid to shore up the clout of his own party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), in which his son, Mukhriz Mahathir, is fast on the rise.

PPBM along with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) – helmed by its president Anwar and deputy chief Azmin – make up two of the four parties in the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition.

The swirling scandal involves a series of sex videos leaked online in June, which former PKR member Haziq Abdul Aziz said showed him in a same-sex affair with Azmin.

The minister in turn has said the videos are fabricated and represent an “inside job”, with some in his inner circle privately suggesting it was the work of Anwar’s camp.

Police have said the mastermind behind the scandal leads a political party. Among nine people questioned over the saga is Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, Anwar’s political secretary.