KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--'Nobody but Anwar' (NBA) and 'Anybody but Anwar' (ABA) are two Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCDs) amongst opposition supporters, including many politicians and opinion leaders who are level headed in most other matters.

No, we should not choose a leader PRIMARILY based on experience of imprisonment, lifelong ambition, age or region.

Most importantly, we should not JUST bet on one leader or another on their ability to attract defectors from the opposite camp.

Not when you have been complaining about the opposite camp for buying frogs.

At the end, the logic of parliamentary democracy demands a PM candidate to lead his/her candidates to win majority of parliamentary seats in election or to win the support of majority MPs after election.

Both are competition, but neither competition should be purely transactional: buying voters with patronage or buying MPs with offices.

Parties must always have the numbers - in elections and in Parliament - in mind, but if numbers must be a means to a greater end - the programme that one wants to deliver.

Nothing wrong with power struggle. But power struggle devoid of policy competition is little more noble than organised looting of public resources.

Instead of pushing for a unity Government to make Anwar or Shafie as Ismail's DPM, the opposition should reorganize themselves to offer a better deal.

Anwar's suitability to lead the Opposition should be examined.

We need to ask if Anwar has what it takes to effectively lead the Opposition to offer Malaysians a viable and superior alternative to PN and/or BN.

However, I oppose strongly against any idea to oust Anwar to deliver the job on a silver platter to another leader like Shafie (or even Mahathir, as some hardcore anti-Anwarite may still secretly crave).

Instead, all PM contenders should be asked the apprentice question: what's your plan as Shadow PM?

Because of unconditional support given to Anwar by most (certainly not all) Opposition leaders and supporters, Anwar has spent 17 months on an illusive number that he once claims to be strong, convincing and formidable.

If we now simply install another Opposition leader by simply ousting Anwar, without examining the alternative would do better than Anwar, we might be simply jumping from fire into frying pan, or worse, from frying pan into fire.

If Anwar is confirmed unfit, his competitor must demonstrate his/her advantages over Anwar, not just by another unsubstantiated claim of number.

Let the competition push Anwar to perform better, like how Muhyiddin was forced to dish out a 7-point reform offer.

Open competition for leadership will revitalize the Opposition.

Fixation for one or another leader will split the Opposition right in the middle.

It's bad enough to have an underperforming government. Let's not make the Opposition worse.