When former Indonesian President, Abdul Rahman Wahid, Gus Dur came forward in full support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, last Monday, one cannot escape from comparing the two leaders.

Both were once respected by the people and seen as Islamic leaders. They spotted pious image; and at last both were expelled from their respective posts due to allegations of corrupt, misused of power and sexual misconduct.

Anwar and Gus Dur were respected and were once proclaimed as the new modern-Islamic leaders. However, the two leaders fell from grace due to the same or almost the same reasons.

When Anwar joined UMNO 1982, he shocked the whole nation and his supporters as he was expected to join PAS, the fundamentalist Islamic party.

After joining UMNO he moved up the political ranks in an extremely fast paced, from the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in 1983 and 10 years later as the Minister of Finance.

The post paved his way to becoming UMNO deputy president and deputy prime minister. However, as fast as he moved up the rank his fall from grace was even quicker.

It first started when a former journalist came out with a book on him which alleged him as him involved in sexual misconduct. This created his fall out with his former mentor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and led top his expulsion from the party.

From 1998 until present, Anwar has not been able to recuperate from the allegations.

On July 28, another former aide came forward and accused the ex-rising star of sodomising him which had further stained his already ruined reputation.

Gus Dur meanwhile; was elected as the president of Indonesia in 1999. However he only managed to hold the post for only two years.

As the Indonesian constitution is extremely vague on “impeachment”, he was accused of incompetence and erratic rule.

Later there were several other accusations including sexual misconducts which have yet to be proven.

Comparing Anwar and Gus Dur, the later is luckier.

Anwar on the other hand, was jailed and is still trying to clear his name. The Permatang Pauh by-election is one of his methods, to do away with the latest accusations.

As many as those who still put their trusts and the future of this country in the hand of this self-proclaimed “Prime-Minister-in-Waiting”, there are still who questioned his credibility.

As said by a friend; Anwar should live on and move forward. Why fight a losing battle as he should lead a quiet private life and enjoy his time with his family.

“The more he fight, more flaws will be revealed. Leave politics as it is clear that his time is over,” he said, adding that “Pak Sheikh your time has ended.”