I THINK it's going to be a classic example of the saying that "you can't cheat all the people all the time", this ongoing saga which has Anwar Ibrahim as the leading act.

Granted that Malaysians have good reasons to be cynical about many things when politicians of all affiliations are involved but surely they can also stop and think. Surely they have the brains and ability to analyse statements, claims and allegations. If only they do this Malaysians will live to be better people, the country more proud of its achievements rather than being known more for its frailties and bungles.

After Mohd. Saiful Bukhari lodged the police report alleging that Anwar had sodomised him, the former deputy prime minister claimed that it was all a political game and that his life was threatened because he had incriminating evidence against police chief Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail. Anwar lodged his report against Musa and Gani today but will be hard pressed to convince a lot of people outside of his camp that their alleged indiscretions were serious enough to warrant any ill intentions against their accuser. Like one commentator on Malaysian Insider said Anwar promised a blast but produced a whimper.

It was claimed in the last couple of days that it was what Anwar had on Musa and Gani which was the reason for the threat against him. Now think. No one had heard about Anwar's so called evidence before the Saiful report. No one had ever mentioned it in public before Sunday. This being the case, how could something that was a "well kept secret" be the reason for a threat?

Anwar's wife Wan Azizah was to say yesterday that the threat was received about three weeks ago and that government agents were going after Anwar. Why wasn't a police report lodged on this? What? "We don't trust the police", you say? But you have lodged other reports with the police, including one against the police chief himself!

Think. If indeed his life was under threat you would expect Anwar to be surrounded by at least a dozen bodyguards wherever he went but he didn't have 12 men protecting him. Or he would probably go into hiding. That too he didn't. On the contrary he moved around freely, attending functions which could have easily exposed him to an assassin's bullet.

A political ploy to check on his big plans to form the next federal government and that the Barisan Nasional government had been scheming against him, plotting his downfall, planting a mole by the name of Mohd. Saiful Bukari to do a number on him? Think. He has been free to talk, campaign, travel in and out of the country, earn a living and scheme and indulge in politics since he left prison four years ago right to March 8, where he was said to be the main factor for the unprecedented successes by the opposition. And today he remains free to talk and talk to the world's press.

The allegation by Saiful is frivolous said Anwar and since nothing of that sort happened the government should just drop the case. That's what he says but Saiful has his own story to tell so we'll have to allow a third party -- the police, prosecutors and judge -- to decide the truth of it all. Think. Why should Anwar be in such a hurry to have the case dropped if Saiful is lying? If Anwar is proven right I think he need not coax the Barisan MPs to cross over to his Pakatan Rakyat; I think more than 30 will voluntarily sprint over to his side.

That the report by Saiful was a scheme to derail Anwar's announcement planned for this week about his intention to contest in a parliamentary by-election and also the decision by four Barisan MPs to join Barisan. If he did plan to contest yes I agree that the report has upset everything Anwar has put in place because he may be called in by the police. Then if the police and AG think there is sufficient evidence he most likely will be charged. Think. But surely the report should not in any way affect the decision by the four MPs. Anwar after all is not a parliamentarian who has to be there to guide and lead the four. They can be in Pakatan even without him.

Threat of a political assassination against him? Think. Anything is possible of course but in this country? When was the last time a high-level Malaysian politician of significance at the national level was dumped by his rival? And we are talking about since British times here.

But what is a drama, sandiwara and wayang kulit put together if it doesn't have elements of Ian Fleming's Bond, a bit of Alfred Hitchcock and a lot of J. K. Rowling -- for fiction. Anwar is actually the main distraction that prevents the government from focusing its time and effort to better govern the country.