I was played out by Anwar, senator tells court

KUALA LUMPUR: A senator told the High Court that he has been “played out” by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in politics – causing him to feel upset, disappointed and betrayed.

“An incident that I cannot forget is the Ijok by-election,” said Senator Tan Sri S.Nallakaruppan, 69, who is the president of Malaysian Indian United Party.

He told the court he had been friends with Anwar for more than 34 years and that they used to play tennis together.

He is the fifth witness for Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin in a RM100mil defamation suit filed by Anwar.

Questioned by Khairy’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah yesterday, he claimed he was “unfairly discarded” in favour of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as the candidate during the Ijok by-election held on April 28, 2007.

“I was supposed to run for PKR. I thought I got a better chance to win because of the Indian population there (Ijok) but he (Anwar) disappointed me. Anwar used to refer me as popular film actor MGR and people like me,” he said.

Nallakaruppan said he felt betrayed when Anwar later requested him at the last minute before the nomination day not to contest for the Ijok by-election.

In another incident, Nallakaruppan said in 2007, he was again asked by Anwar not to compete or withdraw for the position of vice-president in the PKR party election.

“He wanted me to give way to his blue-eyed boy and so-called ‘first choice’ (Datuk Seri Mohamed) Azmin Ali,” he said.

He said he had no choice but to follow Anwar’s instructions and he had later submitted his letter to withdraw from the leadership race, although he received the second highest number of votes during nomination for the position.

“This was the beginning of my differences with him,” said Nallakaruppan.

Anwar had filed the lawsuit against Khairy on March 7, 2008, alleging that the latter, as then Umno Youth deputy chief, had uttered defamatory words and caused the posting on websites of a video clip entitled “Anwar and kin no threat”.