Opposition backs Anwar as next PM

SHAH ALAM: PKR leaders and members who attended the party’s annual national congress gave resounding support to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the next prime minister.

In fact, the main agenda of the party’s 12th congress, which ended yesterday, was about freeing Anwar from prison and choosing him as the prime minister of Malay­sia.

Soon after party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail delivered her policy speech, leaders and delegates from PKR and other Opposition parties who attended the congress, including DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu, stood up and held placards written with the words: “Anwar, 7th Prime Minister”, indicating their solidarity with PKR in endorsing Anwar as the country’s next top leader.

But the overwhelming support for Anwar in the congress was not shared by Tun Dr Mahathir Moha­mad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir, the Parti Pribumi chairman, was on his smartphone apparently recording the event, while Parti Pri­bumi president Muhyiddin merely clapped.

Both of them were sitting together with top PKR leaders on the stage during the congress at Dewan Raja Muda Musa here.

When asked to comment on An­­war, Dr Mahathir said he was not the one who put Anwar in jail.

“That is an old story. Najib is the one who put him there,” he said.

Different view: Dr Mahathir fiddling with his smartphone as Lim, PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and Dr Wan Azizah hold up placards declaring their support for Anwar as the next prime minister at the PKR congress in Shah Alam.

 

However, Dr Mahathir and Muh­­yiddin put their signatures on a petition seeking support for An­­war’s release from prison.

Parti Pribumi deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, who was also at the congress, said the matter of the prime ministerial candidate has yet to be discussed with Pa­katan Harapan parties.

He added that the choice must be decided before the next general election is called.

When asked why Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin were not holding placards supporting Anwar, Mu­­khriz only replied that the next prime ministerial candidate from the Opposition must first be discussed with party leaders.

He said Dr Mahathir and Muhyid­din were busy taking pictures anyway.

“We came to the PKR congress and we have to respect our host. At the same time, some of these important issues have to be discussed among the top level of the Pakatan Harapan leadership,” Mukhriz said.

Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister by Dr Mahathir in 1998 before he was jailed for sodomy.

He is serving a five-year jail term after being convicted of a second sodomy charge.