KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi that Pakatan Rakyat had enough MPs to form a new government, the High Court here heard.
In a witness statement submitted in court yesterday, Mohd Puad, 57, said he received a call on Sept 19, 2008, from one Dr Abdul Rahim Ghouse while he was at home in Batu Pahat.
This was several days after the Sept 16 deadline for the planned takeover of the Government.
Mohd Puad was then a Barisan Nasional MP.
He said that Abdul Rahim told him that the Sept 16 plan would occur on or around Sept 25.
He said he agreed to meet Abdul Rahim and one Azman Hussin at about 2am the same day at the Batu Pahat bus station.
“He informed me that the Sept 16 plan would definitely occur within several weeks and later invited me to cross over.
“Abdul Rahim also told me that several Barisan MPs had signed a surat persetujuan (letter of agreement) to support the plaintiff (Anwar) as Prime Minister,” he said.
Mohd Puad said he understood that the letter was a statutory declaration.
He was giving his testimony at the hearing of the suit that Anwar filed against Foreign Minister and Kimanis MP Anifah @ Haniff Amman and the Government over allegedly libellous statements made against him abroad.
Mohd Puad said Abdul Rahim claimed that 30 Barisan MPs would cross over and the letter would be handed over to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as proof that Anwar had obtained a majority voice in the Dewan Rakyat.
“I told Abdul Rahim that I was not prepared to sign the statutory declaration,” he added.
He said Abdul Rahim called Anwar and then passed the phone to him.
He said Anwar told him over the phone: “Puad, we have enough numbers and it is going to happen, but we still need a Malay MP from Johor like you to be with us.”
Mohd Puad said Anwar also told him in a convincing manner that four Sultans had expressed support for Pakatan Rakyat to take over the Federal Government.
He said the four were the rulers of Perlis, Perak, Terengganu and Selangor.
He also said he asked Anwar what would happen to the Malay agenda and the plaintiff told him that he would protect it.
“I felt nervous and said to him that I am a Johorean and Umno was born in Johor and if I signed the letter, the Sultan would be angry and order me to leave Johor,” he said.
Mohd Puad told Anwar that he wanted to return home and perform solat istikharah (a special prayer to obtain divine guidance).
He said he dreamt that if he signed the letter, it would mean that he had betrayed his country.
On May 27, 2009, Anwar sued Anifah in his personal and official capacities and the Government, claiming that the minister had linked his name to an alleged offer of a top Cabinet post.
The minister is alleged to have done this at the State Department in Washington during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on May 16.
The PKR adviser claimed that the words uttered by Anifah that day implied that he was a dishonest person.
The hearing before Justice Siti Khadijah S. Hassan Badjenid continues on Dec 26.
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