Anwar in no rush to become PM, says Wan Azizah

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR is in no rush for its adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be Prime Minister, said party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

“Definitely not as this is what we have already planned,” she said after meeting Anwar who is undergoing treatment and physiotherapy at the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospi­tal yesterday.

“Pakatan Harapan wants the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to run smoothly.

“We want his administration to bring about the changes and reformation that are needed,” she added.

She was asked to comment on Tun Daim Zainuddin’s statement in an interview with Singapore’s The Straits Times that it would be foolish to make Anwar Prime Minister as soon as he returns to Parliament.

Daim, who heads the Team of Eminent Persons, said it is not the time for an immediate change of premiership.

On Anwar’s release, Dr Wan Azizah said: “The Pardons Board is scheduled to sit at 11am tomorrow (today).” Anwar is scheduled to address the Himpunan Merdeka Rakyat gathering at Padang Timur in Petaling Jaya at 10pm today.

“God willing, we will wait to see if he will be able to attend the gathering,” added Dr Wan Azizah.

Meanwhile, well-wisher Devamalar R. Mugam turned up at the rehabilitation centre at 7am yesterday wearing a special PKR-themed saree, only to find out that Anwar would be released one day later.

“My husband found a 6m-long banner and I spent RM150 getting it sewn into a saree,” said the 45-year-old mother of four from Puchong, Selangor. She was not disappointed in not meeting Anwar, saying what was more important was his release from prison.

Apart from Dr Wan Azizah, others who visited Anwar included PKR vice-presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar and Dr Xavier Jayakumar, party strategy director Sim Tze Tzin and former Indonesian Labour Minister Fahmi Idris.