KAJANG: PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim declared that Pakatan Rakyat would not proceed with the national reconciliation talks with Barisan Nasional (BN), claiming the latter continues to abuse the democratic system.
“We called for a dialogue with them (BN) in August. We repeated the offer in January for a national consensus. Now there is no more dialogue and consensus.We will fight (Umno and BN),” said Anwar, during a ceramah last night at the Selangorku entrepreneur carnival spot near a shopping complex.
It is the first ceramah that Anwar attended as a campaigner for his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who would be contesting for the Kajang by-election replacing the former.
Citing his recent conviction on a sodomy charge, the Permatang Pauh MP cast asperation on lead prosecutor Muhd Shafee Abdullah’s motives, saying the latter was a lawyer to his arch-nemesis, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“What’s the difference between Shafee and the three (Court of Appeal) judges? Shafee might as well be the judge.
“He was Mahathir’s lawyer. Now he is (Prime Minister) Najib and Rosmah’s lawyer. This is not about Anwar. It is about the abuse of the courts. They speak about maqasid syariah. The highest objective of the syariah is to defend one’s dignity. That is what I am doing,” said Anwar.
On Friday, the Court of Appeal overturned high court’s acquittal and found Anwar guilty of sodomising his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008, and sentenced him to serve five years jail time. However, the court allowed a stay in execution.
The former deputy prime minister posted bail and filed an appeal at the Federal Court yesterday.
The court’s decision derailed Anwar’s plan to contest in the Kajang by-election, prompting PKR to field its president Wan Azizah instead. BN would be fielding MCA vice president Chew Mei Fun.
Nomination for the polls would be held today and the election is scheduled for March 23.
