Malaysia`s Anwar still coy about reelection plans

04/29/08 15:59
Malaysia`s Anwar still coy about reelection plans

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News) - Malaysia's de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is now free to run for office after the end of his five-year ban due to his previous criminal convictions, remained coy Tuesday about his plans to seek reelection."We will discuss first. It is still early. We want to ensure our MPs carry out their responsibilities well, to be a strong opposition and to shake Parliament," he was quoted by Kyodo as telling reporters at Parliament.It was his first appearance at Parliament in 10 years. The former deputy prime minister was there as a spouse guest at the official opening of both the lower and upper houses by the King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin."Ten years is a long time but it is good to be back," he said.Anwar, who as deputy prime minister in the late 1990s was heir-apparent to then Prime Minister-cum-mentor Mahathir Mohamad, was unceremoniously sacked in 1998 and then jailed after being convicted on corruption and sodomy charges that he denied.He had to sit at the public gallery of Parliament together with spouses and family members of other parliamentarians."It makes you more humble and to respect the grand lady," he said cheekily referring to his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the head of the People's Justice Party or PKR and also the country's first female lead of the opposition.Their daughter Nurul Izzah, 27, is among the 99 new parliamentarians.After the royal address, Anwar mingled with the king and other dignitaries and old Cabinet colleagues."Yes, we just chit-chat. They were polite and I am very civil about that," he said.Anwar was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison on charges which he claimed were trumped up by Mahathir to ruin his political career.He had spent six years in jail before he was released in 2004 after the court acquitted him of sodomy. Under the Constitution, he cannot run for office for five years upon his release.That deadline did not expire until April 14, which effectively forced him to sit out the March 8 election but was not enough to prevent him from campaigning for the opposition.Anwar is widely credited with galvanizing the three ideologically divided opposition parties to win a record 82 seats in the 222-seat Parliament.It marked the first time in over 40 years that the opposition succeeded in breaching the ruling National Front coalition's two-thirds grip in the lower house.There has been much speculation that Anwar would get one of his party-elected representative to vacate his or her seat to make way for Anwar to seek reelection now that he can seek office again.Anwar has made no bones about his intentions to become prime minister one day and he made that ambition clear to reporters."This is a new beginning. When I am back, I will not leave again," he said. (*)

Anwar is back

Malaysia's Anwar returns to Parliament
By SEAN YOONG – Apr 29, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Ten years after being kicked out, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim returned to Parliament on Tuesday — but only as a spouse guest.
"This is a new beginning. I have entered. I will never leave again," Anwar said after attending the formal opening of Parliament, where he was once deputy prime minister and finance minister.
Anwar was invited as the husband of Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who won a seat for their People's Justice Party and is now the first female opposition leader in Parliament in Malaysia's history.
Anwar said it won't be long before he is elected a lawmaker in a by-election.
He was ousted from government in 1998 by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in a power struggle amid accusations of corruption and sodomy. Anwar denied the charges, which were widely believed to be trumped up.
The sodomy charge was later overturned but he served prison time after being convicted of corruption.
The corruption charge prevented him from holding public office until April 14, 2008, which meant he could not contest the March 8 general elections.
"Yes, 10 years is a long time but it is good to be back," he said after mingling with Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia's constitutional monarch, and other dignitaries including former colleagues, over tea.
"I always believe that in politics you shouldn't be bitter and personal. In fact I was happy to meet some of my very old friends including those in the Cabinet. They said very nice things and I reciprocated," he said.
The monarch urged lawmakers to preserve racial peace as he formally opened Parliament, noting that "the key to this country's success is political stability and racial unity."
A record 82 opposition members from a three-party alliance led by Anwar were elected to the 222-member lower house in the elections, breaking the ruling National Front's stranglehold over legislative power for the first time in 40 years.
The National Front's loss was attributed to a protest vote by ethnic Chinese and Indians, who together form 40 percent of Malaysia's 27 million population.
The minorities are bitter about government policies favoring majority Malays, and say they face racial discrimination in religion, jobs, education, and in dealing with the Malay-dominated bureaucracy.
Anwar said his wife is not his proxy. "In the past 10 years she has grown clever and competent in her own accord and strength. She's no longer just here by virtue of being Anwar's wife," he said.