Thousands listening to Anwar at Kampung Selekoh. — Picture by Shannon Teoh
BAGAN DATOH, Aug 2 — Despite announcing his intention to become MP for Permatang Pauh on Thursday, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim instead continued his campaign to become PM for Malaysia last night.
Deciding not to focus on drumming up support for an expected by-election in his former constituency that has just been vacated by his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar stuck to the agenda he has been following throughout his ongoing nationwide tour — countering sodomy allegations and promising an imminent takeover of the federal government.
His only explanation of why he was seeking to return to Parliament was to "invite our friends from across the floor to cross over and take over Putrajaya."
Putrajaya played a bigger role in his delayed half-hour speech than Permatang Pauh, as Pakatan Rakyat's prime minister-elect told thousands who had gathered in Kampung Selekoh, about 10km from Bagan Datoh, that the country needed change now.
"Since Merdeka in 1957 until now, this is the lowest point in our politics. Our image is the worst it has ever been. The economy has no direction. The world is laughing at us. Newspapers from Indonesia, Thailand, London, America and the Arab world are all publishing news of how bad things have become here," he said.
The former deputy prime minister also refuted claims that he was contesting a by-election to escape the sodomy allegations. Instead, he said, the entire scandal was part of a government ploy to intimidate him.
"They do this to me because I dare to stand up for the people and expose corruption in the government. Because I am seen as a challenger to them, they say, if you dare to challenge us, these are the methods we will use. Because I am Anwar Ibrahim, up to now, I have not seen the police report accusing me of sodomy. Why? Because they have the report number but it has no contents. So they can change it according to whatever statements I make," he alleged.
Anwar describing his ordeal during his arrest last month over the sodomy allegations against him.
"They are saying he is not a specialist, that he is not a sodomy doctor. Now the newspapers in England are writing that the world's only sodomy doctor can be found in Malaysia. Where is there such a thing as a sodomy or backside doctor?
"Have I not been dishonoured enough? How about how Azizah and my children feel? If you have proof, I will fight it. Now they don't have anything, no witnesses and instead they detain the doctor for three days according to their whim and fancy," he added.
The PKR adviser also rebutted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar's claims that the sodomy probe was being conducted according to the letter of the law: "Why then was I made to fill up a rape victim's report at the hospital?"
"Next month when I want to contest the by-election, they might charge me with something else. When we are going to Putrajaya, another," he continued.
Earlier, drama had ensued as wires connecting the PA system to the speakers at the open field had been severed. The problem was resolved although the audio feed was intermittently disrupted throughout the night. The event organisers alleged that Umno saboteurs were at work despite no evidence being revealed to back up this claim.
-TMI
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