Anwar vows to stand by opposition bloc

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s main Islamic party will remain loyal to an opposition alliance despite holding secret talks with the prime minister, de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday.
Anwar is leading a loose alliance of three opposition parties, including Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS), to try to seize power from the government by mid-September. But it was feared that plan could hit snags after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and PAS leaders said at the weekend that they had held a series of “unity talks”.

Anwar said there was no question of PAS abandoning the opposition bloc. “For now, I have no reason to question the intention of the PAS leadership,” Anwar, who is also under pressure over a sodomy allegation, told a news conference.

“They have given an assurance to me that the collaboration with the opposition remains and is unchanged.” Anwar said the opposition plan to take over power by its self-imposed deadline of September 16 remained on track.

“It is not a question of toppling the government but to ensure that the people win. I have said that I am the prime minister in waiting,” Anwar said.

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Rais Hopes Anwar’s Action In Singapore Does Not Cause Ill-feelings For Any Party

From Tengku Noor Shamsiah, Bernama.com 

SINGAPORE, July 24 (Bernama) — Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim hopes Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s move to brief some of the foreign missions does not cloud the truth or harbour any ill-feelings for any party.

He hoped the Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor’s meetings with some of the heads of missions were purely based on a desire to impart certain things on his (Anwar’s) part and not beyond that.

Rais was speaking to reporters after attending the Asean Ministerial Meetings with its dialogue partners here Wednesday.

He had earlier attended bilateral meetings with the United States and Russia, as well as other side meetings.

Rais was asked to respond on a report that Anwar had briefed 38 foreign diplomats on the alleged conspiracy by the government to scuttle his political comeback.

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Home Ministry briefs foreign envoys on Anwar

The Star on line
By ROYCE CHEAH

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry on Wednesday gave 96 diplomats a briefing on PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy allegations.

According to Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar the foreign envoys were also briefed on Malaysia’s system of law and why certain actions have been taken by the authorities.

Speaking to reporters later, Syed Hamid said it was necessary to brief the envoys so they would have a better picture of what was happening in the country as opposed to believing stories about conspiracies.

“To us, there is no need to be afraid of the truth. Let them hear both sides. Whether they believe it or not is another matter but I think they will appreciate our transparency,” he said.

Video 7/23/08: Former Deputy Minister Mr Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman joins PKR

Burden of proof lies on prosecution: Bar Council

The Star On Line

PETALING JAYA: PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is innocent until proven guilty and the burden of proof rests with the prosecution, Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan said.

In making a cautionary statement to those making statements about the case, Ambiga said what appeared to be happening now was the shifting of the burden of proof to Anwar to prove his innocence.

“It is basic and an established legal principle that he is innocent until proven guilty and this cannot be deviated from.”

I have alibi for “every minute of that day”, says Anwar Ibrahim

MALAYSIA’S opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim has said he has an alibi for “every minute” of the day on which he is accused of having sexually assaulted a former male aide.

He told the BBC that “we are clear, absolutely clear on the alibi, every single minute of the day”.

And with that declaration of confidence, he toured Malaysia over the weekend in a bid to revive his hopes of seizing power despite the sodomy allegations.

Dressed in his trademark blue batik shirt, he travelled to the government-held states of Malacca, Pahang and Johor to regain momentum after last week’s explosive events, when he spent a night in police custody over accusations levelled by a 23-year-old male aide.

“I tell you now that I will be contesting in a by-election,” he told a crowd of over 5,000 in Jasin, near Malacca, to cries of “God is great”.

A return to Parliament would be the next step in Datuk Seri Anwar’s political comeback. He was sacked as deputy premier in 1998 and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges.

The sex conviction was overturned, but the corruption count barred him from public office until April.

The Pakatan Rakyat alliance, under his leadership, made historic gains in the March polls, leaving it just 30 seats short of ousting the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Mr Anwar’s latest crisis, which he says has been fabricated by the government, has been a distraction from his plan to take power with the help of defecting coalition lawmakers.

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Anwar seeks by-election in Malaysia

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim wants to contest an “imminent” by-election to enable him to return to parliament and become prime minister, if the opposition takes power.

Anwar has pledged that his three-party opposition alliance will topple Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration through parliamentary defections by mid-September.

Many government officials have dismissed it as an empty threat.

Anwar must become a member of parliament before he can replace Abdullah as prime minister.

He told reporters on Wednesday that he was discussing plans with his allies “on the possibility of an imminent by-election”.

The former deputy prime minister indicated that one of his party lawmakers might give up a parliamentary seat in a northern state to enable Anwar to run in a by-election.

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