[Malaysia] Anwar: PAS Can Lead Opposition

Anwar welcomes PAS' offer to lead opposition
Jun 7, 05 Malaysiakini

Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who is currently banned from politics, today said he welcomed an offer by hardline Islamic party PAS to lead an opposition alliance.

"I welcome PAS's preparedness to continue to cooperate with other opposition parties towards upholding democracy and universal justice," Anwar said in a statement issued by Keadilan, which is led by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

"Personally, I'm moved with the trust Abdul Hadi has in my role. God willing we will work together in efforts to uphold the standing of our people and our country," Anwar said.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has called for Anwar to lead efforts to dislodge the ruling coalition led by Umno.

The offer was made as part of reforms aimed at broadening the appeal of PAS, which last week elected a new leadership of young, moderate figures who have criticised the old regime of fundamentalist clerics for alienating voters.

Anwar was heir apparent to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad before being sacked in 1998 and jailed on corruption and sodomy charges which he said were cooked up to prevent him challenging Mahathir for the premiership.

The Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction last September, allowing him to walk free after six years in jail, but the corruption charge was not overturned and as a result he cannot stand for office until a ban expires in April 2008.

The next general elections are expected to be held that year and Hadi said that because Anwar was the victim of a political conspiracy and had served his sentence, the government should lift the ban.

Unknown ambitions

Since his release from jail, Anwar has refused to spell out his ambitions.

He has said only that he will remain in the opposition camp while leaving open the possibility of working with the ruling party, of which he was formerly vice president, to reform what he calls a corrupt political system.

Before his sudden sacking, Anwar was widely expected to succeed Mahathir as prime minister. But there is little likelihood that Keadilan could provide him with a platform from which he could revive those ambitions.

All Malaysia's prime ministers since independence from Britain in 1957 have come from the ruling Umno. It dominates a parliament in which Keadilan holds just one seat - occupied by Wan Azizah.

PAS's political fortunes have waned in recent years and it suffered a humiliating defeat in 2004 elections - a performance which prompted last week's reforms.

- AFP