(Kyodo) _ Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed late
Monday he could form the government anytime as there are enough
support from parliamentarians in the ruling National Front coalition.
"Now I can say for the first time that we are ready to govern the
country. We have the numbers," he told a press conference after making
a speech to his supporters, which was halted midway by police as it
was taken as marking his official return to politics.
"Some have had discussions with us but we are not in a hurry," the
former deputy prime minister said, adding the opposition prefers to
wait until it has a comfortable majority.
Anwar, 60, who was once relegated to the dustbin of history after he
was sacked by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 and
subsequently jailed for a total of 15 years on corruption and sodomy
charges, has made a spectacular comeback after the March 8 general
election.
He was widely credited with galvanizing the ideologically disparate
opposition parties to their best-ever showing in the election, winning
82 seats in the 222-seat Parliament and seizing control of five of
Malaysia's 13 state assemblies.
His own party, the People's Justice Party, won 31, the most seats
among the opposition.
But Anwar was personally barred from running in the election due to
his criminal convictions which he has always maintained were cooked up
by Mahathir to ruin his political career.
Anwar had spent six years in jail before he was released in 2004,
after the court acquitted him of sodomy.
Under the Federal Constitution, he could not run for office until five
years after his release, a deadline that passed Monday.
To celebrate the end of the ban, over 10,000 supporters swamped a
field in downtown Kuala Lumpur for what has been billed as "Freedom
Rally" and to hear Anwar's first public speech after the election.
But toward the tail-end of his speech, police suddenly came in to
break up the party.
The police had earlier warned of "stern action" against those
attending the "illegal gathering." as the organizer did not apply for
a permit which is required under the law for any public gathering of
more than five persons.
Dozens of riot police personnel were on guard around the venue but
Anwar's supporters dispersed peacefully.
Now that Anwar could seek political office, the question most
frequently asked of him is when he would intend to return to
parliament and become the next prime minister.
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