Anwar wants a healthy contest
SIBU: PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reminded candidates of the party election to contest in a healthy manner to strengthen the party.
The PKR election, scheduled for Sept 22 to Oct 28, will see contests at all levels except for the post of party president, which was won by Anwar unopposed last month.
He said he would not compromise on any candidate found violating party regulations.
He reminded candidates against being rude, engaging in physical fights, criticising and using abusive words.
He said this in a speech at a dinner here last night.
Anwar said party delegates should elect the best leaders.
He said three parliamentary seats had been offered for him to contest to enable him to return to Parliament before October.
In Tampin, Anwar said he was considering three parliamentary seats in the north, central and south for his political comeback.
He did not mention which states were involved, but said a decision would be reached soon.
“There are three parliamentary seats which had been offered to me in the north, central and south. I am considering and will decide in a day or two.”
Anwar said this after delivering his mandate in conjunction with the 20th Reformasi anniversary here yesterday.
Present was Negri Sembilan PKR chief and Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun.
Anwar said he decided to contest as he wanted to help PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who has been leading PKR since 1999.
Q: Why not Rafizi?
A: I do not see the advantages that would lead me to support Rafizi. We do not need him to act as a check and balance in PKR or PH. We can see balance through Anwar and Azmin’s leadership.
Q: Is it wrong to use Anwar’s name to attract votes?
A: There are individuals like (Kapar member of parliament) Datuk Abdullah Sani and several others who are among pioneer members of the party. They have knowledge and experience of reformasi (early days of PKR). If they commit slander, then I will consider them as shallow.
When Dr Mahathir first joined PH, we accepted him because it was allowed by Anwar, who was PH (de facto) leader then. But we must understand that when Anwar was in jail, we did not have a leader to guide the coalition.
We were rudderless and each of us subscribed to different ideas. We became weak.
But we were grateful to Dr Mahathir. He has vast experience in leadership in politics to guide us.
He understands the country’s racial structure. Hence, he was the best leader for PH at that time. We did not deliberately take him into the fold. It was demanded by the people.
PH needed a captain and the people want Dr Mahathir to lead PH.
We then made a consensus that if we win Putrajaya, Dr Mahathir will be the prime minister for a period of time.
It was a consensus agreed to by PH leaders and not Azmin alone. Azmin did not moot the idea for Dr Mahathir to be the next prime minister.
Azmin is not playing ‘puppet master’, but is just another leader in the coalition.
In the consensus, Anwar will be released from jail, granted a royal pardon and make a return to the political arena.
Subsequently, Dr Mahathir will give way to Anwar as the eighth prime minister.
So there is no question about toppling Anwar or defending Dr Mahathir’s position. If there are those who do not understand the consensus, they are being shallow.