Anwar’s return to Parliament gets positive reaction from cabinet members

KUALA LUMPUR: The reappearance of PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament was warmly welcomed and received a positive reaction from members of the cabinet.

Happiness was clearly seen on the face of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who expressed her gratitude over Anwar’s return to Parliament since 2015 when he was the head of the opposition.

“Alhamdulillah, I am happy because he was once denied the right to contest.

“Now he is back in Parliament after getting a pardon on the basis of a ‘miscarriage of justice’.

“He did not plead guilty, but it was on a basis of ‘miscarriage of justice,” she told reporters at the lobby of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Anwar created history when he was swornin as MP yesterday.

“This is historic. May he play the role he promised, to reform the Parliament, which was included in the Pakatan Harapan ( PH) manifesto,” he said.

Similarly, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said Anwar’s participation in Parliament would enliven the institution even more.

He said Anwar would bring useful input which would strengthen the policies of the PH government.

“I believe the Tun MahathirDatuk Seri Anwar combination will make Malaysia a strong nation in many ways again,” he said.

Anwar took his oath as a member of the Dewan Rakyat yesterday in the presence of Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

This follows his victory in the Port Dickson parliamentary byelection on Saturday with a large majority of 23,560 votes.

In the seven- cornered byelection, Anwar, 71, obtained 31,016 votes, defeating PAS candidate Mohd Nazari Mokhtar (7,456 votes) and five Independent candidates, namely his former personal assistant Saiful Bukhari Azlan ( 82), former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad (4,230), Lau Seck Yan ( 214), Stevie Chan ( 337) and Kan Chee Yuen (154). — Bernama