A show of solidarity

‘No govt machinery or facility will be involved in polls’

PKR leaders holding hands after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was officially announced as the party’s candidate for the Port Dickson by-election. With Anwar are (from left) vice-president Rafizi Ramli, deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

PETALING JAYA: Vowing to run a clean and independent campaign, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has promised that no government machinery or facility would be involved in the Port Dickson polls.

Ministers from PKR campaigning in the by-election would have to come as party leaders, he said after the official announcement of his candidacy.

“We (PKR) have the Deputy Prime Minister, the Economic Affairs Minister, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister.

“I’ve made it very clear that I don’t want any government facility or machinery to be used during the election.

“This is the first election where the government party is fielding a candidate and while I want the president, deputy and the rest to campaign, they will have to come as party leaders,” he said at the PKR headquarters here yesterday.

PKR would be explaining the party’s position to voters and the National Patriots Association, which criticised former Port Dickson MP Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah for vacating the seat, he said.

On allegations that Tun Daim Zainuddin had held “secret meetings” with Umno MPs, Anwar said there was nothing wrong in that.

“I also bumped into two of them (Umno MPs) at the airport. I asked how they were and also if they still wanted to stay in Umno.

“I have frequent meetings with Daim. I don’t think this should be an issue.

“The problem is that there is a claim of a conspiracy to bring in all of Umno. Those are interpretations that I don’t even bother with,” he said.

Anwar also said that he had been joking when he admitted feeling that it should have been him who was sworn in as the seventh Prime Minister and not Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad while watching the telecast of the ceremony on May 10.

“That speech was a dialogue with students.

“They asked me what I felt watching the television in hospital accompanied by prison officers.

“I told them that I was extremely delighted by the people’s enormous support and that we have now formed the government under Dr Mahathir.

“Then came the question – what about your personal feelings because you are supposed to lead?

“I said of course, if I’m not in prison, I want to be there but now, I am in prison. So they laughed. I was kidding.”