Anwar declares ‘new dawn’
MAN TIPPED TO BE NEXT PM SAYS HE HAS FORGIVEN MAHATHIR
Reformist, who was released from prison, and tipped to be next prime minister says he has forgiven Mahathir |
Reformist Anwar Ebrahim declared a “new dawn for Malaysia” yesterday after his release from prison paved the way for a return to national politics as presumptive successor to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad following a stunning election upset.
In scenes that captivated Malaysians, the charismatic 70-year-old returned to the national spotlight after the country’s king quashed a widely-criticised sodomy conviction that had put Anwar behind bars for three years.
To ecstatic cries of “Reformasi!” (Reform) — Anwar’s rallying cry — he vowed to hundreds of journalists, supporters and admiring prison guards to support the new government’s efforts to clean up the country.
Anwar said he had forgiven Mathathir, 92, who had him imprisoned two decades ago but has become his ally.
“Now there is a new dawn for Malaysia. I must thank the people of Malaysia,” said Anwar, flanked by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and other members of his political party.
“The entire spectrum of Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, have stood by the principles of democracy and freedom. They demand change.”
Clean-up goals
Anwar has cast a long shadow over Malaysian politics for decades. He enjoyed a meteoric rise in the now-ousted Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition but suffered a spectacular falling out with his then-boss Mahathir in the late 1990s and was thrown in jail after being convicted of sodomy and abuse of power.
Upon his release the first time, he joined and revitalised the opposition coalition that finally ousted BN last week.
Anwar’s release from his second jail term sets up a tantalising reunion with his nemesis-turned-ally Mahathir. Mahathir has said he expects to run the government for one to two years but has signalled the reins would be turned over to Anwar eventually.
Anwar said his history with Mahathir — who sacked Anwar and had him jailed in 1998 — was water under the bridge, as they shared the same goals of reforming the government and cleaning up a massive corruption scandal involving former prime minister Najeeb Razzak.