Anwar positive about Dr Mahathir’s new party, calls for consolidation

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Friday (July 15) welcomed the plans by his political nemesis, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, to form a new party, saying it was time for all opposition parties to unite and work together.

“The opposition must stay solid, consolidate and work. It is time we must consolidate,” Anwar told reporters as he was escorted out of the Kuala Lumpur High Court. The court on Friday dismissed his bid to challenge the Pardons Board’s rejection of his petition for a royal pardon.

Anwar, who is serving a five-year sentence for sodomy, was responding to Thursday’s announcement by Dr Mahathir, one of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s fiercest critics, that he would be working towards launching a new opposition party soon.

Dr Mahathir said his party will be part of the Save Malaysia movement as a “component party”. He did not say, however, who will be leading it.

Anwar, the de facto leader of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), said:  “We look forward to engaging with them. I think it’s a positive thing.”

However, Anwar said it was up to former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin to decide what the new political party’s plans would be.

“We are waiting for Muhyiddin to decide because Muhyiddin is making the decision,” said Anwar during his brief encounter with reporters.

Mr Muhyiddin and other former leaders of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), such as Mr Mukhriz Mahathir, the former Kedah chief minister, are all without a party after being sacked following criticisms of Mr Najib.

Meanwhile, Mr Saifuddin Abdullah, secretariat chief of the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition, said Dr Mahathir’s new party can lead to a bigger opposition bloc that does not have to be a formal coalition.

“An opposition bloc that is united and strong does not have to be in a formal coalition. It can be Pakatan Harapan consisting of more than the current three parties, it could be Pakatan Harapan plus plus,” he said on Friday. Pakatan Harapan currently consists of PKR, the Democratic Action Party and the recently formed Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).

Parti Islam Se-Malaysia and  Parti Ikatan Bangsa ­Malaysia form another group of opposition parties, while there is expected to be a new opposition ­coalition called Saksama in East Malaysia in time for the next elections. There have also been reports that Mr Shafie Apdal, who recently quit Umno, will start his own party in Sabah.

Dr Mahathir’s move to form a new party and align it with the opposition pact was dismissed as insignificant by numerous Umno leaders on Friday.

Health Minister S Subramaniam said Dr Mahathir’s move had lowered his standing as an elder statesman, adding that the former prime minister’s opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition he had once led would only cause his achievements and contributions to be forgotten by history.

Umno Supreme Council member Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the formation of the new party would not undermine the strength of ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. “The people are aware that the development in the country was the effort of the BN government for the well-being of the people,” he said. AGENCIES