IPOH – Pakatan Harapan (PH) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was the hot topic during a mega ceramah programme last night where senior Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders labelled their rival as “morally bankrupt” and dredged up certain issues in his past.
In an effort to cast doubt over PH’s prime minister candidate, PN chairman and former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said his foe does not possess the necessary administrative skills to govern the country as Anwar has been in opposition for more than 20 years.
“Anwar may say he can be prime minister, but after 20 years being out of the government, I think it will be difficult (for him).
“I don’t think he will be able to understand government policies and what action needs to be taken.
“If that happens, we will face bigger problems and the challenges faced by the people will not be resolved within a reasonable time,” he told a crowd of more than 1,000 people in Bandar Meru Raya, here.
Muhyiddin also cast doubt that Anwar could lead a stable government as the Malays would reject him due to e his affiliation with the PH component party, DAP.
“I have told him before that the Malays will continue to reject you t as long as you are with DAP.”
Meanwhile, Kedah PN chief Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor did not pull any punches, bringing up Anwar’s sodomy convictions, even though he has received a royal pardon.
“Honestly, when he was jailed the first time, I had sympathy for him, everyone did. We could argue that it was political persecution or conspiracy.
“But it happened again. Not only that, he was found guilty by the high court, the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.
“He (Anwar) is morally bankrupt,” said Sanusi in his speech.
Anwar was imprisoned for the first sodomy charge in 1998 and again in 2015. His imprisonment on both occasions has led international and local human rights groups to claim it was politically motivated.
In 2018, Anwar was granted a royal pardon and was released from prison.
As for Perak PN chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, he told the reporters at the event he agreed that Anwar is “morally bankrupt”.
“Yes, I do, because he has been convicted because…of who he is. So, Malaysians need to look at his track record, what he has done, and whether he can lead.”
Faizal and Anwar will be fighting for the Tambun parliamentary seat here. Other challengers are Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Aminuddin Md Hanafiah and Gerakan Tanah Air’s (GTA) Abdul Rahim Tahir.
Faizal wrested the BN stronghold in 2018 when Bersatu was with PH. He had a 5,320-vote majority, beating, among others, BN’s incumbent Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah, who held the seat between 1995 and 2018. – The Vibes, November 14, 2022
