Anwar accuses BN of plots and sorcery
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today claimed Umno, in desperation, had resorted to sorcery and abused government machinery to improve its public image and bring down Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in one fell swoop.
The Permatang Pauh MP, also the de facto PKR chief, told the Dewan Rakyat today of a “national underground strategy” by BN to bring down PR, which won control of several key economic states in last year’s general elections.
He also accused BN of resorting to sorcery to improve its ratings.
Anwar held up a sheaf of papers in Parliament he claimed was a valid document issued by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU), a federal agency directly monitored by the Prime Minister.
He said it outlined several programmes directing federal civil servants to “raise support for the federal government” while “simultaneously bringing down the image of the federal opposition party”.
He noted the ICU’s “people-centric” programmes, which include providing aid to flood victims and making social visits to homes, appeared harmless enough on the surface, but he claimed a closer reading showed the federal agency had an ulterior motive.
“What is the ICU’s goal?” Anwar questioned, highlighting the agency’s inclusion of public personnel, such as from the Election Commission, an independent body tasked to carry out elections.
This is the first allegation raised inside Parliament.
The issue was publicised last week by Selangor state assemblyman, Lau Weng San (DAP-Kampung Tunku) in the state legislature.
Anwar did not discount the possibility of similar programmes by the ICU to destabilise the other PR-ruled state governments, or that the programme was used to bring down the previous Perak administration headed by Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.
The Opposition Leader also cited a report in Sin Chew Daily, a Chinese-language newspaper which today front-paged a report saying a police bomb squad had found a piece of wood wrapped in white cloth and two sheets of paper with Jawi writing, suspected to be items of sorcery under the desk of the Umno president in the party headquarters here a few days ago.
Anwar said the steps set a dangerous trend and indicated the level of desperation within the party to boost its image, adding Umno should not assume Malaysians are stupid.
“Only an Umno insider will have access to the meeting room. This is the kind of culture, ‘budaya rosak’ they have in the party,” he told reporters later.
