Umno in report frenzy over Anwar’s Sept 16 ‘coup’
By G. Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider
Umno will stick to its playbook of lodging police reports to tie up its political foes, this time against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, for allegedly using the name of the King in his Sept 16 power grab two years ago.
The Selangor and FT Umno Youth has said it will make the first of a flurry of reports against Anwar for sedition this morning after party leaders left it to the police to investigate the Opposition Leader’s alleged actions revealed by Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim in Parliament last week.
“The police report is likely to made after the Prime Minister’s statement,” an Umno leader told The Malaysian Insider last night, referring to the Umno Youth report to be lodged today.
The leader, who asked for anonymity, was unsure how many other reports would be lodged but signalled it would follow the pattern of reports made against DAP national chairman Karpal Singh when he declared the royalty could be brought to court.
There is already a call for Anwar to be investigated under the Sedition Act for allegedly affecting public order by linking the King to his ambitious bid to capture Putrajaya after Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) historic gains of four more states and 82 federal seats in Election 2008.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the first report will be made following statements by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, both Umno president and deputy president respectively, that Anwar can be hauled by the authorities over Zahrain’s claims.
The former PKR member told Parliament last week that Anwar indicated the King and armed forces chief would support his bid to be prime minister if he could show backing among enough Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs. Zahrain also named eight BN lawmakers who had agreed to jump to PR.
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the Home Minister and Umno vice-president, said the claims was enough for Anwar to be investigated under the Sedition Act.
It is learnt that a few non-govermental organisations have also indicated they will lodge reports against Anwar, similar to those over issues related to religion and position of the Malay Rulers.
