Anwar claims to be Umno’s ‘obsession’
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has claimed that PKR is constantly being attacked and mired in political turmoil due to Umno’s “obsession” to end his political career after he was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998.
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider
PETALING JAYA, May 27 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has claimed that PKR is constantly being attacked and mired in political turmoil due to Umno’s “obsession” to end his political career after he was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998.
The PKR de facto leader said his party is already lining up a second echelon of young leaders to carry on the political struggle and reforms agenda.
“PKR is the main target because Anwar is there. And you see the phobia and obsession with Anwar is a bit too much,” Anwar (picture) told The Malaysian Insider in an hour-long interview this week.
This is his first formal interview with The Malaysian Insider after several refusals and postponements.
Anwar, who also leads Pakatan Rakyat, said the attacks have been evident in the form of “brute force” as well as corruption, in reference to the apparent reason why a slew of PKR lawmakers had either left or was sacked by the party.
“As I said the target is me, not the party. They use both brute force and financial remunerations and enticement. But we need to undertake measures of reform here.
“For example, choosing candidates we have been really bad, it’s true. But look at the position they are taking, when Bayan Baru (Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim) left, his first remark was that he was against our policy because our policy was apparently too pro-Chinese and pro-DAP.
“So clearly he is using this as an excuse, pretext to be removed from the party,” said Anwar.
The Permatang Pauh MP said that he had grown to “expect” the attacks against him as it had been going on ever since the time of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“The attacks against me have been going on for 12 years, the patterns might have been different. During Tun Dr Mahathir’s time the attacks have been violent, the arrests and the beating.
“Now it’s both direct as well as subliminal. (But) I am not too worried about pressures that I am facing personally,” he added.
