Anwar ‘not democratically elected’
(New Straits Times) – Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been urged to publicly declare that he is not a democratically-elected leader, but a “chosen” one as he was appointed by his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is party president.
Perkasa information chief Ruslan Kassim said Anwar was lying to the United States and other foreign organisations when he claimed he was championing democratic rights.
Ruslan claimed that by doing so, Anwar had conned several international institutions into funding PKR through Suaram, an alleged opposition-friendly human rights watchdog.
“Anwar must explain to US Ambassador to Malaysia, Paul W. Jones and Suaram’s financiers that he did not obtain his position in PKR via the democratic process.
“Anwar was not elected (into power) and it is so hypocritical when he says he fights for democratic rights,” Ruslan said in a statement yesterday.
He claimed that until today, Jones was still unaware that Anwar’s position in PKR was a courtesy appointment by Dr Wan Azizah.
Suaram is believed to have received RM21 million from Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED), RM774,000 (between 2008 and last year) from New York-based Open Society Institute (OSI) and RM21,400 from the German embassy in 2010.
NED, on its website, said “it is a private, non-profit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world”.
“NED claims to promote democracy, but it is bizarre that it was willing to fund Anwar’s political activities through Suaram as PKR is clearly practising nepotism, which is against democratic principles,” Ruslan added.
He further claimed that OSI was indirectly funding PKR as it was a party which had shown support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Malaysia.
“OSI has been fighting for same-sex marriages in the country with the help of Suaram, and Perkasa views this as an attempt to compromise Malaysia’s image as a conservative Muslim country.”
