Dr M: Freeing Anwar not a priority

Former PM says the focus is now on bringing down the government

(FMT) – Dr Mahathir Mohamad has remained coy about pushing for the release of his protege-turned-nemesis Anwar Ibrahim, stating that is secondary to bringing down the ruling government.

“Without that (bringing down the government), you can’t talk about freeing Anwar. Whatever it is, it’s not going to happen.

“We have to determine our priority. And our priority is to make sure that Najib and his party will not win in the next general election,” he said, alluding to Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The elderly statesman said this when asked if he supported the Free Anwar campaign after attending the launch of a biography about his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah, titled “My Name is Hasmah.”

Anwar is currently serving a five-year prison term for sodomising his aide in 2008.

Once tipped to succeed Mahathir, Anwar was unceremoniously sacked by the former Umno veteran in 1998 on grounds of corruption and sodomy.

Many in PKR still blame Malaysia’s longest-serving premier for Anwar’s incarceration.

Mahathir, however, said he appreciated that Anwar had described the party he is in the midst of forming, as a “positive step.”

“His approval is something that we value.”

Mahathir had last week announced that the new party in the pipeline, would establish a common cause with other like-minded people to form a new Opposition coalition.