Saiful tells Dr M: Remember me, I was Anwar’s victim
(The Star) – The former aide to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Saiful Bukhari Azlan (pic), said he regrets Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s apparent support in calling for the release of the jailed Opposition leader.
In a Facebook status posted on Thursday, Saiful said the former prime minister “should know better” that he was “the real victim” of Anwar’s criminal act.
“I express my regret that Tun Mahathir chose to mischievously politicise a criminal case that has already been decided by a court of law.
“I urge Tun Mahathir to respect the court’s decision. As the former prime minister, Tun Mahathir should know better. I am the real victim of Anwar Ibrahim’s criminal act,” he wrote.
On Wednesday (Dec 13), Dr Mahathir and Anwar’s international legal advisor Kimberley Motley released a joint statement calling for Anwar to be “unconditionally released” from prison immediately.
Saiful said Dr Mahathir was blinded by the facts of the case to fulfil his own political agenda despite his previous sympathy towards him as a victim three years ago.
“How easy one can forgone (sic) principles and meaning of justice when it serves a desperate political objectives (sic).
“In Oct 2014, Tun Mahathir had expressed his sympathy towards me as a victim when I visited him at his Yayasan Perdana office, with my wife and my newborn son,” he said.
He added that it is true that in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, just interests.
Saiful’s Facebook post was accompanied by photos he took with Dr Mahathir during his 2014 visit.
In 1998, when Dr Mahathir was premier, he fired Anwar as his deputy and removed him from his Cabinet.
Anwar then was put on trial for corruption and sodomy and later convicted of both, before the sodomy verdict was overturned in 2004 when Dr Mahathir’s successor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was premier.
Anwar is currently serving a five-year jail term for sodomising Saiful, 32, at Desa Damansara condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.
Dr Mahathir is now Pakatan Harapan and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman, after he left Umno following a fallout with the current Umno leadership.
