Anwar: I am aware of traitors

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says there are a lot of people whom he terms as “traitors” amid the intense speculation surrounding the earlier decision for him to take over as prime minister.

(The Star) – Saying that he was fed up of talking about the issue, the Port Dickson MP added that it was more important to focus on economic development and the people’s well-being.

“That’s why I don’t really like to talk about it, but the problem is that there are a lot of orang khianat (traitors),” he told PKR members during the Sabah PKR convention at ITCC Penampang near here yesterday.

Anwar said when people asked whether he could still wait (to be the eighth prime minister), he would say: “I have waited for 20 years, so it’s okay. Don’t worry.”

“If God wants to make it happen, it will happen,” he said, adding that he was not pushing for the leadership transition and urged everyone to continue supporting the federal and state governments for pressing development needs.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said only the Pakatan Harapan presidential council could determine who would be prime minister.

This came after Opposition MPs urged the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman to remain as prime minister until the next general election.

Prior to GE14, Pakatan had decided that Dr Mahathir would be prime minister for a few years before handing over the baton to Anwar, but no time frame or exact date was given.Recently, there was speculation that former Umno vice-president and Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was engineering to oust DAP and Parti Amanah Negara from Pakatan to form a new government, prompting the Pakatan secretariat to issue a statement strongly denouncing the plot.

Hishammuddin has denied any involvement in such a campaign.

At the press conference after the convention, Anwar said in principle, there was no objection to controversial former federal minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak joining PKR.He said he had informed Salleh, whose membership status was still pending, that they normally did not have a problem accepting anyone, but they had to take into account the party members’ sentiments.

Asked about Salleh’s known past as a loyalist to Umno and former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Anwar said that should not be an indicator of whether or not to accept someone into the party.

“I take such comments into consideration, but I myself was a committed member of Umno in the past,” he said.

Anwar added that he had spoken to Sabah PKR chief Datuk Christina Liew and other leaders about it but if Salleh pledged commitment to the party’s struggles, then they might just have to consider taking him in.

On other matters, he said although PKR’s stand on the 20% oil royalty and 40% net revenue to be returned to Sabah was consistent and still valid, what was more important was for the Federal Government to have good governance and fight corruption.

“What has been promised should be fulfilled,” he added.