Anwar backtracks on power bid

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 - Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has now backtracked on claims he is on the verge of taking power, and says "it is not an issue of deadlines," anymore.Anwar had originally set two deadlines - Sept 16 and then Sept 23 - as dates on which his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance would take over the federal government.But after both dates passed with little incident, his supporters are beginning to express frustration and Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders are even calling him a liar.Said Anwar today: "They have called me many things before. The point is if they believe I'm a liar, then put me to the test in Parliament."Speaking to reporters at the lobby of the Court Complex in Jalan Duta here early this afternoon after attending the mention for his Sodomy II trial, Anwar clarified that it is no longer about setting and meeting deadlines but rather about forming the next federal government in a non-violent and lawful manner.For that, he said, he is willing to wait for the prime minister to respond positively and is not willing to issue an ultimatum."We are going to exhaust all the legal avenues available. We do not want to transgress the constitutional rules and procedures," he said.The prime minister has already rejected the notion of meeting with the opposition at all to discuss a transfer of power and has even challenged them to disclose the number of parliamentarians who will "cross over" from BN.On the possibility of tabling the motion of no-confidence against Abdullah's leadership in Parliament, Anwar said: "Our problem is... in Malaysian democracy... there is no guarantee."He explained that when he wrote a letter to the prime minister requesting a meeting to discuss the transition of power, Abdullah had rejected it publicly without undertaking the possibility of a vote of no-confidence being tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.In spite of all that, Anwar remains optimistic that Abdullah will meet him.He also said that he had drafted - but not yet sent - a letter to the King to inform him of the measures he had taken towards a smooth and peaceful transition of government.However, he did not reply to questions about whether he was seeking an audience with the King."I appeal to my Malaysian citizens, particularly those who want to see a change, to understand, to be a bit more patient," he said.

Anwar: No contact with PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 - Opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was unaware of any negotiation between the Pakatan Rakyat coalition and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.Yesterday, PKR information chief, Tian Chua reportedly said that the federal opposition has been negotiating with Abdullah through intermediaries; the Prime Minister later issued a denial."I am not aware of any negotiations taking place between Pakatan Rakyat and the Prime Minister-statements made yesterday suggesting that a line of communication was open were misinformed," said Anwar in a statement.However he is confident that the Pakatan Rakyat will soon form the federal government but did not provide any deadline.I along with my colleagues in Pakatan remain confident that the people's desire for change shall soon be attained. We will proceed cautiously towards our goals and we agreed neither to be provoked into hasty action nor to take an irresponsible approach that would lead to instability and greater uncertainty in country," said the Permatang Pauh MP.Anwar also commented on the two meetings yesterday between him and Kelantan Menteri Besar, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Pas President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang and Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng."Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat and PAS President Haji Hadi Awang reaffirmed their commitment to the spirit and the goals of the coalition and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng expressed his satisfaction in the progress being made to strengthen and broaden the consensus among the Pakatan Rakyat parties and supporters from BN," he added.He reiterated that Abdullah's refusal to convene an emergency session of Parliament was an act of sabotage."There is a crisis of confidence in the current leadership of the nation at a time when the Malaysian people are demanding solutions for the highest increases in prices in two decades, increasing joblessness and the dramatic decline in investor confidence," said Anwar.

Ku Li: Government and Umno have lost the plot

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 - The government and Umno are no longer viable and all Malaysians must come together to rectify the "dangerous situation" the country is in, former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said yesterday."The government, in its present form, and under the present leadership, led by the party to which I have given my life, are now structurally and inherently incapable of providing the direction and confidence that the country needs," he said in a statement yesterday.The MP for Gua Musang and aspiring Umno presidential candidate said the country was facing a political and economic crisis because of a leadership vacuum and the country was in turmoil because the rule of law was uncertain and the Constitution was not being upheld."Everyone must come together in humility, beyond party politics, to hold an honest discussion, in the spirit of shared citizenship, to steer the country out of the crisis."He said the political impasse was happening at a time of heightened economic, political and security challenges, noting that:
- The global economy faced the prospect of a meltdown on a scale last seen in the Great Depression of the last century and Malaysia, as a trading nation, was strongly exposed to its effects.
- The March 8 general election signalled a public sentiment that could not be ignored. Malaysians wanted fundamental change, and they wanted it now, whether from within the ruling coalition or from outside it. The Malaysian demographic had changed dramatically over the last 50 years with a more sophisticated, demanding electorate that had, rightly, lost patience with incompetence and dishonesty.
- The grievances of Sabah and Sarawak, which found only partial expression in the general election, remained unaddressed. This risked the very integrity of the Federation.
- Misunderstandings over race and religion were ripe for political exploitation, with potentially disastrous consequences.

He said the government now commands even less confidence than it did post-March 8; but rather than share the public's sense of urgency for change, the present office-holders had redoubled efforts to frustrate renewal, cut off reform, and silence criticism."This underscores the weakness of the administration and its lack of will to change," he said, citing the government's inability to respond to the economic crisis with even a basic plan of action."Tengku Razaleigh said Umno's constitutional provision for the renewal of its leadership by triennial elections might have been expected to provide some hope of renewal. But instead of embracing this opportunity, the party leadership had retreated into the fantasy world of a "transition plan" which rides roughshod over the party's constitution and the rights of its members."This brazen attempt to treat public office and party trust as a private bequest between two individuals, one of whom wishes to hold office beyond his democratic mandate and the other to ascend without one, and the continuing effort to force feed the country with this notion, fools no one," he said."The 'transition plan' betrays a disturbing failure to grasp the meaning and purpose of public office. In a more mature society, persons who demonstrate and propagate such disregard for constitutional and democratic process would long ago have been disqualified from public life, let alone from national leadership. They do not seem to realise that the public rejects leaders who shun the open light of democratic contest in favour of staged plays and backroom plots.""This and rampant money politics are destroying the rakyat's hope of national renewal via Umno. And behind the babble of a transition plan, the Prime Minister continues to be subverted by members of his own cabinet and subjected to thinly-cloaked power plays to force his resignation."Tengku Razaleigh said all these were indications that the government was in a state of denial."The Opposition has made undeniable gains in the number of parliamentarians it commands and we are beginning to lose grip of the rule of law. The use of the Internal Security Act and of Sedition Laws to target particular individuals further erodes the credibility of the government.""The recommendations of two Royal Commissions of Inquiry have also been ignored or watered down into insignificance.""Political crises come and go, but the present crisis might well be the beginning of a cascade of failures leading to long-term instability and destruction, unless we all do something about it," he said.Tengku Razaleigh added that there was now a credible threat that the government may fall though a vote of no confidence, or by some other constitutionally legitimate demonstration of parliamentary majority."After 51 years of rule by a single party, this is not a possibility that is well understood. It is justifiably viewed with trepidation. But neither sheer denial or inflated claims help the situation.""Our actions exacerbate rather than calm the fear that stokes civil and racial strife. In the present context of a leadership struggle within Umno and against a strong Opposition, it is impossible to dispel the notion that these extreme measures are calculated to maintain certain individuals in power rather than to address verifiable threats to national security. Nothing does more to undermine the legitimacy of a government than plainly unjust acts. The ridiculous justifications given for some of the ISA detentions have further undermined public confidence that the awesome powers of state are in safe hands.""We need to come together to find unity and direction out of this predicament. In doing so, we might turn our crisis into an opportunity and renew our unity and sense of direction as Malaysia."

Minister walks as pressure piles up on Malaysia’s PM

MALAYSIAN opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim moved closer to a parliamentary showdown yesterday as the embattled Government suffered another blow when its law minister resigned.Zaid Ibrahim, a minister assisting Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on legal affairs, resigned over last week’s arrest of two journalists and an opposition member of parliament under the Internal Security Act.Mr Zaid said the Government was wrong to use the act, which allows indefinite detention without trial.This came as Mr Anwar was convening a mass meeting in a Kuala Lumpur sports stadium last night to protest against the arrests. Mr Anwar has predicted that enough MPs of the ruling Barisan Nasional, or National Front, will cross to his People’s Alliance coalition for him to form government.In recent days Mr Anwar has suggested the September 16 deadline for this is not fixed, but sources close to his headquarters said he already had firm promises from about 37 MPs now in Barisan.The parliament is in recess for the Islamic fasting month, so any immediate shift in power would depend on Mr Anwar persuading the King, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, that he has a majority.Mr Zaid’s resignation, which was not immediately accepted by Mr Abdullah, came after the arrests of internet political blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, an opposition Democratic Action Party MP Teresa Kok, and for one night, Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng.At the same time, the Government issued “show-cause notices” to three newspapers under a press law requiring annual renewal of publishing licences and lets authorities suspend or withdraw licences for public order threats.Originally enacted in 1960 to fight a long-running communist insurgency, the Internal Security Act allows police to hold and interrogate a suspect for 60 days, and for the Home Minister to authorise detention without trial for renewable periods of two years. But the latest arrests have rebounded on the Government, with Mr Zaid among half a dozen ministers and Barisan’s smaller parties voicing criticism.“Rightly or wrongly, the perception about the latest arrests is that it’s related to the political situation of the country,” said Malaysian Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan. “Certainly the intention is intimidation and to put fear into people so that they are more careful in the comments that they make.“It is really a direct threat to the freedom of speech, and very telling that a blogger and a journalist have been held.”

Malaysia opposition wants “handover talks” with PM

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday to discuss a handover of power after declaring that he had won over enough government MPs to form the next government.Anwar needs to convince 30 legislators from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition to join his three-party opposition alliance in order to get a parliamentary majority.At a rally on Monday night, he said he had done so, although none of the government’s 140 MPs have publicly declared for Anwar.“He wanted to meet with the prime minister,” a spokesman for Anwar’s Keadilan party said on Tuesday.No one from the government was immediately available for comment and Abdullah insisted on Monday that he would remain prime minister and that a change of government would not happen.Anwar’s opposition alliance has 82 MPs in the 222-strong Malaysian parliament and he has been trying to convince 30 government MPs to change sides so as to oust the coalition that has run Malaysia for 51 years since independence from Britain.He says that if he wins power he will root out corruption and end a system of affirmative action for ethnic Malays, over half of the population in this nation of 27 million people.Anwar says that the system has not only failed the people it was aimed at helping, but has also created a class of crony businessmen entirely dependent on government contracts, which has hurt the country’s economic prospects.Malaysian newspapers treated Anwar’s announcement with scepticism on Tuesday, saying that he had not yet shown that he could form a new government.“It is the 16th of September, 2008. And we do not know what if anything will happen. We do not know what, if anything is going on,” the pro-government New Straits Times wrote in an editorial.Malaysia’s stock market sold off early on Tuesday losing 2.26 percent.Dealers said this was partly due to concerns over Malaysian politics and partly due to global financial market uncertainty caused by the U.S. banking crisis.