Anwar to tell all next Tuesday

Written by Yong Min Wei, The Edge

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to tell all on allegations linking the 1Malaysia concept to "One Israel" next Tuesday, March 30, at the Dewan Rakyat.

PKR Subang MP R Sivarasa said Anwar would be allowed to give an explanation after the end of the question-and-answer session in the House on March 30, adding that the date was the last day given by Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee for the opposition leader to reply.

"Anwar and I went to meet the deputy speaker earlier so that he can get an explanation from the deputy speaker on his decision," he told reporters at the parliament lobby after a 30-minute meeting at Kiandee's office on Tuesday, March 23, afternoon.

Sivarasa pointed out that March 30 was set by Kiandee as Anwar might not be able to make it to parliament on Thursday, which has been fixed for the re-mention of his sodomy trial in court.

"The trial dates are fixed depending on requests of the prosecution and defence counsels," he said, adding that the Permatang Pauh MP could confirm his attendance at the House next Tuesday.

Sivarasa, a PKR vice-president, added that the opposition leader was not present in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday but had written to the deputy speaker seeking a clarification on the need to explain his allegations to the House within seven days.

Following a heated exchange in the House on Monday, Kiandee concurred with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz's suggestion that Anwar be given a week to provide "satisfactory explanation" to the House, failing which the government would move a motion referring the opposition leader to the Rights and Privileges Committee.

Anwar had during a parliamentary debate last week alleged that Prime Minister Najib Razak's 1Malaysia concept was akin to the "One Israel" campaign slogan adopted by former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak.

He also said claimed the 1Malaysia concept was conceived by Najib after consultation with Apco Worldwide, the international strategic communication company engaged by the government. However, Apco has released a statement denying Anwar's claims and stressed it was incorrect to state it represented the Israeli government or Barak.

Asked to comment on his meeting with Kiandee, Anwar said he had to rush for a function and had left it to Sivarasa, who had accompanied him at the meeting, to comment.