Kit Siang backs Anwar to remain Opposition Leader

By Clara Chooi - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — Lim Kit Siang has pledged support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to remain as Parliamentary Opposition Leader and Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) choice for prime minister even if the number of PKR representatives falls below that of the DAP.

The DAP stalwart said that despite the recent defections of two PKR MPs, he did not expect Pakatan Rakyat’s cohesion to be affected.

“I think there is no change in Pakatan and the PKR despite the present developments,” he told The Malaysian Insider this morning.

Lim brushed off talk about Anwar’s position as the Opposition Leader being affected by weakening support for his leadership.

“I will not even talk about that,” said Lim.

PAS lawmakers today issued a rare joint statement supporting the leadership of an embattled Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has seen several lawmakers and former leaders deserting his party in the past few weeks.

The statement signed by all 23 PAS MPs and three Senators stated that they would continue to carry out the people’s trust given in Election 2008 to bring changes and reforms over injustice, poverty and human rights violations to establish a government founded on religious and moral principles.

It also came about after Anwar, who is de facto PKR and the Pakatan Rakyat opposition pact, tweeted that he had no issues with DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang taking over as Opposition Leader if more PKR lawmakers walk out of his party.

PKR now has 29 MPs after Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim (Bayan Baru) and Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal) quit in the past two weeks.

There has been speculation that Anwar would be asked to resign as Parliamentary Opposition Leader if more PKR lawmakers quit but both PAS and DAP leaders have privately assured him they preferred he remain in the post.

“Opposn Leader:no problem for ybKit to tak over fr me. We work as a team unlike Umno!” Anwar tweeted in his Twitter microblogging website last night, referring to the Ipoh Timur MP, and using short forms common in tweets.

Anwar, who is facing a second sodomy charge in a decade, has said he was prepared to give way to other leaders.

Lim told The Malaysian Insider that even if there were more defections from PKR, Anwar would remain as Parliamentary Opposition Leader.

“His position remains unaffected and the DAP will continue to support Anwar as the Opposition Leader and as the Prime Minister-designate,” he said.