Response To Zaid Ibrahim’s Statement “Empowering KEADILAN” On Anwar Ibrahim’s Trial

–Press Statement–

In response to Zaid Ibrahim’s statement “Empowering Keadilan” on Anwar Ibrahim’s trial

20 October 2010

I view with incredulity Zaid Ibrahim’s latest unkind salvo against

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which I sometimes think he forgets is the

party he currently belongs to and is in running for Deputy President.

It is very irresponsible and even malicious for him to suggest that

PKR seems to be a one issue party – keen only to champion Anwar

Ibrahim and his ongoing trial.

This myth he knows is not true and is something that we normally only

hear from UMNO-BN politicians. Over the last decade or so, PKR has

grown tremendously and has played a major part in forging the Pakatan

Rakyat alliance while espousing its true multi-racial brand of

progressive politics, leading to the Pakatan Rakyat’s Common Policy

Platform which we believe will pose a strong challenge to the BN in

the next general election.

I am further shocked that Zaid has suggested that by defending Anwar,

the party is unable to defend the rakyat. Again, very UMNO-BN-like

criticism as he knows very well that the party has a good track record

in defending the rakyat on various issues concerning civil, political,

economic, social and cultural rights.

I am sure Zaid is well aware that securing justice for Anwar does not

merely mean providing the best legal defence but involves a campaign

outside court to expose the Government’s manipulation of key

institutions to persecute political opponents. Again, this statement

that Anwar has received the best legal defence and therefore there is

nothing else to do – certainly seemed very UMNO-BN-like, and certainly

appalling coming from a PKR leader.

The implication of Anwar’s trial if he does not know is that Anwar’s

current and previous trials represent all that is wrong with UMNO-BN’s

brand of sham democracy – one that enables the government of the day

to make use of all the state machinery including the judiciary,

police, AG’s Chambers and even hospitals to manufacture false evidence

and implicate political opponents.

In case Zaid has forgotten, Anwar has spent six years’ imprisonment on

trumped up charges, and is once again facing the same fate. Surely it

would be extremely unkind and ungrateful of PKR to suddenly abandon

Anwar just when the party is becoming a major political force in the

country.

I am certainly at a loss to understand Zaid’s campaign strategy as he

seems bent on publicly and continuously criticising the party and its

leadership (which I must remind he is also part of) instead of

strengthening the party, and championing the party’s policies,

processes and issues including that of UMNO-BN’s persecution of Anwar.

Released by:

R sivarasa