KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphatically reiterated his stand that there must be a change of government for Malaysia to progress.
He noted that a change of leadership in Umno would have no effect.
"The problem is the system," he told reporters at the lobby of the Jalan Duta court complex when commenting on yesterday's Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting in which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi announced his decision not to defend his presidency in the March Umno elections.
It has been the norm for the leader of Umno to hold the position of prime minister. Abdullah's decision not to contest means he will be stepping down also as prime minister, paving the way for the next elected president to take over if BN remains in power.
Abdullah pledged to complete his promised reforms before leaving office next March.
Anwar was sceptical, however, of the outgoing prime minister, and expressed doubts that he would be able to fulfil in the next five months what he failed to do in the past five years.
"Are we expected to believe that he can?" he asked.
"If he does, well and good; good for him and good for the country," he quipped.
Asked if he thought Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is tipped to take over the reins, would be able to effect positive change in the government's policies on issues such as the independence of the judiciary and
economic management, he answered in the negative.
"With Najib... the answer is categorically no," he emphasised.
"Change must happen. A change in the leadership of the BN will have no effect," he added.
Anwar was in court today for a hearing on the Sodomy II charge. Following the adjournment of the court hearing to Oct 31, he elaborated on his statements made earlier in the afternoon.
First, he thanked the prime minister for all the good he had done in the past but regretted that his attempts to bring about reform in the past five years were unsuccessful.
Anwar sympathised with Abdullah and said he understood how heavy the burdens of the prime minister were but appealed to the latter to live up to his promises for reform in order to salvage his reputation.
"I give him the benefit of the doubt. "The reforms are popular with the public but not popular with his Umno ministers," Anwar said.
But he also stressed that Abdullah is still the prime minister and still held authority even if he was not going going to contest the presidency.
"What is there to worry about?" Anwar asked.
He especially bemoaned the lack of action on matters pertaining to judicial independence and media freedom and highlighted the ongoing trial of Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin.
"I appeal to the prime minister as a friend, even though he is going to retire, to at least do the right thing.
"Tomorrow, release those who have been detained under the ISA. Free the media; stop the racist campaigns made by his own Umno-controlled media," Anwar advised.
He also advised that Abdullah assume a "conciliatory attitude" towards the opposition and fulfil their request for a meeting with him, even though he had turned it down earlier.
"Do not listen to your deputy who believes that everything is correct, that the fundamentals of our economy are strong," he advocated, and added that Najib was the only finance minister in the world who still believes that to be true.
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