On a whirlwind tour to rally support.
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been criss-crossing the country and speaking at rallies almost every other night, in an effort Pakatan Rakyat officials say is to win over Malay fence-sitters but which Umno rivals claim is a sign he is feeling trapped by his upcoming Sodomy II trial.
The de facto PKR leader has stepped up his public appearances as his trial draws nearer, pre-empting the salacious details expected to surface in court by attacking the prosecution and the government, and framing the charge as a political conspiracy.
Former Selangor mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo from Umno claimed in remarks made yesterday to The Malaysian Insider that Anwar’s campaign was a sign that he was feeling trapped.
“Voters may have believed that Anwar was innocent when he was charged for sodomy back then (in 1998) but this is the second time he is being charged for a similar offence,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Dr Mohd Khir also suggested that Anwar could no longer work the magic like he once did. The Umno man claimed that Anwar could only attract hundreds to his rallies now, when he once drew tens of thousands of supporters.
However, observers note that the opposition leader has been drawing thousands to his ceramahs in Perak, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
Dr Mohd Khir also said he believed that many voters had started to doubt Anwar because he was facing a second sodomy prosecution, pointing out that Umno was not involved in the matter at all.
“We don’t want to be involved. We’ve learned this from the first trial. He tried to blame it on us when we went around to prove he’s guilty. If we do it this time, when the court decides against him, he’ll say it’s our fault,” said Dr Mohd Khir.
“If Anwar is really innocent, why the need to explain?”
PKR secretary-general Saifudin Nasution said public response from the rallies has been encouraging. He believed the rallies had been helpful in convincing Malay fence-sitters in particular.
The battle to convince the Malays who have yet to make up their minds on Anwar’s innocence is the most crucial ahead of the next general elections, said Saifudin.
It is estimated that with Malay votes split between Umno and the two Malay-based PR parties of PAS and PKR, the fence-sitters could end up being the deciding votes.
Estimates put these fence-sitters as between eight to ten per cent of the total Malay electorate.
“I would say this issue is an issue that concerns the Malay electorate. It’s an issue about morality, religion and culture, so what we have done is to go down to the ground to explain to the Malays in the 31 parliamentary constituencies we control on the issue.
“And from my observation, the reception to our campaign has been overwhelmingly good,” Saifudin told The Malaysian Insider.
The charges levelled against Anwar pose a threat to his Islamic credentials and may ruin his credibility as a Muslim leader capable of leading the country, should the opposition pact he leads assume control of the federal administration.
Anwar will soon go on trial for allegedly sodomising his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, at a condominium in Bukit Damansara in June 2008.
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