Solve your problems first, Anwar told

Anwar Ibrahim has no right to criticise the repeal of the ISA when he has his own problems to worry about, says Nazri Abdul Aziz.

PETALING JAYA: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has been told to resolve his own problems before poking his nose inro national issues.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz rapped Anwar for criticising Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s plan to scrap the Internal Security Act (ISA).

“He should go resolve his own personal problems first, such as… his sodomy case… the sex videos, before talking about national issues,” he told FMT.
“I don’t think he can be trusted to handle national issues,” he added.

Nazri was referring to Anwar’s claim today that the spirit of the ISA would be retained under different laws, and that Barisan Nasional leaders were secretly assured of this.

This was rubbished by Nazri, who also acts as the government’s de facto law minister.

“Why is he panicking? Why is he making negative remarks about all this? How can he know the laws before the seeing the draft?” he asked.

Nazri said that Anwar was in a state of panic, and alleged that Najib’s announcement to repeal the ISA last Thursday caught the Pakatan Rakyat supremo by surprise.

“All these new laws will have to be debated and talked about in Parliament. Do you think it’s going to be easy for us, if our intention is to bring two new, more repressive laws?” he said irritatedly.

“You think we are prepared to cheat and lie to Parliament? …If he is serious about repealing the ISA, he should work with us,” said the minisrer.

Najib had said that two new laws would be introduced once the ISA was repealed, but did not elaborate on the specifics of these proposed Acts.

These laws, the PM said, would be designed to combat terrorism, especially in the aftermath of the Sept 11 attacks.

According to a media report, Nazri had said that there was not enough time to repeal the ISA in the next Parliamentary sitting next month.

He added that the new laws to replace the ISA would only be introduced next year, and be tabled when Dewan Rakyat sits in March 2012.