|
We can topple Umno: Anwar |
|
|
|
Wednesday, 16 April 2008 08:37 |
|
Govt MPs waiting to deflect - for money and power
Malaysia's embattled Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawifaced a serious challenge yesterday as opposition leader Anwar Ibrahimsaid he had the support of enough government defectors to seize power.
Analysts backed Mr Anwar's dramatic claim, saying turmoil in the ruling coalition could hasten an exodus of law-makers and propel the former Deputy PM back to power after last month's stunning general election gains by the opposition alliance.
Mr Anwar, who was sacked from office and jailed a decade ago, said at a rally in Kuala Lumpur late on Monday that he had enough support to form a government but would not act until he had a more comfortable majority.
"Yes, we have enough Members of Parliament (MPs) to topple the government," he told reporters after police broke up the rally, held to celebrate the end of Mr Anwar's ban from politics and which drew tens of
thousands of supporters. "But we will only enter when the majority is comfortable.
"Do we want to be a government with a two- or five-seat majority?"
Yesterday, police summoned Mr Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, who is president of the Keadilan party, and several others over the rally, which had been declared illegal.
Keadilan said it considered the move an act of "intimidation and provocation", and the official Bernama news agency quoted Dr Azizah as saying she would not give a statement to the police - a move that could see her arrested.
But Kuala Lumpur police told Bernama that they "do not want to do that".
Mr Anwar has said that coalition lawmakers from Sabah and Sarawak states have approached him about switching sides, but so far, none have declared their intentions publicly.
Mr James Chin, political science professor at Monash University's Kuala Lumpur campus, said coalition MPs were ready to defect because of infighting in the United Malays National Organisation and uncertainty over Mr Abdullah's leadership.
"It is true MPs are waiting to jump," he said. "They will do it for money and power. Abdullah is fighting for his political life and Anwar is pouring oil into the fire by stating that he has enough defectors to form the next government."
Ms Tricia Yeoh from the Centre for Public Policy Studies said that Mr Anwar was highlighting his ability to form the government in order to "inject in people's mind that there can be an alternate government".
When asked if he had enough support to take power, she said: "My gut feeling says yes. It will be risky for him to lie."
But Mr Timbon Herbert Lagadan, a state assemblyman from Sabah, said Mr Anwar's comments were merely "political rhetoric. Anwar is a man who cannot be trusted. He promised development for Sabah when he was Deputy PM and Finance Minister but he failed to deliver". - AFP
 |
The Blogs 
DATIN SERI AZIZAH UNTUK PRIME MINISTER!
HIDUP PAKATAN RAKYAT!
TAMATKAN UMNO-ISME DI MALAYSIA!
KEMBLAIKAN PETRONAS KEPADA RAKYAT!