Ex-DPM drives home his intention of forming the next government
By Chow Kum Hor, THE STRAITS TIMES
From today, the former deputy prime minister can once again stand for election, bringing him significantly closer towards his long-cherished dream of becoming prime minister.
More than 10,000 people converged at a historic private Malay club in Kampung Baru last night - a reminder to the Barisan Nasional (BN) government about the resurgent opposition which made unprecedented gains in last month's general election.
'We are going to take over the government soon,' Datuk Seri Anwar said during a 40-minute speech.
He said that if the opposition alliance, Pakatan Rakyat, were to succeed in forming the new federal government before he wins an MP post, his wife - now an MP - will become the prime minister.
Pakatan Rakyat is the alliance made up of the Parti Keadilan Rakvat (PKR), Democratic Action Party and Parti Islam SeMalaysia.
It denied the BN its traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament in the March polls and also swept to power in Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor states. It also retained control of Kelantan.
At a press conference after the rally, Datuk Seri Anwar drove home his intention to form the next government, a point he hinted at repeatedly in his address.
'I am saying this for the first time. We are ready,' he told reporters.
'Timing is an issue that we have to discuss with the three parties - only when the majority feels comfortable. We have the numbers...we have enough MPs to form the government.'
Last night, he kept emphasising how different races could work and live together, in contrast to the BN's stress on pro-Malay policies.
He was accompanied by his wife Wan Azizah Ismail, who is the president of PKR, and his daughter Nurul Izzah, who had defeated a heavyweight Umno minister at the polls.
The rally, which ended at 10.30pm, took place at the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kampung Baru, a Malay enclave not far from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. It was a significant venue: In 1946, a historic meeting there led to the formation of Umno.
On Sunday, police had warned the public not to attend the opposition rally, saying no permit had been given. But organisers said it was being held in a private area.
There was a heavy police presence last night. Forty minutes into his speech, police asked Datuk Seri Anwar to wind it up, which he did.
He had been sacked in 1998 following a fallout with his one-time mentor, ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad. He was later charged with sodomy and corruption in a case of what many supporters saw as trumped-up charges.
He was convicted of corruption and sentenced to six years in jail. Under Malaysian law, this barred him from standing for political office for five years after his release.
Datuk Seri Anwar can be named prime minister only after becoming an MP - which means he would need to win a by-election. But this can take place only if an MP resigned. His wife and daughter have offered to make way for him.
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