DECEMBER 21 — Ten minutes into his speech in the Dewan Rakyat while tabling a Bill on the government’s Consolidated Fund, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was interrupted by an MP, who seemingly wanted the prime minister to proceed with his speech on the so-called Mini Budget.

Anwar turned to the MP and calmly responded that he would get to his speech on the motion proper.

He requested for two minutes and took the occasion to express his gratitude to his friends in PAS — especially the "seniors” — for going down to the grassroots to explain the "travesty of justice” occasioned against him.

Anwar said (in BM):

"Saya tidak pernah menafikan sumbangan [dan] khidmat mereka yang tidak melayani fitnah dan menganggap ini konspirasi.”

He said he had many friends. He did. The Hansard bears witness to this.

On November 3, 2003, when a motion of confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was moved by MP for Shah Alam Mohd. Zin bin Mohamed, the fifth MP to stand up to debate the motion was MP for Yan Nasharudin bin Mat Isa (PAS) who began his speech as follows:

"Terima kasih Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Saya bangun mewakili Parti PAS dan rakan-rakan pembangkang yang lain. Pertamanya mengalu-alukan dan merakamkan ucapan tahniah di atas pelantikan Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang kelima....”

Towards the end of his speech, the MP for Yan called on the 5th prime minister in the following words:

"[S]aya mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mendesak Yang Amat Berhormat Perdana Menteri yang baru melakukan:

(i) memulihkan amalan demokrasi yang telah dicabul semasa pemerintahan 22 tahun mantan Perdana Menteri yang lalu;

(ii) menghapuskan ISA dan membebaskan semua tahanan ISA dan membicarakan mereka di mahkamah terbuka;

(iii) membicarakan semula mantan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim...” The last was greeted with applause.

Anwar’s humility to remember and acknowledge his friends despite being goaded a day earlier is what the new Malaysia needs in abundance.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.