SHAH ALAM July 16 ― Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told PKR delegates today to choose a new leader if they were so unhappy that he kept failing at becoming Malaysia’s prime minister.
The PKR president said he could have become PM long ago if he were willing to conform and cut a deal with people he alleged to be corrupt.
He claimed to have received statutory declarations (SDs) of support from Umno lawmakers if he agreed to help get criminal and corruption charges dropped against their leaders Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last year, when the government that ousted the elected Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration faced a confidence crisis, but refused to kow-tow to their demands.
“I did not say OK, I did not apologise. I said we will fight and face the upcoming general election.
“People kept saying that I failed and failed [to be PM]. If you want me to succeed by sucking up to those who are corrupt, find a new president,” he told the over 2,600 PKR delegates on the second day of the party’s three-day national congress here.
The Port Dickson MP claimed that he and their PH allies had rejected the 15 Umno SDs, adding that two of them were from Najib and Zahid.
He further claimed to have received the support of 118 MPs back then as well, which would make him the Dewan Rakyat elected representative with the most votes out of 222; but he said the matter ended there.
In his policy speech, Anwar told the PKR delegates to set aside their discontent with the results of their recent party elections.
He said that those who continued to harp on it will not receive the watikah, the highly-prized appointment letter that he as the party president has to sign, to be considered a candidate for the 15th general election due by September 2023.
“I will not forgive those in branches and divisions, PKR youth or women’s wing who choose to continue fighting after the party election.
“If these keep happening, you can be sure there won't be any watikah for you,” he said.
