PKR has blasted Umno’s suggestion that its chief  Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail should have resigned in 1999 over her husband’s conviction as “absurd” and only exposes the ruling party’s “dishonesty and hypocrisy”.

NONE Yesterday Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Ahmad Maslan responded to the resignation of federal minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil over her husband’s NFC scandal by asking why Wan Azizah had not done likewise.

“Why should Wan Azizah ( right ) quit her post when she and her family were the victims of Umno's lawlessness and Machiavellian style of politics?” said PKR vice president N Surendran in a statement today.

“It is simply absurd to compare Wan Azizah's position with Shahrizat and her family,who are guilty of misappropriating and misusing RM250 millions in public funds,” he said.

anwar ibrahim released from court 020904 He alleged that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s ( right, centre ) conviction was an Umno plot, despite Ahmad Maslan continuing to “pretend that the convictions were properly and fairly obtained”.

“This statement (suggesting Wan Azizah’s resignation) exposes Umno's complete dishonesty and hypocrisy.

“It is well known that Anwar Ibrahim was convicted as a result of an Umno-led criminal plot involving then prime minister Dr Mahathir, the police, Attorney General and a compliant judiciary,” said Surendran.

‘No tradition of taking responsibility’

The human rights lawyer said Wan Azizah had the courage to stay on in PKR to fight for “reform, justice and freedom” when her Anwar was jailed.

On the other hand, he said, Shahrizat’s resignation was hardly the minister’s “sacrifice” that Umno leaders has since hailed the resignation to be.

NONE “It was not a voluntary act. It is thus plainly deceitful for Ahmad Maslan, Muhyiddin and other Umno leaders to now claim that Shahrizat had 'sacrificed' herself and that she acted magnanimously,” he said.

The Women, Family and Community Development minister on Sunday finally gave in to calls for her resignation over the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal involving her family.

Yesterday her husband was charged on two counts of CBT and two of contravening the Companies Act, over a purchase of condominiums and a transfer of funds from NFC’s RM250 million government loan meant for its cattle project.

NONE Critics were however unconvinced by the minister’s move, saying that she was merely ‘ clinging ’ to her final term as a senator.

Surendran added that Umno leaders have never taken any responsibility for their wrongdoings.

“In fact, Umno and BN leaders have no tradition of taking responsibility for their misdeeds by resigning their positions.

“Protected by extensive police powers, a controlled media and a timid judiciary, BN leaders have never seen the need to adhere to principles of public accountability and good governance.

“Ahmad Maslan's ( above ) statement is thus a fine example of Umno's essential and deep-rooted duplicity,” he said.

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