Pakatan Rakyat reiterates its willingness to hold a dialogue with BN in line with the offer made by Umno president Najib Abdul Razak in his policy speech yesterday.

NONE Opposition leader and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said Pakatan Rakyat had on Sept 19, expressed its willingness to have a dialogue with BN.

“We reiterate our preparedness and with open arms to hold discussions in the interests of race and a new political cooperation,” said Anwar in a brief statement.

Najib in his policy speech had extended an olive branch to other political parties on the possibility of joint talks, hinting at open dialogues with PAS and the opposition.

“Even though we are slandered, taunted, this party has never gotten tired to extend a unity handshake with any political parties. All in order to see Muslims unite once again,” he said.

It is understood that no conditions are set-up for the proposed dialogue and Anwar as opposition leader has obtained the go-ahead from top PAS and DAP leaders to issue the statement.

Anwar left for Washington early this morning.

An initiative of Hamas?

One of the high ranking foreign officials who attended the opening of the Umno general assembly was Hamas leader Khalid Mashal.

NONE Khalid ( right in photo ) met with Najib and attended the session under heavy escort.

It was later learnt that Khalid had also met with Anwar at the office of the Palestine Cultural Organisation near Tasik Titiwangsa.

The Hamas leader met again with Najib at the Umno leader’s residence  last night.

Khalid is said to have played a pivotal role in uniting several Palestine factions, including Fatah and Hamas.

Proposal for a national dialogue

On Sept 19, Anwar, when launching Sabah PKR’s new headquarters in Kota Kinabalu, was reported to have said that Pakatan leaders including him, together with DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, had met the day before to renew the offer for national dialogue between Pakatan and BN.

NONE Anwar said the discussion had nothing to do with a unity government and is to address issues such as religious bigotry, economy, crime and corruption.

“We had proposed a debate with Umno and they rejected it, we proposed a dialogue and they rejected it. They (Umno) ask, apa lagi Cina mahu? So, now I ask them, apa lagi Umno mahu?

“Najib has not responded but some Umno leaders are just hysterical. It is just a call for dialogue in a democratic institution so I find it really odd (that BN is reluctant),” Anwar was reported to have said three months back.