INTERVIEW Don’t expect Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to patch up with his nemesis, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad - the man who sacked him from his deputy premier’s post and accused him of homosexuality 16 years ago.

 

"What is there to reconcile? What is the issue - is it democracy, freedom, judicial independence, the Internal Security Act (ISA), sedition?" asked Anwar in an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini .

 

Anwar, 67, is just days away from the possibility of being jailed for the second time on charges of sodomy, dubbed as Sodomy II.

 

His final appeal is to be heard by the Federal Court - the country’s highest court - on Tuesday.

 

Anwar said there is no reason for him to bury the hatchet with Mahathir as the latter "represents the past" and that his ex-boss is "still stuck in his obsolete thinking".

 

"I have never been tough on Mahathir since he retired (in 2003). I have forgiven him, but he keeps repeating (the same accusations)," lamented Anwar.

 

In 1998, Mahathir sacked Anwar who was then his deputy and had him arrested under the ISA where he was severely assaulted in his cell by then police chief Abdul Rahim Noor.

 

Anwar was subsequently dragged to court and jailed for sodomy and corruption for six years until his release in 2004.

 

The tumultuous events sparked the ‘reformasi’ movement which led to the formation of a new party, Parti Keadilan, headed by Anwar’s wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

 

Even though now retired, Mahathir is often quick to cast aspersions on Anwar and the opposition coalition.

 

Nevertheless, Anwar claims he no longer harboured bitterness against the 89-year-old whom he once considered as a father figure.

 

"I only look at the positive side - he was kind with me as well as tolerant."

 

He cited an incident years ago when he publicly called for a royal commission of inquiry on the Bumiputera Malaysia Finance (BMF) scandal which involved billions of ringgit.

 

Mahathir had then merely rapped him gently with a "'Anwar, don't do that, you need to talk to me first'.

 

‘Too much to swallow’

However, Anwar said even though Mahathir had been tolerant in such cases, what he did to the country when he was PM was "too much to swallow".

 

"Although it gives me pleasure to blame Mahathir, but it is not objective because you know that some cases have nothing to do with him.

 

"But he started the decline in terms of governance... Mahathir had indeed destroyed the judiciary, media independence and caused the suffering of many people.”

 

When asked why he did not continue to expose more dirt on Mahathir, Anwar said what he had exposed should be more than enough for the rakyat to judge the man.

 

He argued it is more important to ensure all that he had exposed reach as many Malaysians as possible in the bid to rid the country of Umno and the ruling government.

 

"It’s not just about Mahathir but the system and the entire party (Umno). Sometimes, some of the younger ones are even worse in their thinking and religious bigotry," he said.

 

 

The interview was conducted by Zakiah Koya, Hafiz Yatim, Alyaa Azhar, Radzi Razak and KiniTV’s Prasadh Michael.

PART II: Anwar: I'll probably get sedition to top off sodomy