The public can pressure the Malaysian ruler by sending a memorandum to seek a pardon for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim just as his family had done,  said PKR leader R Sivarasa.

Sivarasa said this strategy to free Anwar from his five year jail term for sodomy was possible as the Agong will be subjected to various other lobbying as well.

“Since the application for pardon is beyond the legal process, it is now all up to the discretion of the Agong and His Majesty has the final say in the matter,” he told a packed audience who attended ‘The scenario after Anwar’s imprisonment’ forum organised by Penang Suaram last night.

“Even if the pardons board refuses to pardon Anwar, the Agong can say otherwise and grant the pardon anyway,” he added.

“It is different for the pardons board at state level where the sultan or governor needs to heed the board’s advice, the pardons boards in the federal territories is chaired directly by the Agong,” he stressed.

Sivarasa said the Agong, based on his discretion, may even decide not to deal with Anwar’s pardon.

However, he believed the Agong who is reputed for his integrity “will do the right thing”.

Sivarasa denied that the royal pardon petition sent by Anwar’s family meant he has changed his mind or admitted guilt for his crime, which the Permatang Pauh MP insists was a political conspiracy to end his political career.

This is why the family has stated in the petition that Anwar is a “prisoner of conscience and  stands innocent”, Sivarasa noted.

The petition for a pardon is on grounds of fairness and that a miscarriage of justice had led to his wrongful imprisonment, he added.

“Therefore, they sent out the petition to seek his release from incarceration,” Sivarasa said.

“Those who claimed otherwise are solely being used as propaganda by the mainstream media,” he added.

According to Sivarasa, there is no standard operating procedure for a royal pardon, so Anwar’s family is actually venturing into uncharted territory.

“We don’t know the time frame for the decision, we even don’t know when the pardons board is going to meet,” he said.

Attended by about 100 people, the forum also featured Bersih 2.0 chairperson Maria Chin, Aliran spokesperson Prema Devaraj and DAP-appointed Penang Municipal Councillor Syerleena Rashid.

Hudud issue the focus of discussion

Meanwhile, during the question and answer session, the hudud issue became the focus of discussion, with several members of the audience questioning why the issue is being played up and whether Pakatan can survive under such divergent views between its members.

PKR’s allies PAS and DAP are at loggerheads over the issue, especially now that PAS intends to implement the hudud law in Kelantan.

Sivarasa explained that every party in a coalition has the right to pursue its political aspirations, as long as it is done according to the democratic process.

Hence, PAS can struggle for hudud, while DAP can oppose the implementation since it will effect others once it becomes part of the criminal justice system.

“But as far as Pakatan is concerned, hudud is not an agenda within our common platform,” said Sivarasa.

He also disagreed that Pakatan will fall apart after Anwar’s imprisonment, as the PKR de facto leader is still legally the parliamentary opposition leader.

Moreover, Pakatan has different layers of leadership with capable leaders from each party, he assured.

“The propagandists want us to think Anwar is no longer relevant after jailed, but this is not true.

“Look at Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was jailed but he become the president after his party won the election.”

Meanwhile, Syerleena ( left ) said that Pakatan would rather discuss pressing issues affecting all Malaysians, for instance education and healthcare quality, economy, the goods and services tax (GST) and corruption, rather than focus on hudud.

“We need to prioritise our issues, I don’t think it is fair to exclude other Malaysians when framing national policies,” she said.

Maria said Malaysians are still trapped in the diccussion of national unity, but the nation does not have enough space to express different views.

“I hope we can focus on issue like GST, corruption, freedom of expression, racial harmony, police power and the environment,” she said.

Prema said the authorities are afraid of losing control, and whenever they face internal party strife, economic problems, financial scandals and increased public discontent, they will crack down on dissent in the name of national security to divert attention.