PKR has urged the public to donate by buying postcards for its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s 68th birthday.

“We have prepared 1,000 birthday postcards and the public can contribute RM50 or more for a postcard,” said PKR director of strategy Sim Tze Tzin.

“We urge the rakyat to show their affection and loyalty to Anwar Ibrahim,” he said in a press conference.

“We want the rakyat get to get used to making small contribution in the name of political funding, so they are sensitive to political developments,” he said.

“We have only received RM300 at present. To achieve RM2.6 billion, we need 52 million donors,” he said sardonically, referring to the RM2.6 billion donations that went into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak AmBank accounts.

The party will bring all the postcards to Sungai Buloh Prison next Monday, when Anwar celebrates his 68th birthday.

Anwar is serving a five-year sentence since Feb 10 after being convicted of sodomising his former aide.

The concern raised by both British Prime Minister David Cameron and US Secretary of State John Kerry cannot be underestimated, cautioned Sim, who is also Bayan Baru MP.

“This is because Anwar is seen as a prisoner of conscience, it gives a bad image to the world and affects the confidence of the administration of both the prime minister and deputy prime minister,” he said.

Last week, Cameron spoke to Najib about the treatment of Anwar during his visit to Malaysia. Kerry said he also talked to Najib about Anwar’s situation.

Reiterating Anwar’s deteriorating condition, Sim urged the government to place Anwar under house arrest so the latter can receive better medical treatment.

“This is not a political issue but a humanitarian matter. The newly-minter Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should show humanitarian leadership,” he noted.