A Sarawakian newspaper today claimed that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim was welcomed by a group of transvestites at the Kuching International Airport. This has got party leaders fuming.

The Eastern Times - which featured the report on its front-page - also published a photograph showing four transvestites carrying a banner that read: 'We love you, We support you Datuk Seri Anwar'.

The former deputy premier is currently in Sarawak to campaign for the May 20 state elections.

PKR candidate for the Padungan constituency Dominique Ng said he was shocked when he saw the report.

"This is gutter press at work. It is an action of a press that is bankrupt of ideas. It is part of the BN (Barisan Nasional) propaganda," he added when contacted.

Ng claimed that it was fear which drove BN to 'stoop so low' to attack Anwar after seeing the warm welcome he received in the state.

"The response has been tremendous. The Chinese, who are usually reserved in showing their support, have been very expressive and warm towards Anwar. I have never seen such a warm welcome for any leader throughout my 20-year experience in politics.

"I believe that BN leaders are feeling the heat and have finally realised that Anwar is able to make an impact on the locals," he added

Party welcomes support

PKR vice-president Mohd Azmin Ali also dismissed the report as a desperate act by the ruling coalition.

"They (BN leaders) are desperate. They cannot discredit the issues we support so they resort to dirty tactics by taking potshots at our leaders," he said.

However, he is confident that such tactics would not influence the voters in Sarawak.

Meanwhile, PKR state liaison chief Wan Zainal Wan Sanusi said he suspects that the transvestites were 'planted' to discredit Anwar.

The candidate for the Semariang constituency said he has been with PKR since the day it was formed but had never come across transvestite supporters.

PKR Youth vice-president Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said the party would like to thank the group of transvestites if their support was genuine.

"If they truly support us, that's well and good. But for the media to manipulate the support to suggest that our leaders are that kind of people, that's just despicable," he stressed.

A Kuching-based journalist, who requested anonymity, said he was not surprised with the report given that the fledgling Eastern Times is closely linked to Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Based on facts

Eastern Times managing editor G Sivakumar defended the report on the grounds that the daily was merely reporting facts.

"We report the news as it is. That's all there is to it," said the editor, who joined the daily about two weeks ago.

Asked to comment on the allegation that the daily was practicing 'gutter journalism', he replied: "We are all entitled to our own views. Beyond that, there is nothing to comment."

Anwar was sacked from government in 1998 and subsequently charged with corruption and sodomy. He spent six years in jail.

However, his sodomy conviction was later overturned by the Federal Court.

Anwar has always claimed to be a victim of political conspiracy and that the charges against him were trumped-up.