“Massive ground support” for PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim contradicts a recent poll finding that 81 percent of the respondents want him to step down following Pakatan Rakyat’s defeat in the 13th general election, PKR vice-president N Surendran says.

NONE “This poll result is completely contradicted by the massive ground support Anwar has been receiving throughout the country since he announced that he would not accept the fraudulent GE results and would fight on to take Putrajaya,” Surendran said in a statement today.

This support, he said, is clearly reflected by the mammoth-sized crowds of “hundreds of thousands” that have come out to greet Anwar during the numerous rallies nationwide.

“On social media, in the streets and at public rallies, the majority of the people are united in wanting Anwar to carry on until the job is done.”

Fresh from his win as the new Padang Serai MP, Surendran ( below ) also pointed out that Pakatan had won 51 percent of the popular vote, pointing to majority of Malaysians wanting the opposition to form the federal government and Anwar as PM.

NONE Hence, he said it would be a “great fault” should Anwar quit politics, as he is “thus duty-bound to carry on as leader of Pakatan until victory is achieved and the people's will is given effect.”

In the online poll carried out by business news website The Edge , a whopping 10,396 of the 12,736 polled agreed that Anwar “should call it quits” as he made this pledge to step down should Pakatan fail to wrest federal power on May 5.

Meanwhile PKR has also expressed concern that two organisers of yesterday’s Black 505 rally in Johor Bahru - PKR state secretary Abdul Shukor Ayob and state executive secretary Yuneswaran Ramaraj - had been called in by the police for questioning today.

“The move to interview them over the event is an intimidation of those seeking to exercise their right to assemble in a peaceful manner,” the PKR communications bureau said in a statement.