Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia in an editorial piece today claims PKR deputy president Azmin Ali was played by the party's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim after the conclusion of nominations for the PKR polls.

 

Weighing into the surprise nomination of both Anwar and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as president, Awang Selamat, a pseudonym used by Utusan to express its editorial stance, said it "pitied" Azmin as he could not rise to the top.

 

"Awang wonders why no other leaders are qualified to be nominated as president. Clearly Anwar only trusts his own family members.

 

"The conclusion, who else was played if it is not Azmin Ali," it said in a piece entitled ‘Who is the victim’.

 

The newspaper added Azmin was "trapped" by Wan Azizah's surprise nomination.

 

"Not only he has to let go of contesting for president, he is now being challenged by Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and four other leaders who support the Selangor Menteri Besar," it said.

 

The daily predicted the four other candidates will eventually drop out to back Khalid and declared its congratulations for Khalid even before the race starts.

 

Wan Azizah, in a statement yesterday, said she had offered herself as a candidate for president out of concern that Anwar may be disqualified.

 

This follows Anwar's five-year jail sentence for sodomy handed down by the Court of Appeal earlier this month. He is appealing the case at the Federal Court.

 

Under Section 9A(1)(b) of the Societies Act 1966, a person cannot become or remain an officer-bearer of a registered society if convicted of any offence and fined not less than RM2,000, or sentenced to a jail for a term of not less than one year.