PKR is praying that Dr Mahathir Mohamad repents before God, who knows his crimes against Anwar Ibrahim, before it becomes too late.

In a tit-for-tat retort to the former prime minister's condemnation of the party's de facto leader, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail described Mahathir as a failed, bitter old man who is known for telling lies.

According to a Bernama report, Dr Mahathir had said after receiving an honorary doctorate from an Islamic university in Jakarta yesterday, that Anwar was " morally unfit " to talk about Islam.

Anwar was invited to deliver a lecture on 'Islamic values and revival of the Muslim ummah' at the Al-Azhar University’s Indonesian campus in Jakarta.

"Look at the old man, Dr Mahathir, still attacking and defaming Anwar relentlessly, without any conscience.

"Remember that Allah loves those who repent and turn away from sin, and hates those who do not, especially stubborn old men.

"My prayer is that Dr Mahathir will not be one of the latter types and that he will open his heart," Saifuddin (right) wrote in a press statement today.

He added that a comparison of the company Dr Mahathir keeps and Anwar's friends will reveal who is, by Islamic standards, actually holier.

"While Anwar chases traditional knowledge and is close to (Islamic scholars) such as Yusuf Qardhawi, Tariq Suwaidan and Wahbah Zuhaily; Dr Mahathir is close to (tycoons) Ananda Krishna, Francis Yeoh and Syed Mokhtar Bukhary," he said.

'Few take Dr M seriously'

Saifuddin added that even though Dr Mahathir has been trying to "character assassinate" Anwar for past 15 years, few outside of his Umno members really take him seriously anymore.

"Dr Mahathir has never produced the four witnesses that Quran requires when accusing a brethren.

"Anwar has friends and supporters from among Islamic heroes because they stand by the Quran and therefore are sure that Anwar is simply a victim of wicked lies told by Dr Mahathir."

Saifuddin also shot down Dr Mahathir's legacies from his 22 years as prime minister.

He has broken the judiciary, blocked press freedom, encouraged a corrupt culture, usurped the country's wealth for himself, targeted the royalty and made enemy with the ulama, Saifuddin said.

He also charged that Dr Mahathir even abused his power as prime minister to jail Anwar for seven years.

"Has he managed to kill Anwar? Not at all!" Saifuddin said, adding that even the current BN government won't be able to stop others in Asean, Europe, America and the Middle East from admiring and inviting Anwar to speak at their universities.

Anwar, he pointed out, can comfortably discuss the works of Shakespeare, Confucius, Mohamad Iqbal, Rabindranth Tagore, Jose Rizal and WS Rendra.