'Chief' Anwar defends statement with Dr M, says not bound by old pact
Anwar Ibrahim has defended his recent joint statement with former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in conjunction with the second anniversary of the May 9, 2018 general election.
The PKR president said the statement was issued on the basis that he is now the chief of the opposition, which includes the Bersatu faction aligned to Mahathir.
Anwar Ibrahim has defended his recent joint statement with former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in conjunction with the second anniversary of the May 9, 2018 general election.
The PKR president said the statement was issued on the basis that he is now the chief of the opposition, which includes the Bersatu faction aligned to Mahathir.
He pointed out that Pakatan Harapan, which lost its hold on federal power due to a political coup in late February, is no longer bound by its previous agreement.
"I have been criticised following my joint-statement with Dr Mahathir. But, if we read the content of the statement, it only calls for the public to understand the stand of the opposition as a whole.
"And I signed it as the chief of the opposition. The duty of opposition chief is not only as president of Harapan but also as leader of the opposition including Bersatu under Mahathir and Warisan in Sabah,” he added.
Speaking during a talk show on Facebook today, Anwar said he has never considered Mahathir as his nemesis or holds grudges, including against former party members who betrayed him.
"There are those who suggested that I should treat Mahathir as a personal foe. I am not the type to do this.
"The statements he made against me or when he did not keep his promise, that is about him not me.
"...When we make a promise, we have the obligation to keep our word. If not, then we should explain and apologise," he added in response to questions from viewers.
Although he did not elaborate, Anwar's remarks were clearly referring to Mahathir's promise to pass the leadership baton to him when Harapan was in power.
The Harapan government collapsed following the defections of Anwar's former number two Azmin Ali and his allies as well as the Bersatu faction led by its president Muhyiddin Yassin.
Anwar also defended his decision to accept Mahathir into Harapan prior to the last national polls, saying it was vital to form a strong opposition against BN.
"I want to be clear that the statement does not mean that I am still bound by the old cooperation, because we have come out of it. Bersatu itself chose to leave (Harapan).
"We also learned from the past, where several major decisions by Harapan were not even discussed and I was totally sidelined.
"I hope this can clear the air. Because to me, this is the time for Harapan to lead the change in the opposition, where we cooperate with other members but Harapan is the leader," he added.
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