Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim described those spreading rumours of him re-joining Umno as being part of a 'vile strategy' drawn up by the opposition party's enemies.

"I am aware there are those claiming I have filled up the Umno membership form, they say I have signed the form, they say they have proof. Actually, this is part of their vile strategy. I cannot accept Umno...

"I know my friends in Umno are hoping that I will return to the party. If I can, I would prefer not to talk about this issue any longer," he told delegates attending the three-day PKR congress in Penang last night.

Earlier, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also Anwar's wife, told the delegates that her husband would not re-join Umno.

There has been speculation that Anwar would be Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's 'partner' if there is a major rumble in Umno.

Lately, Umno members and political observers have not dismissed the possibility of Abdullah roping in Anwar if the former's post as president is challenged as a result of the ongoing spat between him and former party president Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Anwar was the former deputy premier and Umno number two before he was sacked by Mahathir in 1998.

Equally corrupt

This time around, Anwar not only dismissed the possibility of returning to his old party but also slammed both Abdullah and Mahathir as being "equally corrupt and cruel".

"They take the nation's wealth, monopolise the APs (Approved Permit), clamour for shares and contracts...

"Pak Lah is defending and continuing Mahathir's actions in the name of Islam Hadhari. So new or old PM, it is just the same. And that's why I can no longer accept Umno," he said.

Anwar said the PKR leadership and him are more interested in fighting against corruption and cruelty as well as justice for all races and religions and not racist issues like Umno leaders.

The former deputy premier stressed that the country needs leaders who are "trustworthy, incorruptible and just" towards all races.

"But what happens now is those leaders who make a lot of noise about defending the Malays are the ones who are robbing the Malays of their rights. They play the racial card when Umno is challenged. The Umno people play up sensitive issues, Malay sentiments and raise the keris .

"I want to stress, we can forgive cruel and corrupt people but not join or praise them," he added.

Don't blame Mahathir

He also claimed that the current administration was allegedly trying to hide all irregularities and mismanagement by dismissing the accusations without providing convincing explanations.

"The government says the country's economy is in good shape. They say an annual five percent growth is good enough. They deny the economy is facing problems when the reality is that foreign and local investors are shying away," added Anwar, who was also the former finance minister.

According to him, investors are not confident with the current administration, which does not have any plans capable of driving the economy forward.

He also stressed that Abdullah cannot blame Mahathir's actions in criticising the current administration for the economic woes.

"We all know that the economy was slow even before Mahathir started criticising. In India, (President) Manmohan Singh was also severely criticised over the economy, India continues to record a huge growth," he said.

Anwar said the Indian premier did not give out government projects to his cronies or family members.

The former deputy premier also took a swipe at Abdullah for claiming that he was in the dark about the contracts obtained by his son Kamaluddin's oil and gas company, Scomi.

"How is it that he cannot know. Have none of the ministers told him during the cabinet meetings. There is no excuse for him to say that he is in the dark when the issue is reported in the newspapers," he said.

On PKR's stand regarding the issue of religion, Anwar said his party will defend Islam as the official religion but also acknowledge the rights of other religions.

"I would also like to stress that the syariah court does not aim to force non-Muslims to bow to Islam. What is happening now is only confusion arising from a government weak in all administrative aspects be it religion, economy or politics," he added.