Sarawak PKR deputy chief Baharuddin Mokhsen said today that party members have been ‘greatly offended’ by a senior PBB leader calling Anwar Ibrahim ‘a liar’ after the latter failed to deliver a new federal government on Sept 16.

“To call Anwar a liar is very misleading,” he said, pointing out that Pakatan Rakyat, the opposition alliance comprising PKR, DAP and PAS, had kept to its Sept 16 deadline by sending a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi the day before requesting him to meet the three top Pakatan leaders - Anwar, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and to discuss a smooth transition of power.

“The issue is the numbers, and we have the numbers,” he asserted.

Baharuddin was referring to a statement published in The Eastern Times today quoting PBB senior vice-president and state minister Awang Tengah Ali Hasan as saying that Anwar has been bluffing the people all this while.

He also said Anwar has lost his credibility as he had set Sept 16 to form the new federal government and suddenly declaring now that there is no more deadline.

A Malcolm Fraser repeat

Baharuddin said then Pakatan set Sept 23 for Parliament to convene an emergency session and again the prime minister refused to the request.

Pakatan wanted the emergency session to be convened to settle the issue as to whether Anwar and Pakatan have the numbers or not once and for all.

“Pakatan has the list of Barisan MPs who have crossed over and we want to tell Pak Lah he has lost the majority,” he added.

The next step, according to Baharuddin, is for Pakatan to see the king.

He did not preclude the possibility of a Malcolm Fraser-style of government when during the Australian political crisis, the Governor-General of Australia sacked the prime minister after he had lost the majority support from parliamentarians.

Similarly, Abdullah could be sacked and Anwar appointed caretaker prime minister to hold fresh elections, he added.

Baharuddin said the party was contemplating taking legal action against Awang Tengah for calling Anwar a liar.

The PBB-controlled Eastern Times also quoted PRS president and state minister Dr James Masing as asking Anwar to stop daydreaming.