'Anwar to be opposition leader on Aug 27'

'Anwar to be opposition leader on Aug 27'

By CECIL FUNG

KUALA LUMPUR: The Pakatan Rakyat component parties have unanimously agreed to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim being appointed Opposition Leader "when" he successfully sets foot in Parliament on Aug 27, if he wins the Permatang Pauh by-election.

In a joint statement read out by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, the three-party pact agreed to fully endorse Anwar as their candidate for the Permatang Pauh by-election, scheduled for Aug 26.

"The Pakatan Rakyat will form a joint machinery and give him our fullest support," the DAP secretary-general said immediately after Anwar arrived at the court complex in Jalan Duta here around 9.40am Thursday.

Among those who turned up in support were DAP adviser and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang, PKR vice-president and Gombak MP Mohamed Azmin Ali, PKR information chief and Batu MP Tian Chua and Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Nordin.

Guan Eng said the Pakatan leadership council, which met on Wednesday night, also agreed that PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would be its coordinator should her husband be detained or denied bail.

He said the council considered the case against Anwar as a blatant political persecution and that it was not just the PKR de facto leader on trial but the whole nation as well.

The joint statement was signed by Dr Wan Azizah, PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa and DAP chairman Karpal Singh.

Anwar, who did not issue any statements until after he had claimed trial to the sodomy charge against him, said he was very pleased with Pakatan Rakyat's decision.

kzso - counting the chicken before it hatches? sounds snobbish