Anwar trashes Dr M's 'sexual liaisons' claim

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s allegations about his one-time deputy Anwar Ibrahim’s ‘sexual liaisons’ have been tossed back at him.

Anwar said the claims in Mahathir’s memoirs - launched today - are intended to cover up the shortcomings of his administration and to ensure the political survival of his son Mukhriz.

“Mahathir wants to ensure the (future) of his son Mukhriz is bright, as done by former Egypt president Hosni Mubarak for (his son) Gamal. (Mahathir) wants to ensure that his son is listed as a great leader. That could have been Mahathir's consideration.”

Speaking to TV Selangor, Anwar said he was not surprised by the “wild allegations” against himm believing society would understand Mahathir's motive in attacking him in the book, A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In it, Mahathir said Anwar had admitted to the first sodomy allegation against him while at an Umno supreme council meeting.

“(There are) certainly lies in the book... I would not be surprised if some Umno leaders go (so far as) to verify such wild claims,” Anwar countered.

“However, we have a record of the supreme council meeting. As far as I remember, I did not admit to any such charge or claim.”

In a related development, Anwar’s long-time lawyer Sankara Nair has advised him not to pursue legal action against Mahathir over the allegations in the book.

“Whatever is written is old news that has been aired in the past. This was wholly discredited by lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon's affidavit in 1998, during Anwar's corruption trial. So I have advised Anwar there is no point in pursuing this,” Sankara told Malaysiakini today.

Manjeet (left), who once represented Anwar’s ‘tennis buddy’ S Nallakaruppan, had filed his affidavit in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

In it, he claimed that Anwar’s prosecutors had offered to consider trying Nallakaruppan on lesser charges in return for cooperation in implicating Anwar.

He had testified to this in court, when replying to questions from lawyer Christopher Fernando, who was also in Anwar’s defence team.

In late 1998, Manjeet wrote to Attorney-General Mohtar Abdullah, complaining about then prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail on the same matter, as well as about discrepancies in the complaint against Anwar.

In the letter, Manjeet said Gani had kept changing the number of women and finally settled on five - three married and two unmarried - and expected Nallakaruppan to testify against Anwar in respect of this.

Focus on rural voters

Anwar, when met after his crucial court victory this morning in the second sodomy complaint against him, initially did not want to comment on Mahathir’s book, saying he had been advised by his lawyers to refrain from making a statement.

Asked to comment on Pakatan Rakyat's poor results in the last two by-elections in Merlimau and Kerdau over the weekend, he conceded that the opposition coalition would have to do more to win over rural voters.

“Pakatan will have to work double- and triple-hard in winning over rural voters during the 13th general election,” he said.

“But with the BN machinery, what can you expect in by-elections? There was unfair campaigning, as there is no press freedom and the Election Commission (is not independent).”

Anwar said by-elections were not a good indicator of ‘winnability’, citing the Ijok by-election in Selangor. PKR’s Abdul Khalid Ibrahim lost, but went on to win the state seat in the 12th general election in 2008 and was appointed menteri besar.