Nik Aziz laughs off Anwar 'replacement' claim

PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has dismissed as "a joke" the claim that Pakatan Rakyat is looking to Umno’s Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to replace Anwar Ibrahim as the coalition head.

“It’s a joke. That’s my only description of the rumour which attempts to link me to the so-called secret discussion to appoint Tengku Razaleigh as Pakatan Rakyat leader to replace Anwar.

"My advice in this month of Ramadan is, please write something truthful and factual.

"Remember, whatever we write and say will be accounted for by Allah in the hereafter," the PAS online organ Harakahdaily quoted Nik Aziz's Facebook message as saying.

The Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has been harping on the issue since last Friday, after Razaleigh, popularly known as Ku Li, launched the NGO, Angkatan Amanah Merdeka.

The claim was made by Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, the Independent MP for Bayan Baru, who told Utusan that the Pakatan leadership had met Ku Li to convince him to head the opposition coalition for fear that Anwar may be jailed for sodomy.

Speculation reached new heights today when Utusan quoted PAS ulama council chief Harun Taib as saying that it would "not be impossible" for Ku Li to take over from Anwar if he enjoys majority support within Pakatan.

However, Nik Aziz, who is also the Kelantan menteri besar, said he finds it strange that the alleged proposal is based on a prediction of the verdict in the ongoing sodomy trial.

"Is it true that the court’s decision can be predicted or is it because the verdict is leaked?" he asked.

'Anwar's post safe'

Utusan today published another analysis by editor Zulkiflee Bakar who claimed that Anwar, with his many moral issues, has become a liability to Pakatan in general and to PAS in particular, as the party has a tendency to take the moral high ground on issues.

Zulkifli pointed to a recent survey has shown that Chinese and Indian support for Anwar has dropped, and that the size of the crowds at Anwar's events has been shrinking.

Meanwhile, DAP chairperson Karpal Singh insisted that Razaleigh is no alternative for Anwar, according to a report in The Star today.

Karpal said that even when several PKR MPs had deserted Anwar and left Pakatan, the DAP and PAS did not ask for the opposition leader's post and wanted it to remain with Anwar.

"Without Anwar, the opposition and the nation will not have witnessed the political tsunami during the March 2008 general election," he added.