Karpal says only Anwar fit to be PM
Susan LoonePublished: Nov 12, 2011 6:55 AM | Updated: Nov 12, 2011 7:09 AM
DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh has risen to the defence of Anwar Ibrahim as Pakatan Rakyat's choice for the country's prime minister should the coalition seize control of Putrajaya in the looming elections.
DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh has risen to the defence of Anwar Ibrahim as Pakatan Rakyat's choice for the country's prime minister should the coalition seize control of Putrajaya in the looming elections.
Karpal, (left) who is Bukit Gelugor MP, said Anwar is the only one qualified to be PM at the moment, and this choice is fully endorsed by Pakatan partners, PAS and DAP.
He added that his only worry is that the opposition leader may be disqualified by a court conviction, which can prevent the latter from participating in the 13th general election.
The PKR adviser is currently facing a sodomy charge in a ongoing trial, and was recently, probed by the police under Section 182 of the Penal Code for giving "false information to injure another person".
The investigation is related to Anwar's police report on a sex tape allegedly involving him having sex with a woman - screened by 'Datuk T' to some members of the mass media at a luxury hotel in Kuala Lumpur last March, before being uploaded on the Internet.
"I hope he will not be disqualified by a court conviction because then he will automatically be disqualified from standing for election. This rule is unfair as the right to appeal is excluded," said Karpal, at a press conference in Penang today.
Sept 16 - dream that evaporated
Karpal was responding to a challenge from MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek who wanted to know if the former would support and stand by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's statement that the PKR adviser would be the prime minister.
Chua, formerly a health minister, said he wanted to find out if Karpal and PAS are united in their views as well as he recalled that not long ago, the lawyer had wanted Anwar to resign as Opposition Leader.
Karpal said he wanted to set the record straight that at that time of making the comment, it was in context of the cross over of BN MPs to Pakatan to make the latter's Sept 16 dream a reality.
Two years ago, Anwar had promised the nation that he had enough MPs jumping from the BN - for Pakatan to take over Putrajaya and change the government but the plan collapsed and Anwar faced a barrage of criticism for misleading the rakyat.
Karpal said after his public criticism of Anwar, the latter had not talked about "seducing or inducing" BN MPs to the Pakatan.
He added that he had privately talked to Anwar about the matter, to tell him what he was doing was wrong.
Seducing, inducing cross overs wrong
The legal eagle insisted that Pakatan must obtain the support of the rakyat to form a new government as anything short of that would not be in their interest.
"Any government formed by MPs prepared to betray the rakyat by crossing over cannot be based on national interest," Karpal insisted.
"It cannot be a clean government when it is won by MPs intent on betraying the rakyat ," he added.
"No cross overs should be accepted by the Pakatan, there should be a by-election. Even if the Parliament is hung (in coming election, no majority), I say we should go for a re-election," he stressed.
Meanwhile, Karpal threw the gauntlet back to Chua (right) to stop challenging him, urging him to look instead into "the sorry state" of his party which was wiped out in Penang together with Gerakan, in the 2008 polls.
He said Chua should look into the "negative" position the MCA has locked itself into, including not seriously championing the rights of the Chinese but more interested in personal standings.
"I challenge CSL to stand against any DAP top leader in a Chinese majority area in the country.
"Perhaps he should emulate former MCA president Lee San Choon, who in 1982, stood against the then DAP chief Dr. Chnn Man Hin in Seremban, to show that he has support of the Chinese," he added.
During that election, Lee was challenged by then DAP secretary-general Lim Kit Siang to vie against his party in a Chinese majority constituency.
Lee chose Seremban, and faced Chen, where the former won with the slim majority of 845 votes.
Karpal, (left) who is Bukit Gelugor MP, said Anwar is the only one qualified to be PM at the moment, and this choice is fully endorsed by Pakatan partners, PAS and DAP. He added that his only worry is that the opposition leader may be disqualified by a court conviction, which can prevent the latter from participating in the 13th general election.
The PKR adviser is currently facing a sodomy charge in a ongoing trial, and was recently, probed by the police under Section 182 of the Penal Code for giving "false information to injure another person".
The investigation is related to Anwar's police report on a sex tape allegedly involving him having sex with a woman - screened by 'Datuk T' to some members of the mass media at a luxury hotel in Kuala Lumpur last March, before being uploaded on the Internet.
"I hope he will not be disqualified by a court conviction because then he will automatically be disqualified from standing for election. This rule is unfair as the right to appeal is excluded," said Karpal, at a press conference in Penang today.
Sept 16 - dream that evaporated
Karpal was responding to a challenge from MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek who wanted to know if the former would support and stand by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's statement that the PKR adviser would be the prime minister.
Chua, formerly a health minister, said he wanted to find out if Karpal and PAS are united in their views as well as he recalled that not long ago, the lawyer had wanted Anwar to resign as Opposition Leader.
Karpal said he wanted to set the record straight that at that time of making the comment, it was in context of the cross over of BN MPs to Pakatan to make the latter's Sept 16 dream a reality.
Two years ago, Anwar had promised the nation that he had enough MPs jumping from the BN - for Pakatan to take over Putrajaya and change the government but the plan collapsed and Anwar faced a barrage of criticism for misleading the rakyat.
Karpal said after his public criticism of Anwar, the latter had not talked about "seducing or inducing" BN MPs to the Pakatan.
He added that he had privately talked to Anwar about the matter, to tell him what he was doing was wrong.
Seducing, inducing cross overs wrong
The legal eagle insisted that Pakatan must obtain the support of the rakyat to form a new government as anything short of that would not be in their interest.
"Any government formed by MPs prepared to betray the rakyat by crossing over cannot be based on national interest," Karpal insisted.
"It cannot be a clean government when it is won by MPs intent on betraying the rakyat ," he added.
"No cross overs should be accepted by the Pakatan, there should be a by-election. Even if the Parliament is hung (in coming election, no majority), I say we should go for a re-election," he stressed.
Meanwhile, Karpal threw the gauntlet back to Chua (right) to stop challenging him, urging him to look instead into "the sorry state" of his party which was wiped out in Penang together with Gerakan, in the 2008 polls.He said Chua should look into the "negative" position the MCA has locked itself into, including not seriously championing the rights of the Chinese but more interested in personal standings.
"I challenge CSL to stand against any DAP top leader in a Chinese majority area in the country.
"Perhaps he should emulate former MCA president Lee San Choon, who in 1982, stood against the then DAP chief Dr. Chnn Man Hin in Seremban, to show that he has support of the Chinese," he added.
During that election, Lee was challenged by then DAP secretary-general Lim Kit Siang to vie against his party in a Chinese majority constituency.
Lee chose Seremban, and faced Chen, where the former won with the slim majority of 845 votes.
View Comments0