Despite short notice, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was greeted by a 5,000-strong crowd in his parliamentary constituency in Permatang Pauh last night.

The same crowd held a one-minute silence to pray for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished about 45 minutes after it departed from KLIA to Beijing on Saturday morning, carrying 239 passengers, including 12 crew.

Anwar, who had on Friday been convicted and sentenced to five years jail for sodomy, appeared ready to take his battle with BN to the next level by announcing and seeking approval for some “tough measures” like boycotting the royal tea session with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after His Majesty’s address in Parliament tomorrow, when it opens for the year’s first session.


Pakatan MPs have also vowed to boycott the Parliament proceedings on Tuesday to attend the Kajang by-election nomination day where PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will contest as a candidate, replacing Anwar.

“Agree!” cried his supporters as they sat on the ground of a wide open field in Seberang Jaya, listening attentively and responding to Anwar’s jokes and remarks of his “shocking ordeal” at the recent Court of Appeal.

On Friday, a panel of three learned judges overturned a High Court decision in 2012 which found him not guilty of sodomising his former political aide Saiful Bukhary, 23.

In his one hour talk, Anwar blasted those who were “cruel” (puak zalim) in wanting to end his political career, expressing his frustration at the three judges who convicted him on sodomy charges on Friday.

To demonstrate the level of his anger, Anwar took out his left shoe (right), threatening to hurl it, apparently in a mock gesture at the judges who came to the decision to convict him.

Seeing the gesture, the audience prodded and cheered him on.

“I happen to be the opposition leader but if I were an ordinary person... (the shoe would land on their faces),” Anwar said, to laughter from his supporters.

Present at the ceramah were Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS deputy chief Mohamad Sabu - who pledged unanimous support for him in Seberang Jaya last night.

Strong ties with allies

Appreciating their support, Anwar spoke of the strong ties between him and his allies, adding that Lim was in Berlin when the latter heard about his sentence.

“Lim called me on the phone, and said ‘Anwar, we are here with you, we will fight until the end’.”

This delighted the crowd, who clapped and whistled as he said this, adding that the friendship between Pakatan allies has been “extraordinary”.

He recalled how his colleagues in BN, especially top ministers and Umno division leaders, deserted him when he was sacked  from his post as deputy prime minister and deputy Umno chief in 1998 by former premier and mentor Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“But now as soon as I was sentenced, DAP senior adviser Lim Kit Siang came to me, my wife and family, saying, ‘patience, we will be there with you right to the end’,” he said.

“PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang issued a strong statement within less than an hour of my sentencing, saying the party defended me and condemned the cruelty on me, my wife and family,” he added.

He said he never felt this in Umno as they were merely interested in money and power.

“Give them projects, they support and kiss you... Muah. No project, they say to Hell with you.”

“That’s why I am here even though I have programmes in Kajang, I give Permatang Pauh priority,” he added to cheers from the audience.

He then welcomed his opponents to make him “bankrupt or to jail him”, saying he was not cowed by their threats to undermine his freedom as he prays to Allah to give him strength.

Meanwhile, Anwar warned his nemesis Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to stop attacking opposition leaders.

“Najib, stop this, stop this before it is too late. I am warning you, stop this nonsense. Don’t be a traitor to the country’s constitution, or there will be tougher action from us,” he warned.