Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim refused to name in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today the Members of Parliament who were willing to jump ship to help form a Pakatan Rakyat government after the 2008 general election.

Anwar was asked several times by lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to reveal the list of names that he claimed he had to gain the majority to form the new federal government.

The Permatang Pauh MP initially refused to answer the question following an objection from his lawyer Razlan Hadri Zulkifli, who said he saw no relevance to the question, asked in this afternoon’s hearing of the defamation suit Anwar filed against Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

However, judicial commissioner Siti Khadijah Hassan Badjenid ordered Anwar to answer Shafee's question as she ruled it was a fair question.

Shafee (right) said this question was to test Anwar's credibility as he filed the suit and was on the witness stand.

To this Anwar replied, "We wrote in Parliament that we want to table the motion of no-confidence against the present prime minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi). I would not have done that if I did not have the numbers. The test is not in court but in Parliament."

However, Siti Khadijah said this was not an answer and wanted the opposition leader to answer the question.

Shafee: Can you produce the list of the 40 sympathetic MPs who went to Taipei (Taiwan)?

Anwar: No I am not going to produce it as it would be unethical of me!

The opposition leader was testifying in his RM100 million suit against the foreign minister for claiming that Anwar had offered him the deputy prime minister's post should Anifah (right) defect and support Pakatan.
 
Anwar when further asked by Shafee on making offers to cross over, said Anifah did sent an emissary (to relate his intention to defect).
 
Shafee: Would you consider Anifah's crossover advantageous to Pakatan?
 
Anwar: Yes.
 
Shafee: Would it create a catalyst for others to cross over?
 
Anwar: Not necessarily.
 
It was reported on Monday that Anwar had testified that Anifah was prepared to cross over if the opposition had the numbers on Sept 16, 2008.
 
Other politicians named
 
During the cross-examination, Shafee mentioned other MPs supposedly offered to cross over to the opposition in 2008.

Anwar used several people including present PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, vice-president Tian Chua and Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh as intermediaries.
 
Shafee also claimed that Anwar used other intermediaries including PKR stalwart Abdul Rahim Ghouse.
 
Those named mentioned by Shafee included Puad Zarkashi (former Batu Pahat MP and deputy education minister), Abdul Ghapur Salleh (Kalabakan), Mohd Nasir Ibrahim Fikri (Kuala Nerus), Richard Riot (Serian MP) and Raimme Unggi (Tenom).
 
On Puad (right), Shafee asked Anwar whether he was aware of approaches had been made, to which the politician said he was unaware.
 
To this Shafee related a story where he had interviewed Puad, and the former Batu Pahat MP said that on Sept 19, 2008, Rahim met Puad at the old Batu Pahat bus station at 2am, where a phone call was made.
 
Shafee: You told Puad over the phone with Rahim, that you had enough numbers and needed a Malay MP from Johor.
 
Anwar: I cannot remember.
 
Shafee: Puad further said: "Datuk Seri, I am a Johorean and Umno is formed here, and if I were to do that the sultan would ‘halau’ (usher) us out". Puad further said that you (Anwar) claimed you had the support from four sultans - Perak, Johor, Terengganu and Kedah.
 
Anwar: No, as I said, we had tabled a motion in Parliament.
 
Shafee: Puad after ending his conversation with Anwar, further told Rahim to send his regards to Anwar and that he would hold a solat hajat and even if BN was in the opposition, he was prepared to face the circumstances. I have to ask you all this, as Puad would be coming.
 
Then Shafee revealed the other names mentioned above and Anwar admitted approaching some of them.

Anwar also agreed giving interviews in foreign media where he claimed he had the numbers.
 
On re-examination by Razlan his lawyer, Anwar said he would not have made the claim that he had the numbers if it was not true, as this would embarrass him and Pakatan.
 
The court then adjourned to Friday at 3pm for case management of the case.