Free Anwar petition seeks a million signatures
Kamles KumarPublished: Mar 16, 2015 6:14 AM | Updated: Mar 16, 2015 12:04 PM
Pakatan Rakyat will petition the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's freedom.
Dubbed Petition Rakyat (People's Petition), the coalition is seeking the signatures of one million Malaysians.
Pakatan Rakyat will petition the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's freedom.
Dubbed Petition Rakyat (People's Petition), the coalition is seeking thed signatures of one million Malaysians.
The signature gathering process is to go on until May 1, after which the petition would be sent to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Bukit Katil MP Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said.
"The initiative to carry out the 'petition rakyat' to gather signatures of the people to be sent to the Agong is an effort to plead to the Agong to use his powers to free Anwar," Shamsul (left) told a press conference in the the Dewan Rakyat lobby today.
A "gathering" would also be held on May 1, to commemorate the end of the signature drive.
Other opposition MPs were also present during the launch were Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Rasah MP Teo Kok Seong.
NGOs back petition
Hanipa said the petition will allow the people to condemn the political persecution against Anwar.
"The government can’t run away from the perception that this prosecution was politically motivated, especially with the involvement of Muhammad Shafee (Abdullah as lead prosecutor)," he said.
The petition also will see the opposition coalition working together with NGOs in a collaborative effort to see the goal of a million signatures collected. Representing the NGOs were Himpunan Hijau chairperson Wong Tack and activist A Samad Said (right).
Meanwhile, Samad, who is a national laureate, expressed his discontentment with the jailing of Anwar and called upon the people to alter the current democratic process.
"I am unhappy with what has happened. This should not be just left as it is, the current system needs a revamp," he told reporters.
Anwar was jailed on Feb 10 after the Federal Court ruled ruled against his appeal in the Sodomy II conviction by the COurt of Appeal and maintained the five-year jail sentence meted to him for sodomising Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Dubbed Petition Rakyat (People's Petition), the coalition is seeking thed signatures of one million Malaysians.
The signature gathering process is to go on until May 1, after which the petition would be sent to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Bukit Katil MP Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said.
"The initiative to carry out the 'petition rakyat' to gather signatures of the people to be sent to the Agong is an effort to plead to the Agong to use his powers to free Anwar," Shamsul (left) told a press conference in the the Dewan Rakyat lobby today.A "gathering" would also be held on May 1, to commemorate the end of the signature drive.
Other opposition MPs were also present during the launch were Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Rasah MP Teo Kok Seong.
NGOs back petition
Hanipa said the petition will allow the people to condemn the political persecution against Anwar.
"The government can’t run away from the perception that this prosecution was politically motivated, especially with the involvement of Muhammad Shafee (Abdullah as lead prosecutor)," he said.
The petition also will see the opposition coalition working together with NGOs in a collaborative effort to see the goal of a million signatures collected. Representing the NGOs were Himpunan Hijau chairperson Wong Tack and activist A Samad Said (right).Meanwhile, Samad, who is a national laureate, expressed his discontentment with the jailing of Anwar and called upon the people to alter the current democratic process.
"I am unhappy with what has happened. This should not be just left as it is, the current system needs a revamp," he told reporters.
Anwar was jailed on Feb 10 after the Federal Court ruled ruled against his appeal in the Sodomy II conviction by the COurt of Appeal and maintained the five-year jail sentence meted to him for sodomising Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
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