Anwar says wants BN to stop personal attacks

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

January 09, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today told Datuk Seri Najib Razak and other Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders to cease what he said were personal attacks against him and his family, saying that political debate should be restricted to policy matters.

He pointed out that he had now been declared innocent by the High Court, and he wanted the attacks against him to stop.

Anwar speaking in the comfort of his home on January 9, 2012 after his acquittal by the High Court. — Picture by Choo Choy May

The court today acquitted Anwar of a charge of sodomising his former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Judge Datuk Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled that the prosecution had not done enough to prove Anwar had committed sodomy against Saiful.

Anwar said he knew what many BN leaders said about him during ceramahs, and how his sodomy trial had been used to attack his credibility as a reformist Muslim leader, and how many of his detractors had made wrongful allegations concerning his sexual orientation.

“There was stronger ground for my acquittal, it was not even on a technical issue.

“At the end of the day, I am an innocent man,” the PKR de facto leader told The Malaysian Insider during a brief interview at his home in Bukit Segambut here.

He pointed out how the prosecution in his trial had no strong evidence against him, and that there was no “substance” in Saiful’s claims.

“It is hypocritical of them to talk about nobility when they used this case against me. When I say them, I mean Najib, (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin), BN.

“Please, enough is enough. Let us debate on policies, on how best to manage the country. Enough with personal attacks,” said Anwar.

The 64-year old grandfather stressed that he personally did not condone personal attacks against BN leaders, and that he usually focused on “bigger” issues such as graft and the economy during his ceramahs.

“Even the NFC issue, I only spoke about the minister because it was an issue (which related to) corruption allegations,” he said, referring to PKR’s claims of misappropriation of funds by the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) which is controlled by the family of Senator Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.