'Anwar asked me for help to keep DPM post'

 

(Malaysiakini) - Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali has claimed that Anwar Ibrahim had asked him in 1998 to plead with premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad not to sack him as deputy prime minister. 
He said Anwar (right) had phoned to invite him to his residence and asked him to get Mahathir to give him a second chance as deputy premier.

Ibrahim said Mahathir had sacked Anwar “because of his behaviour”, and for the sake of the nation and religion.

“I have known Anwar for a long time, since the 1970s... There was once, he contacted me and asked me to come to his house...

“At the time, he pleaded with me to meet Mahathir to give him a second chance... (and not to) sack him ... But I (didn’t) want to get involved... I (didn’t) want to be a hypocrite.”

Ibrahim was speaking at the launch of a club named ‘Tolak Individu Bernama Anwar Ibrahim’ (Tibai by the Malay acronym for ‘reject the individual named Anwar Ibrahim’), in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Ibrahim said Tibai is like Perkasa’s child, because its leader Mohammad Zahid Md Arip is a Perkasa supreme council leader.

In a symbolic gesture, Ibrahim and several Tibai leaders caned a poster with an image of Anwar.

“We reject him not because we are Umno, (it has) nothing to do with that. This is for the country and for Muslims,” Ibrahim said.

“We must be consistent. There are many ‘clean’ leaders who could replace (current Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak). Mahathir rejected Anwar because of his behaviour. He can’t be the prime minister. We will do our exposé one-by-one when we go on our road show.

“As a result of his (Anwar’s) actions, the Malays are split. Because of him, the Malays are divided, DAP benefits and PAS is in shambles.”