NGOs: Najib and Anwar reconciliation is futile

Sean Augustin, fz.com

Efforts by Indonesia to negotiate a political truce between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been described as "futile" and a "waste of time".

Non-governmental organisation Muafakat said such efforts were ridiculous as it is generally known that Indonesia's former vice president Jusuf Kalla - who wants to play peacemaker - was a close ally of the PKR de-facto leader.

 

Muafakat president Ismail Mina Ahmad believes that the peace talks Jusuf wanted to initiate has been mooted by Anwar himself, as the nation is talking about Umno-PAS unity.

 

"This means PKR is left out of the picture as it is evident that it cannot represent the Malays and Islam as well, and no one cared about uniting with PKR," he was quoted saying in Utusan Malaysia today.

 

PKR, he added, felt marginalised and looked to Jusuf for help.

 

Ismail Mina said since such efforts were fruitless, it would be better for Najib to focus on the country's development.

 

"It is more important to intensify efforts to unite Umno and PAS rather than calling for a truce between Najib and Anwar. We are all for the former," he added.

 

Utusan reported yesterday that Jusuf has stated that he had met with both leaders and stressed that a compromise was needed to ensure stability and continuous development in the country.

 

Meanwhile, Mubarak president Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman said Anwar was so obsessed with power till the point he could not accept the opposition's defeat in the 13th general election (GE13).

 

Because of this, he said, any effort to come to a truce would be a dead end.

 

"Cooperation among any political parties can take place in the name of national unity.

 

"It is a pragmatic effort to lessen the politicking that would only widen the gap between the people and result in conflicts," he said.

 

Meanwhile, the PKR candidate for the Sabak Bernam parliamentary seat said he lost in the GE13 to Barisan Nasional (BN) because certain quarters twisted the Sungai Air Tawar land issue.

 

Dr Abdul Aziz Bari claimed voters had been duped by "lies and provocation", adding the land in question had been "stolen" by three individuals from the "other side".

 

The former International Islamic University Malaysia law lecturer was defeated by former Sabak Bernam district assistant education officer Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh. 

 

Sinar Harian today reported Abdul Aziz saying Pakatan had resolved the land issue but the impression given was that Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had "overlooked" the matter and rejected the applications.

 

"Our rivals used this as political ammunition against us. It is sad that many believed the lies and did not make the effort to get the real picture," he said.

 

Abdul Aziz said manipulating the issue only proved that there were those who were feeling more threatened by the opposition coalition.

 

"I believe, come the 14th general election, Pakatan will win this seat," he was quoted saying.