Anwar regrets not being forceful enough with Putrajaya

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he regrets not doing more in the struggle against the ‘authoritarian’ government. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 27, 2014.

If he is jailed, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says his biggest regret is not being more forceful in his attacks against Putrajaya.

Speaking at a press conference in parliament today which was attended by other Pakatan Rakyat leaders, the opposition leader said that he regretted not doing more in going against the "authoritarian" government.

"I should have done more. I should have been more forceful in the attack," he said.

Anwar is appealing his sodomy conviction for the final time at the Federal Court tomorrow and on Wednesday. He faces five years in jail should his appeal fail.

On March 7, the Court of Appeal overturned his acquittal by the High Court two years earlier on a charge of sodomosing his aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

The Permatang Pauh MP said that although he was hoping for a favourable decision, he was mentally-prepared for any outcome.

"We have gone through this before. It is like deja vu now," he said referring to his first sodomy charge in 1998.

"I've also had to deal with the family and (Datuk Seri Dr Wan) Azizah and the grandchildren. We are now trying to explain the situation to (Lembah Pantai MP Nurul) Izzah's eldest daughter who is in Standard One, to explain why 'papatok' may be missing in action next week.

"Which means it is not that simple. I have to be strong and mentally-prepared. I can say that I am in such a state of mind," he added.

Anwar said he was grateful for the support he had received ahead of the appeal hearing tomorrow both locally and internationally, including from Human Rights Watch and Yusuf Qardhawi, who is the chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

Pakatan leaders including PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali, DAP's Lim Kit Siang and Mohamed Azmin Ali from PKR were present at the press conference today to express their solidarity with Anwar ahead of his appeal tomorrow.

However, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who has been missing from the council’s meetings for over a year, was absent this time as well.

Anwar also insisted that he would be speaking at his alma mater Universiti Malaya (UM) tonight at an event organised by students, despite a ban by the institution's administration.

"I will attend the UM function as scheduled at 9pm because I was invited by the students' union of UM – a legitimate student body of the university. I will, therefore, honour them and return to my alma mater," he said.

Calling the ban "appalling", he hit out at the university administration, saying that they should not be a tool for Umno by banning him.

"This issue was blown-up to become a national catastrophe. You have academicians and so-called professors and deans talking like Umno branch chiefs, with no respect for academic freedom and for students programmes," he said.

"They have attacked me for 16 years, but they won't even let me speak for half an hour?"

The event, titled, "40 Years: From UM to Prison", is organised by the Universiti Malaya Undergraduates Association (PMUM), despite UM deputy vice-chancellor of student affairs Professor Datuk Dr Rohana Yusof's warning that the programme is illegal.

The university has threatened PMUM president Fahmi Zainol, a final year student of social administration and justice, with suspension and a fine if he defies the ban.

Rohana was reported as saying that UM would never allow or support such a programme as it was against the university's rules and had tarnished its reputation.

Despite the pressure from the UM administration, the students have remained defiant and insist tonight's event will proceed as planned.

Fahmi has also challenged the university administrators to expel him if they dared, saying tonight's event was part of the struggle for academic freedom.

- TMI