Give chance to Mat Sabu to clarify

Opposition Leader Anwar also says the battle for Putrajaya in the next general election starts from Permatang Pauh.

PERMATANG PAUH: Upset with the trial by media, Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim today insisted that PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu must be given all opportunities to clarify on his political statement on the Bukit Kepong incident.

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar rebuked the trial currently carried out by Umno-owned media on the charismatic PAS leader, who is popularly known as Mat Sabu.

Anwar noted that Mat Sabu has indeed already denied all allegations raised by the media over his Bukit Kepong remarks.

“We should disallow space for trial by media. Instead we should allow room for Mat Sabu to clarify his stance,” said Anwar, the Permatang Pauh MP.

He was speaking to newsmen after attending Deputy Deputy Chief Minister I and PKR state chief Mansor Othman’s Hari Raya ‘open house’ in Kubang Semang here today.

During a political rally in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21, Mat Sabu allegedly said in his speech that the communist attackers who razed a police station in Bukit Kepong on Feb 23, 1950 were true freedom fighters.

He also allegedly termed the policemen who were killed in the attack as British officers. In the attack, 13 policemen, six Home Guards, three women and a child were killed.

Anwar recalled that since his days as a student in Universiti Malaya, he had grown up with a generational ideology strongly against the communism.

“Personally I have been a strong opponent of communist ideology,” Anwar said.

But, he also called on the people to learn to accept different views on historical happenings, even though it could be sensitive.

“I understand Mat Sabu remarks could be sensitive to the Malays. But we must also be able to tolerate different interpretations of views on a historical issue,” stressed the PKR de facto leader.

DAP national chairman Karpal Singh has already called on Mat Sabu to retract his Bukit Kepong remarks to halt any negative implications impinging on Pakatan.

Umno’s Anwar-phobia
Anwar also welcomed Putrajaya’s decision to hold the 1Malaysia national Hari Raya ‘open house’ on Sept 11 in his parliamentary constituency.

“The people of Permatang Pauh and I are honoured by it,” he exclaimed.

He called on his constituents and Penangites to join the open house and enjoy the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s reception treat.

“Children should attend the open house to collect Hari Raya packets,” he said, hinting he may even attend it if invited.

On political perspective, he concurred with a media question that the choice of his constituency as the venue for the national event was a symbolic display that “the battle for Putrajaya in the next general election starts from Permatang Pauh.”

He said it also confirmed his belief that Umno politics was very much dominated by ‘Anwar-phobia.’

“Everything is about me … from having Jewish link to being a Chinese tool.

“Indeed I have to thank Mat Sabu for stealing the limelight on me for time being,” Anwar joked.