It's true, we are planning to replace Anwar as Opposition Leader - Pakatan

Pakatan Rakyat is making preparations to replace parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim , according to PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali.

However, Mustafa said the candidate they have in mind will have to take over after the coming polls, and he is none other than prime minister Najib Razak.

“After the 13th general election, we would like to replace Anwar Ibrahim with Najib Razak or Muhyiddin Yasin," quipped the veteran PAS leader, responding to questions by reporters on the calls by pro-Barisan Nasional leaders to impeach Anwar based on allegations of sexual misconduct.

The impeachment process was announced yesterday by Anwar's former friend-turned-nemesis-turned-senator S.Nallakaruppan, and UMNO lawyer Shafee Abdullah.

However, the duo was given a lesson on parliamentary procedures by rights lawyer and PKR vice president N Surendran, who said their action smacked of "breathtaking ignorance of impeachment and parliamentary procedure in Malaysia and the Commonwealth".

Surendran pointed out the absence of any provision or precedent for impeachment in the Malaysian parliament.

"In England, the procedure was last used over two hundred years ago in Lord Melville's case and is now obsolete. The rationale of the impeachment remedy was to hold Ministers and the Executive accountable in the administration of the country.

"To suggest that it be used against the Opposition leader shows a gross misunderstanding of the impeachment process. With the evolution of the motion of no confidence, select committees and close parliamentary scrutiny and questioning, the old impeachment mechanism has become archaic," said Surendran in a statement to Harakahdaily.

-Harakahdaily