Azizah says to focus on reform, not just ousting one person

PKR president ducks question about seeing Dr Mahathir, talks of agenda to correct the wrongs

PETALING JAYA: Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, president of PKR, has taken a swipe at Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Save Malaysia campaign by calling for a focus on the reform agenda and the freedom of Anwar Ibrahim, and “not just to oust one person”.

Dr Mahathir has initiated a Citizens’ Declaration calling for the ouster of Najib Razak as prime minister, which was signed by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, as well as Mahathir’s long-time political foe Lim Kit Siang, among other opposition leaders.

Mahathir has said he is open to having a meeting with Wan Azizah, who did not attend the signing ceremony.

Asked by Malaysiakini today whether she would meet Dr Mahathir, she replied “That is not the question. The question is we need to have an agenda of correcting the wrongs in this country.

She said it was more important to correct the country’s wrongs. “Meeting or not is irrelevant,” she was quoted as saying.

“Our issue is for institutional reforms and to free Anwar, not just to oust one person. We are ready to cooperate as long as our objectives match,” she said.

The Citizens’ Declaration of March 4 does not contain a demand for Anwar’s freedom from a five-year jail sentence on a sodomy charge. He had been previously jailed during Dr Mahathir’s term of office on a charge of abuse of power.

Opposition leaders have campaigned for his release on the grounds that he is a political prisoner, a description rejected by the government.