Dr Mahathir’s declaration an indirect admission Anwar victimised, says Wan Azizah

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says government institutions has ill-treated Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim because he is a political threat to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, March 7, 2016.

The Citizens' Declaration was equivalent to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's indirect admission that former opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was victimised by the system, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said today.

She said because of this, the Free Anwar campaign would be one of the main agenda to be put in place in Pakatan Harapan's effort to push for reforms.

Wan Azizah said it could be interpreted that the government institutions had victimised Anwar who has been imprisoned because he was the main political threat to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“Because of that, Pakatan Harapan has decided that freeing Anwar will be one of our main agenda, including other reform objectives in our effort to save Malaysia.

“These three pronged approach – demand for institutional reform, free Anwar and asking Najib to step down – will be mobilised together by Pakatan Harapan in its nationwide campaign,” she said.

Wan Azizah added that Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Mohamad Sabu would be put in charge of the Save Malaysia nationwide gathering expected to start this month and the anti-GST rally on April 2.

“We welcome anybody to join us. If Tun Dr M or (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin Yassin want to join our gathering, we welcome them,” she said, after chairing Pakatan Harapan's presidential council meeting in the Parliament building today.

Asked if the Free Anwar agenda was not accepted by Dr Mahathir, Wan Azizah said it did not matter as it has always been part of the coalition's reforms agenda.

Meanwhile, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli said the Citizens' Declaration spearheaded by Dr Mahathir on Friday was a symbolic event.

“It is just a repetition to what we have been saying all along,” he said.

However, Rafizi added that the declaration was considered significant because it was signed by Dr Mahathir and some leaders from Umno and BN.

“That's basically acknowledges what Pakatan Harapan had stood for all along. Of course, the fact that they accepted it does not change anything, as far as we are concerned," he said.

Echoing Wan Azizah, Rafizi said it was important to bring in more people to the fold so that it could snowball into a much larger movement that could hopefully pressure Najib to resign.

“We don't own the declaration. Dr Mahathir authored it but 99% of what he had said were similar to what we had highlighted before,” he said, adding that the point now was to capitalise on change to ensure that more people would take part in the movement's push for reform.

On Friday, Dr Mahathir led a group comprising of former ministers, opposition leaders and civil society representatives to sign a declaration calling for Najib to step down.

Addressing a packed press conference at the Universiti Malaya Alumni Association Clubhouse, Dr Mahathir said only with Najib's removal can reforms be carried out in the country.

“We are all citizens of the country, not representatives of any political party.

“And people are expressing concerns that the country is being run by someone who is doing a lot of damage.” he said.

The Citizen's Declaration was signed by over 50 signatories.

- TMI