On the 17th of September 2008, Anwar proved beyond any measure of doubt that there existed no skin as thick as his, discounting of course, that of Dr. Mahathir Mohammad. Without an ounce of shame or guilt, the man we once knew as minister of finance called for an emergency sitting of the Dewan Rakyat, purportedly to move a motion of no confidence against the then Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Hj Ahmad Badawi.
Now, Anwar made the call despite having claimed for months that the ruling coalition would succumb to defections by its Members of Parliament (MPs). According to him, more than 30 Barisan Nasional MPs were ready to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat, a coalition of opposition parties now defunct, on the 16th of September 2008. When the planned defections did not happen, leaders from the opposition coalition realised they had been duped and were feeling extremely let down.
By then, the whisper doing its rounds was that Anwar did not have the numbers on his side. The opposition coalition needed no less than thirty Barisan Nasional MPs to trample over the ruling coalition as they crossed over to Pakatan Rakyat. Anwar did not even have half that number – he only had thirteen. Yet, he did not want his comrades to think that he had played them out.
And that explains, in part, why he pressed for an emergency parliamentary sitting by or before the 24th of September 2008, purportedly to move a motion of no confidence against Abdullah. Anwar needed to appear as if he was in control. With the ultimatum, many PKR and DAP members, though apprehensive, were willing to give the mass defection scheme a second shot. They chose to believe that for Anwar to make such a call, he had to have the numbers to back him up.
But that just goes to show how stupid Tony Pua, Rafizi Ramli and Tian Chua can get. They chose to believe Anwar despite having been let down on the 16th of September 2008. However, Lim Kit Siang knew that Anwar did not have the support required to pull off a vote of no confidence against Abdullah. He knew, not because he was smarter than the rest of the Pakatuns, but because Anwar had told him so. On the 17th of September 2008, just before issuing the ultimatum to Abdullah, Anwar contacted the senior Lim and told him that he had no choice but to pull the stunt.
Well, we can understand why Anwar needed to pull such a stunt. His funders from the US were breathing down his neck and wanted to know why the 16th of September 2008 mass defection scheme had failed. Anwar told them he needed to convince more MPs to ditch Barisan Nasional in favour of Pakatan Rakyat to secure a stable government.
But the question is, why did the mass defection scheme fail in the first place? Was it a con job from the very beginning, or did someone let Anwar down at the eleventh hour? If so, who was it that let Anwar down, and how was Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) entangled in the scheme of things?
That’s what we’re here to uncover today. Now, I do not expect any of you to take what is written henceforth as gospel, but as a point of interest and a possibility that cannot be ignored. Everything is based on a discovery my team conducted and cautioned ‘testimonies’ by persons in the know.
Now, on the 28th of June 2008, a former aide of Anwar’s, Mohammad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, lodged a police report claiming he had been sodomised by his former boss against his will. The report triggered a series of police investigations that led to Anwar’s eventual arrest on the 16th of July 2008. On that day, Anwar was faced with charges under Section 377A of the Penal Code, a remnant of British law that prohibits carnal intercourse against the order of nature.
The former deputy premier was forced to spend a night under police custody to facilitate investigations into Saiful’s complaint. Now, despite what you might have read or heard, my conscience is clear that if anything, the police had exercised extreme caution and reserve when dealing with Anwar. I say this after having personally spent many hours discussing with Jude Pereira what transpired during the brief detention. For the record, Jude was the Deputy Superintendent of Police in charge of the case.
Upon his release, I am told that Anwar convened a very urgent meeting with a group of ‘prominent’ lawyers, who told him that if past precedents were anything to go by, he was likely to be convicted and, thereafter, jailed. Hearing this, Anwar got his men to contact an individual said to be a close associate of Dato’ Nik Azmi Nik Daud. Just so that you know, Nik is the nephew of Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah and is someone RPK refers to as ‘Bul’.
As the story goes, Anwar’s men discussed with Nik’s associate the possibility of naming Razaleigh as the Prime Minister-in-waiting. Nik, when told of this, is said to have agreed to the proposal without even batting an eyelid. Believe me – I spent more than six hours on the 22nd of August last year listening to Nik and his rants on how to ‘save Malaysia’ from Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak and the latter’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
I mean, just ask Aspan Alias, who sat right in front of me that day posing as ‘Siddhartha Gautama Buddha’. If these nitwits had their way, I wouldn’t be surprised if they would go ahead and name Razaleigh as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong. As a matter of fact, they might even anoint Razaleigh as Buddha and set Buddhists flocking to Nik’s residence for blessings.
Still, why would Anwar have suddenly thought of Razaleigh?
There are several reasons to this. First, the former premier was facing a tough time getting assurances from a large number of Barisan Nasional MPs. By the 28th of July 2008, a little over a week after his release on police bail, it became clear to him that time was running out, that themass defection scheme, the one scheduled for the 16th of September 2008, would never happen.
As it was, he had spent months coaxing many MPs to ditch Barisan Nasional, including the then Chief Minister of Sarawak, Dato’ Patinggi Taib Mahmud. Patinggi and many others turned him down despite being offered lucrative rewards and important government portfolios. Anwar conceded that it would be easier for Razaleigh to coax as many as 50 Barisan Nasional MPs to defect than it would be for him to get even a quarter that number to cross over.
Then, it is not as if Razaleigh had suddenly crossed Anwar’s mind. The thing is, several individuals linked to Nik had secretly been discussing with Anwar’s minions since April of 2008 prospects of turning Razaleigh into the next Prime Minister. They covered the possibility of the Kelantan Prince working with Anwar to outmanoeuvre Mahathir, who was then in the thick of a ferocious battle against Abdullah. I am told, Nik was annoyed that the former premier had backtracked on a decision to name Razaleigh as Abdullah’s replacement.
Finally, several PAS MPs from Selangor had themselves conveyed to Anwar in the utmost secrecy that they wanted Razaleigh to be named Pakatan Rakyat’s choice of candidate for the top job. It was an open secret then as it is now that many in PAS prefer Razaleigh any day over Anwar.
Anyway, Nik was under the impression that Anwar would approach Razaleigh and offer him the premiership. He was full of optimism that his uncle would finally become Prime Minister on the 16th of September 2008. But what he did not know, like Tian Chua, Rafizi and Tony Pua, was that Anwar had more or less decided to call the mass defection scheme off. Nik was not aware that nothing would happen on the 16th of September 2008.
And that’s exactly how Anwar wanted things to be. He did not want Nik or anyone apart from Kit Siang to know that plans had changed. So he pressed ahead with assurances that over 31 Barisan Nasional MPs were ready to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat. Quietly, he shifted the target date from the 16th of September 2008 to the 30th of September 2008.
But what was so significant about the 30th of September 2008?
According to Malaysian electoral laws, a by-election must be held within 60 days from the day a seat falls vacant. On the 28th of July 2008, Anwar instructed his wife, Datin Seri Dr. Wan Azizah, to vacate her Permatang Pauh Parliamentary seat for him to stage a ‘comeback’ to Parliament. The duo fixed the 31stof July 2008 as the day she would submit her resignation to the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat.
Of course, that meant Anwar could expect a grand re-entry into the Dewan Rakyat no later than the 30thof September 2008, way before the anticipated voting of Abdullah’s 2009 budget proposal. However, Anwar also knew that the Election Commission (EC) was more than likely to set the polling date days before the tabling of the budget, scheduled for the 29th of August 2008. And true to his thoughts, the EC decided that polling was to be held on the 26th of August 2008, just three days before the budget was tabled.
Do you see how devious this man can get?
The former premier knew he could win the by-election without much effort. And true enough, he defeated Barisan Nasional’s Arif Shah Omar with a 31,195 vote landslide despite the ruling coalition promising voters heaven and earth. Anwar had all along planned to use the by-election result as an aphrodisiac to convince Razaleigh that the mass defection scheme would work like a charm.
Now, ask Razaleigh – did he meet Anwar right after the by-election? Of course, the Kelantan Prince will tell you he didn’t. As a matter of fact, he’ll tell you a tale of how he “would never be caught working with Anwar or Mahathir,” presumably even if it was a matter of life and death. Yes, that is what Razaleigh, the ‘prince with the forked tongue’, is likely to say.
Then, ask Anwar the same question – did he meet Razaleigh right after the by-election? But do expect a similar answer. As a matter of fact, Anwar might even add, “It never crossed my mind to make Razaleigh Prime Minister.” But the truth is, the duo met right after the by-election. Anwar offered Razaleigh the post of Prime Minister, and Razaleigh accepted the offer. I’ll slash my wrist if anyone can prove me wrong.
So the question is, was Razaleigh drunk?
No.
However, Razaleigh is one easily duped by his nephew and the latter’s minions. At least, that’s what I’ve been told by a very reliable source. Like I said, if Nik had a choice, he would prefer Razaleigh to be named ‘the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong’. The guy loves his uncle a lot, I suppose. Anyway, Nik convinced Razaleigh that Anwar ‘was dead serious’, that discussions had long been going on regarding prospects of a ‘Razaleigh led government’.
Ok, so Razaleigh agreed. Then what?
Anwar being Anwar, he got a lawyer to draft out an SD that supported him being Abdullah’s replacement (henceforth referred to as the Anwar SD). Among others, the terms of the Anwar SDhad in it an assurance that not only would Razaleigh be made Anwar’s deputy, the latter would hand over the baton to the Kelantan Prince before the 13th general election.
Anwar planned to use Razaleigh’s name to solicit the support from as many as 50 Barisan Nasional MPs. He wanted the Kelantan Prince to focus on Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu MPs, while he himself would focus on the rest. Anwar’s funders from abroad had set aside RM20 million for every MP who agreed to the scheme. All Anwar needed the MPs to do was to sign the Anwar SD.
But then, Anwar knew better than anyone that the King was not empowered to sack a sitting Prime Minister. He knew that even with 150 SDs backing Razaleigh, the King could do absolutely nothing to remove Abdullah. By that token, we know that the ultimatum he delivered to Abdullah on the 17th of September 2008 was nothing but wayang kulit. Like I said, Anwar needed to show he was in control of the situation.
So what was the need for the SDs if not to be presented to the King?
To blackmail Abdullah, that’s what. Anwar had planned to use the SD to negotiate with Abdullah terms for his re-entry into UMNO. He would show Abdullah the signed SD and threaten to trigger a majority vote against the 2009 budget. Abdullah would have been told to sack Najib on account of RPK’s SD (refer link below article).
Yes, you read right. Anwar had planned to attach with his SD a 21st of June SD by RPK, in which the Prime Minister’s wife was alleged to have been at the scene where Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered. Anwar wanted Abdullah to retire Najib for good and appoint him (Anwar) as the new Deputy Prime Minister. Then, during the 2009 UMNO general assembly and elections, Anwar would contest Abdullah for the part’s presidency.
So the stage was set. All that was left for Anwar to do was to show Nik the Anwar SD. The former deputy premier needed Razaleigh to agree to the plan before making any move. But remember, Anwar had earlier promised the Kelantan Prince the top job, not the job of Deputy Prime Minister.
When Nik read the content of the Anwar SD, he was infuriated beyond any measure of restraint. And so was his uncle. I am told, so incensed was Razaleigh, he lashed out at his nephew for having engaged in discussions with Anwar’s men in the first place. I am further told, Razaleigh refused to have anything to do with the Anwar SD and told Nik to ‘flip Anwar the bird’, so to speak.
A shocked Anwar quickly pushed the panic button and sent Tian Chua and four others scurrying to chase a Barisan Nasional delegation that was on an ‘agricultural study tour’ to Taiwan. Anwar already had the backing of 13 Barisan Nasional MPs, but he needed more. The Anwar SD needed to be signed anyway, by hook or by crook. However, the PKR delegation had never really seen the Anwar SD, let alone heard of it. To them, an SD, if any, was yet to be drafted.
Yet, on the 12th of September 2008, a PKR delegation led by Tian Chua began mooching around in a hotel where some 50 Barisan Nasional reps were staying. They desperately needed the support of at least one or two MPs who were most likely to influence others to jump ship. One of the targets, I am told, was none other than Mohd Puad Zarkashi. And that fits perfectly with a statement Puad issued to the High Court in 2014.
Now, if you remember correctly, the UMNO Supreme Council member told the High Court on the 13th of December 2014 that Anwar and two other individuals had attempted to get him to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat. According to Puad, upon his return from Taiwan, he was met by an Abdul Rahim, who told the former that several BN MPs had already signed an SD in support of Anwar.
Was Puad telling the truth?
Yes, he was. But what Puad did not know was that nobody had ever seen the Anwar SD, let alone signed it. Then, a week ago, on the 23rd of October 2016, an excerpt from RPK’s article (link in bold below this article) read as follows:
“Anwar’s and Tengku Razaleigh’s people got me to sign a Statutory Declaration (they insisted it must be in the form of an SD and not just an article) to implicate Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, in the Altantuya Shaariibu murder. This is so that Najib can be disqualified and Tengku Razaleigh can take over as Prime Minister instead.
“Later, of course, everyone (Nik Azmi a.k.a. ‘Bul’, Din Merican and John Pang included) all denied involvement when the police recorded their statement. So I was left alone to hang whereas they had promised me earlier they would back me up if anything happens to me.
Was RPK telling us the truth?
You’re damned right he was. What RPK does not know, however, is that Nik may have conspired with his associates to put a fix on him.
A source that prefers to remain in the shadow seems to think that Nik had concocted the whole story of Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor being at the scene of the crime where Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered. Nik, along with a few others, convinced RPK to declare in an SD that Rosmah had something to do with the murder, thinking that RPK would get off scot free with the accusation. Nik is said to have wanted Najib out of the way just so that plans to have Razaleigh become Prime Minister would work.
So to RPK, I decided to put it to you in writing instead of calling you like I usually do. If what I was told is true, I need you to know, that your onetime ‘best buddy’ could well have taken advantage of your sincerity and quest for the truth by putting the fix on you, because, as you probably already know, his ‘love for his uncle’ was deeper than his ‘friendship with you’.
Yes, RPK – villains who twirl moustaches are always easy to spot. But those who clothe themselves in good deed are well camouflaged.
Go get those bastards, Pete. Get them to fess up.
THE THIRD FORCE
http://www.malaysia-today.net/
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