PKR: TO DEFEAT UMNO WE MUST FORGIVE MAHATHIR FOR HIS CRIMES

Supporters of the Reformasi movement formed after Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking should see the bigger picture of defeating Umno-BN.

(FMT) – PKR has urged is supporters “to swallow their anger” for Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the sake of winning Putrajaya.

The party’s vice-president, Prof Shaharuddin Badaruddin, and Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that the “reformasi” supporters should move on especially since Anwar Ibrahim  Mahathir’s protege turned arch nemesis  has come to terms with the former prime minister.

“I am sure there are those who cannot forgive (Mahathir) and you can’t force them to do so. It must happen naturally,” Shaharuddin said when met after attending a forum in Unisel, here, today.

He said it was understandable what the “reformasi” supporters felt but it was necessary for them to set their feelings aside if they wanted to beat the Barisan Nasional in the coming general election.

“There are things we need to prioritise and this means some of us will have to swallow our anger,” he said, stressing that cooperation was a must.

Shaharuddin and Nik Nazmi were commenting on the jeers some “reformasi” supporters directed at Mahathir when he turned up at a convention last week.

During the event, Mahathir had urged the crowd to put the past behind them, but a section of the crowd yelled back that they could not.

Shaharuddin urged the “reformasi” supporters to look at the bigger picture, which is to ensure straight fights with the ruling coalition, a strategy which Mahathir has said in the past would give the opposition a fighting chance to win Putrajaya.

Nik Nazmi, meanwhile, said that there was a need for everyone, including the “reformasi” movement, to join hands to defeat BN.

The Seri Setia assemblyman explained that it would be easier to free Anwar — currently serving a five-year jail term for sodomising his former aide — from prison if they beat the ruling coalition.

“So we have to learn to let go, just as Anwar has done in the past.”

The “reformasi” movement came about after Anwar, once tipped to succeed Mahathir, was sacked from the government in 1998 following allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

He was subsequently convicted and imprisoned on a charge many claim was fabricated by the state and hold Mahathir responsible for the entire affair.

Recently, however, Mahathir, who has since become one of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s vocal critics, seemingly offered Anwar the olive branch, visiting the latter in court twice to support his legal challenge against the government over the National Security Council Act (NSC).