Umno to campaign for Anwar? Repent first, says PKR rep

PKR assemblyperson Gooi Hsiao Leung says Umno leaders who claim they want to campaign for PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim in the upcoming Port Dickson by-election should first repent for their "sins."

Gooi was referring to former Umno minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, who on Thursday said that he would lend his support to Anwar in his campaign.

"As for offers made by Umno leaders, such as those by Nazri to help campaign for Anwar – no sane person will take what he says seriously unless Umno leaders first purge themselves and repent for all their sins committed prior to the 14th general election.

"Start with the mother of all sins: defending and being in cahoots with the former prime minister (Najib Abdul Razak)," the Bukit Tengah assemblyperson, said in a statement today.

Nazri told Malaysiakini that he wanted to campaign for Anwar because it would help Umno get back into government.

He also claimed a majority of Umno MPs had signed a statutory declaration (SD) to allow the party president to negotiate with Pakatan Harapan parties or PAS in its bid to return to government.

Gooi called the move "tragic," saying there is no reason for Harapan to work with Umno.

"The revelation of the SDs signed by Umno MPs to seek political alliances including Harapan, in the hopes of crawling their way back into government, is nothing but tragic.

"There is no justification whatsoever for Harapan to work with Umno MPs who had been supporting and complicit with the most corrupt and oppressive regime in the region," he said.

The by-election, which will allow Anwar to make his return to Parliament, was triggered by the resignation of PKR incumbent Danyal Balagopal Abdullah. - Mkini