Anwar: Why can't I have dinner?

PD POLLS | Anwar Ibrahim is not inclined to postpone a large-scale dinner for voters ahead of the Port Dickson by-election.

Responding to Bersih, which urged the PKR president-elect to hold the event after the Oct 13 polls, he asked: “Why can't I have dinner?”

“The (Chinese) community wants to give a dinner, I mean the other candidates are also having dinners,” he added when met at the sidelines of the "Malaysia: A New Dawn" conference in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

Asked if he would postpone the dinner, he replied: “I don't think I will postpone (the event).”

Earlier, Bersih said the free dinner, which is scheduled to be held on Oct 11 for 3,000 to 4,000 people in Lukut, would be no different than the feast organised by fugitive businessperson Jho Low during the 13th general election. 

The electoral watchdog urged Anwar to follow the precedent set during the Aug 4 Sungai Kandis by-election where a durian festwas postponed to after the by-election to avoid any breach of election laws.

Furthermore, Bersih pointed out that Section 8 of the Election Offences Act prohibits treating of food, drinks, refreshments or provisions to induce voters to vote for a particular candidate.

Anwar would be facing six candidates in the by-election - five independents and PAS candidate Mohd Nazari Mokthar.

Among those seeking to prevent the designated successor of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad from returning to Parliament are his ex-aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan and former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Mohd Isa Samad.

Anwar is also facing a legal challenge with regard to his eligibility to contest in the polls based on a royal pardon accorded to him on the conviction of sodomising Saiful.

The PKR leader has maintained that the charge was fabricated by his political rivals.

The Port Dickson by-election was called after its incumbent from PKR, Danyal Balagopal Abdullah, vacated the seat to allow Anwar to contest. -Mkini