Unlike Najib, Anwar did not siphon public funds - Wan Azizah

Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has outlined the differences between her husband, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, and Najib Abdul Razak in their respective court cases.

She said the fundamental difference is that the former prime minister’s SRC International case involved public funds and there were documents to prove the embezzlement.

“This involved public funds and the nation is now in debt. This does not include the 1MDB cases, which are also in the US. There was also an audio recording of Najib but none for Anwar,” she added at the sidelines of an event in Petaling Jaya, Selangor today.

Wan Azizah also said when Anwar was sentenced, the courts did not take into account the number of days he was in detention.

PKR treasurer William Leong, who was also present, pointed out that Najib did not spend time behind bars until he failed to overturn his conviction at the Federal Court.

“Anwar was in jail from the first day, even before the court case started,” he added.

Chiming in about Najib, Wan Azizah remarked: “Got bodyguards some more. That is the difference.”

Eighteen days after former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad sacked him from the number two post in September 1998, Anwar was arrested at his residence.

He was subsequently charged and convicted. However, he maintained that the sodomy charge against him was fabricated by Mahathir and his allies.

‘Black eye’ incident

Recalling that episode, Wan Azizah said the then inspector-general of police Rahim Noor assaulted her husband after he was arrested.

To avoid bringing Anwar to court with his injuries, she said the authorities detained him under the now-repealed Internal Security Act (ISA), which allowed a person to be held without trial.

“After you are remanded, you have to be brought to court. But because he got the ‘black eye’, he wasn’t brought to court. So, they changed to ISA,” she added.

Anwar landed in prison for a second time over a similar charge when Najib was in power. He claimed that the charge, like the first, was concocted as well.

After Pakatan Harapan toppled Najib and BN in the 2018 general election with Mahathir’s help, Anwar was granted a royal pardon.

Najib’s supporters are also pushing for a pardon and when quizzed on this, Wan Azizah said it is the prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“I do not wish to touch on this. But he (Najib) has other cases. He has been sentenced to 12 years (in the SRC International case) but other cases are pending,” she said.

Wan Azizah also urged the people not to feel discouraged about change following the Harapan federal government’s collapse just 22 months after it came into power.

“We don’t want people to say ‘we changed in 2018, we are tired, whatever we do, it will not change because of treachery’.

“But this is the reason we need to change. We must rise stronger and change those who betrayed us. This is what we want. Don’t feel discouraged. This is our country,” she added.

On Tuesday (Aug 23), the Federal Court upheld Najib’s conviction and 12-year prison sentence over the RM42 million which was transferred into his bank account from SRC International.

The former premier would have to spend an additional five years in prison if he does not settle the RM210 million fine imposed on him. - Mkini