KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) said he’s putting his party in a “state of war” mode in Selangor once he assumes his post of Economic Adviser to the Pakatan-Rakyat controlled state, and that he is being forced by the special circumstances into taking up a state-level political role.“I have been all along active in national level politics, and given a choice, I wouldn’t want to step into this new role in the Selangor state,” he told a group of bloggers at a lunch-dialogue at Lake Club here, since his inaugural meet with a similar group in then Petaling Jaya party headquarters two years ago.
One of the early politicians to embrace the new media, Anwar, now Opposition Leader in parliament, said that he had asked Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to instruct all the state executive councillors, which include those from DAP and PAS, to be committed to cooperate to deliver a clean government strong on good governance.
He stressed that a lot needs to be done in improving the education facilities and other social programmes for the people, and the mindset of the leaders need to move with the present times, including thinking out of the box in facing challenges, including fighting corruption, happening even within their own ranks.
On the issue of alleged bailout of Talam Corp by the Selangor government in taking over the listed property development company’s RM391million debts, highlighted today by several mainstream press, Anwar said he had been briefed initially by Khalid, who would be expected to give him a more detailed report in the next few days.
“From Khalid’s briefing, I can say it is not any case of abuse of power or corrupt practice, which if it was, I would be very concerned,” he added.
It was reported that Talam owes three state-owned subsidiary companies RM391million in connection with several joint venture property projects carried out over the past 10 years (which means the period was mainly before the PR government took over post-March 8, 2008 general elections).
Anwar was also asked questions related to discipline cases, especially those involving Zulkifli Noordin, MP for Bandar Kulim — his disruption of a Bar Council organised forum and his attempt to table a Private Member’s Bill to amend the Federal Constitution related to Islam/Islamic state, to which he replied that he might have appeared somewhat “soft” on such issues, but he assured that Zulkifli had been cautioned.
PKR strategy director Tian Chua, also MP for Batu, interrupted by stating he was aware of certain quarters wishing the party would “sack” Zulkifli, but he said such an action would not solve the problem as there would always be dissenting parties within PKR on some issues, and there was enough space for discourse to allow for differences in opinion.
Anwar dwelt some time in explaining that the discourse on whether Malaysia is a secular or Islamic state could take up a whole philosophy treatise on Islam. And indeed, flowing from this episode, Anwar reported that the PR component parties had agreed that no individual member of Parliament from PR could table such Private Member’s motions in future without official party’s clearance and sanction.
To another question of the initiative announced by PAS Youth to set up snoop squads on moral policing (PAS Youth’s moral squad not welcomed), Anwar said in principle, he would not support such programmes as they “intrude into an individual’s privacy…”
“There is no justice served in people peeping into individual homes or go knocking on other people’s door,” he srtressed.
Responding to a question why he should be the Prime Minister (should PR take over the federal government), Anwar quipped: “My answer is: Why not me?”
Seriously, he said it was PKR and its two coalition partners who agreed he should lead, although when the coalition was formed, he never did lay down any pre-condition.
“But finally it would be the people (electorate) who would decide on this issue (of who should become the PM),” he added.
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