Anwar hits out at Abdullah

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hit out at the Prime Minister for apparently not carrying out the reforms he had promised in the last five years.

Referring to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s initiatives for the next five months, the Opposition Leader said: “If he does it, well and good for the country. The first thing he should do is release all political prisoners.”

Speaking to reporters at the Jalan Duta court complex where his sodomy case was being heard, Anwar said a change in the Barisan Nasional leadership would not solve the problem faced by the nation today.

He said he did not see how Prime Minister-designate Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would be able to function effectively.

“It is not personal. The question is whether he can handle the economic crisis and the corruption and abuse of power in the Government which the Prime Minister has failed to tackle,” he said.

He said Najib was still in a “state of denial”, adding: “He is the only Finance Minister in the world who believes that the fundamentals of this country is still strong.”

He argued that Najib had never raised issues of reform for a free media, democratic process, pointing out also that he had not given any clue about how he planned to manage the country’s economy.

Anwar added that he would meet with “friends” to plan Pakatan Rakyat’s next move of action but declined to elaborate.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state government and Penangites hoped that Abdullah would restore federal funding for projects in the state.

He said the DAP would co-operate with the Prime Minister in his final five months in office to restore the credibility of the judiciary, adopt stringent anti-corruption measures and eliminate abuse of power.