Wan Azizah at the ceramah tonight in Shah Alam, explaining how she would be able to take on the role of Selangor MB. - The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, August 9, 2014.Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s expulsion from PKR today has brought back painful memories for party president Datuk Sri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who told residents of Shah Alam tonight that she was reminded of her own husband’s sacking in 1998.
“I was asking myself, and I was thinking back to the year 1998, when my husband (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) was sacked after Independence on August 31, which triggered a political situation which I would never have imagined,” said Dr Wan Azizah in a ceramah tonight.
“In September, 1998, I could not sleep. Our house was besieged, surrounded three times. We went through that, and the rakyat rose up to fight the injustice. I came forward to demand justice.”
Anwar was fired as deputy prime minister from the Mahathir government on September 2, 1998 after a fall-out and accusations of abusing power plus a sodomy charge. A day later, the Umno supreme council met and sacked Anwar from the party.
The sacking led to 17 days of Reformasi protests in a cross-country campaign led by Anwar himself.
Anwar was later arrested on September 20, 1998, by a crack police commando squad and charged for abuse of power and sodomy. He was also beaten while briefly detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial.
Dr Wan Azizah urged the public to continue the original fight for justice and stand with PKR, even as the party faces an internal crisis following Khalid’s surprise sacking, which bears a resemblance to Anwar’s own expulsion.
“Let us continue our fight to defend the people. That’s why we are here together. When Anwar was released from prison, we continued. And now we are here, and we must go on,” she told about 500 people tonight at a ceramah in Shah Alam.
PKR announced today it had expelled the Port Klang assemblyman for defying the party’s orders to step down as menteri besar and make way for Dr Wan Azizah to replace him.
His expulsion came weeks after the MB crisis threatened to split Pakatan Rakyat (PR) between PAS, which supports Khalid, and PKR and DAP, which want him removed.
Dr Wan Azizah tonight acknowledged that she had no experience ruling a state, but implored the people to work together to improve Selangor.
“We will maintain the good policies. But let there be unity and let us close ranks as we discuss together the best solution.
“This is not about nepotisme. (People say), ‘has Anwar no shame, appointing his own wife?’ Now, can’t we be in a team, and offer our services to the rakyat together?”
Dr Wan Azizah said she was not seeking the MB post for power, but to continue the battle for good governance.
She reminded the crowd that those who joined the 1998 reformasi movement had not done so for material gains, and added that even up until today, neither she nor her husband had any post in government.
“We have nothing. But we only urge that this fight, this support, will take us to better politics and better governance.
“To me, changing positions is not important. What matters is the responsibility we hold and that we always consult one another and remain a team,” she said.
Khalid was often criticised for his unilateral decision-making as menteri besar, and his refusal to answer to the party’s political bureau.
But PKR said his alleged lack of integrity was the main reason they had initiated the Kajang Move in January.
The party leadership council met at 3pm today to deliberate the issue. Khalid is not a member of the top decision-making body in the party but he had earlier tried to stop any discussion on his position.
His sacking today means both PKR and PR lose a seat each in Selangor legislative assembly and the federal parliament.
- TMI
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