GE13: Anwar may contest in Perak
(The Star) – Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is mulling the possibility of contesting a parliament seat in Perak if he decides not to defend his Permatang Pauh seat in the coming polls.
“There is a likelihood that I will stand in Permatang Pauh but no final decision has been made as there are proposals that I stand in Perak or Selangor,” he said at a press conference here.
He said he was considering the proposal and was more inclined to contest in Perak if he wanted to move.
Asked if his daughter, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah would stand in Permatang Pauh instead, Anwar said Nurul would defend her Lembah Pantai seat.
He earlier confirmed that PKR secretary-general and Machang MP Datuk Saifudin Nasution would contest in Kulim Bandar Baru, Kedah, the party’s strategic director, Rafizi Ramli, would contest in Pandan, Selangor, and vice-president Fuziah Salleh would defend her Kuantan seat.
He also announced that PKR Sarawak chief Baru Bian would stand in Limbang, Ali Biju in Saratok, Abu Sui in Ulu Enggan and Abang Zulkifli in Batang Lupar.
Asked why the Pakatan’s presidential council, comprising himself, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and PAS Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, did not make a joint announcement of the Opposition’s candidates list, Anwar said that Pakatan had decided to make staggered announcements instead.
The move, he added, would allow voters to familiarise themselves with their respective candidates rather announcing the entire list at a later date.
DAP had recently announced that anti-Lynas activist Wong Teck would contest in the Bentong parliamentary seat while on Monday, Anwar announced that DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang would contest the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat.
On a separate issue, Anwar said his lawyer would pursue a RM100mil defamation suit against blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo, over a March 16 posting of single black-and-white photograph showing the naked back of a man in a hotel room.
The post also provided a link to another blog page called Aksi si Raja Goyang which published 13 photographs showing two men groping and kissing each other, purportedly screen grabs of the same video.
Anwar has since denied he is the man in the video with his lawyers issuing a letter demanding the blogger publish a full withdrawal and apology while also refraining from further publishing articles of a similar nature.
On Tuesday, Wan Muhammad demanded Anwar to withdraw his demands and apologise within 48 hours, failing which, he would release more photographs.
