Anwar still confident of comfortable Pakatan win in GE13

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is still confident of Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) chances in the coming polls, maintaining his prediction of a minimum 10-seat majority over the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in Election 2013, according to a Bloomberg report here yesterday.

 The opposition leader, however, “was less certain” about PR’s performance in Sabah, in the light of the ongoing armed conflict in Lahad Datu between Malaysian security forces and a group of Filipino rebels.

“I don’t want to sound overconfident, but I believe looking into the trend now it will be a comfortable majority ... Beyond 10 is comfortable,” Anwar told Bloomberg.

Anwar was also confident of winning Perak and Negeri Sembilan, in addition to retaining Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and Kedah.

However, he has revised his prediction about Sabah after telling Bloomberg last month that the main battle for votes in Election 2013 will be in Sabah and Sarawak, which offer 56 of the 222 Parliament seats.

Umno-linked media outlets have in recent days alleged Anwar is responsible for orchestrating the armed incursion of Sulu Sultan’s supporters into the state.

The Malaysian Insider reported last month that sources said PR is confident of securing nearly 140 parliamentary seats in Election 2013, with wins in Sabah, Sarawak and Johor giving the pact a simple majority to form the government.

The PKR de facto leader also predicted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be one of the casualties of the 13th general election.

“For Najib, it’s very, very precarious because if he loses he’d be out, and if he wins with a narrow margin they’d force him out,” he said.

“He’d be removed either way.”

The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is confident of winning at least 145 parliamentary seats in Election 2013, including recapturing several Umno seats lost in 2008, sources said.

The Malaysian Insider understands that BN’s projections are about 10 seats above surveys done by Malaysian intelligence agencies, which say the ruling coalition is only sure of 135 seats, five below the 140 won in Election 2008. BN now has 136 seats in the 222-seat Parliament.

Drop appeal, probe Sodomy II conspirators, PKR tells Putrajaya

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — PKR demanded today that Putrajaya drop its appeal against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II acquittal and order a full investigation against the Prime Minister’s Department, Attorney-General and public prosecutors.

This follows the revelation by Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s father yesterday, who claimed that the sodomy charge was fabricated in an “evil political conspiracy” involving his son.

“Azlan Lazim’s statement vindicates Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) consistent position that the Sodomy II charges are a vicious political conspiracy,” PKR vice-president N. Surendran (picture) said in a statement here.

Surendran also asked for an open and unconditional apology from the government and Barisan Nasional (BN) towards Anwar, his family and the Malaysian public.

In a heavily-guarded press conference yesterday, Azlan, 60, alleged that the conspiracy was planned by a special officer in the Prime Minister’s Department and was engineered to tarnish Anwar’s image with another sodomy charge, the opposition leader’s second since he lost his post in government in 1998.

Azlan, who was not with his son at the press conference called by PKR’s Datuk Johari Abdul, apologised to Anwar and his family over the incident, admitting the episode had put them through much pain and suffering.

His son Saiful Bukhari Azlan has denied any political conspiracy and expressed surprise at his father’s claim.

On January 9 last year, the High Court acquitted and discharged Anwar of sodomising Saiful, 27, at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara here between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

Anwar’s acquittal last year was highly-publicised, drawing the attention of thousands of people who camped outside the High Court as judgment was delivered, as well as hundreds of international media and political observers.

The veteran politician, who had earlier sued Saiful for wrongfully accusing him of sodomy, later withdrew the suit, saying his reputation had been vindicated by the acquittal.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers has appealed the acquittal, however, and hearing in the Court of Appeal has been set for July 22.

MTUC wants foreign maids to have protection under the law

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) today called on the government to extend the coverage of the Employment Act 1955 to the 200,000 foreign maids in the country.

Its president, Mohd Khalid Atan, said the maids were not covered by the act and were subject to abuse by employers.

In a statement in conjunction with International Women's Day, he said the MTUC had submitted a memorandum to the Human Resources Ministry on the matter.

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8.
Mohd Khalid said the maids would be able to get legal protection and assistance if they were covered by the act. — Bernama

DPM urges Malaysians to support government in defence of nation

GEORGE TOWN, March 9 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today urged the people to support the government in the defence of the nation so as to avert incidents such as the Sulu militant intrusion in Sabah.

He said that though the nation had been peaceful and safe all this while, the people could not take things lightly as the enemy was bent on creating havoc in the country.

“In the (Lahad Datu) incident, our heroes (security forces) were killed. There is price to pay for peace. It was something unexpected.

“I want the people to be with the government in the defence of the nation so that the enemy cannot trespass into our country,” he said at a breakfast meeting with about 1,000 people in Kampung Nelayan, Teluk Kumbar, near here.

Muhyiddin (picture) said the situation in Lahad Datu was under control, with the security forces having launched an offensive against the Sulu militants.

“What is important is unity. We may be different in appearance but our desire is one — to have unity to ensure peace and prosperity in the country.

“We have to maintain unity in line with the 1 Malaysia concept so that such incidents as the Lahad Datu intrusion do not recur. Our enemies want to create havoc so that they can penetrate the country easily,” he said.

Muhyiddin also said that 1 Malaysia was not a mere slogan but an assurance for the people to live a comfortable, prosperous and peaceful life.

The country’s leaders always strived to help the people to ensure that they had a better life in the future, he said, adding that life today was much better than 10 or 20 years ago.

The deputy prime minister also announced an allocation of RM500,000 to upgrade the fishermen’s jetty in Kampung Nelayan. — Bernama