Tuesday July 1, 2008 MYT 8:17:18 PM

PM meets Wan Azizah over Anwar

By NG CHENG YEE

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met with PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on Tuesday in Parliament.

During the meeting, information of a conspiracy theory against PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had been submitted to the Prime Minister, said Wan Azizah, who is also Anwar's wife.

Wan Azizah said she and her daughter, Lembah Pantai MP Nurual Izzah Ibrahim, had met with Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at his office in Parliament during a 20-minute meeting.

"We have voiced our worries about Anwar's safety and we also gave a copy of the police report made by Anwar at 3.30pm at the Shah Alam police station to the Prime Minister.

"He listened and understood our feelings as family members faced with defamation, which is very heavy and scary, for the second time," she said, adding that Abdullah also showed his sympathy.

She said they had also asked the Prime Minister to give his assurance that Anwar's case would be handled with professionalism and that he would be protected. "He agreed that an act of cruelty against Anwar had happened in 1998 when Anwar was beaten up in custody and almost died.

"He has given his assurance that it will not happen again and there will be no similar episode under his administration as the Prime Minister," she said.

Wan Azizah said she also raised the issue to the Prime Minister that the high-ranking police officers were involved in Anwar's case in 1998.

"(Inspector-General of Police) Tan Sri Musa Hassan was the investigating officer in the case while Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail was the chief prosecuting officer and now the Attorney-General," she said.

She said Abdullah also agreed with her view that defamation was worse than murder in Islam.

On whether she is positive about Anwar's case being investigated with professionalism, she said: "I received his assurance and I hold strong to the assurance given by the PM."

When asked about the reaction from certain sections of the public that Anwar’s claim that his life was threatened is ridiculous, Wan Azizah in a raised voice said:

"What ridiculous? If you were in custody before and beaten up until you were half dead, you won't have said this."