Anwar takes first step to sinking Government

4:00AM Friday August 29, 2008

Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail celebrate victory in the byelection in Permatang Pauh. Photo / AP

KUALA LUMPUR - Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim took his place yesterday as a member of Malaysia's Parliament, a major step in his goal to topple a government weakened by electoral defeats and internal dissent.

Anwar, dressed in dark blue traditional Malay shirt, pants and cap, was sworn in in a simple ceremony in the main chamber of Parliament amid loud thumping of desks by Opposition members.

The Speaker, who administered the oath, formally declared Anwar the leader of the three-party Opposition alliance.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and most Cabinet ministers were not present.

Anwar regained his parliamentary seat in the northern Penang state by a landslide in a byelection on Tuesday.

It followed big gains by the Opposition in the March general elections that loosened the Government's 51-year grip on power. Anwar has said he aims to be the next prime minister after bringing down the Government by September 16 via defections from disaffected members of Abdullah's ruling coalition.

"Anwar - whatever we think of him and many of us are deeply sceptical - is looking more and more like our future Prime Minister," wrote columnist Karim Raslan in the Star yesterday.

"There is a mounting sense of inevitability to his impending succession."

But significant hurdles remain, the biggest of them a criminal charge that he sodomised a 23-year-old male aide, the second time in his career he has faced a sodomy accusation. No date has been set for the trial.

Under Malaysian law, even consensual sodomy is punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

Anwar has dismissed the accusation as a "most sickening" political conspiracy by the Government to thwart his rise. A recent opinion poll appeared to endorse that view.

Besides the challenge from Anwar, Prime Minister Abdullah is also facing internal opposition.

Veteran Government MP Razaleigh Hamzah, who wants to challenge Abdullah for the leadership of their United Malays National Organisation party, said Anwar's victory meant that "what scraps of credibility [Abdullah] had left" were gone.

Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad also said, "Abdullah must take responsibility and resign now".

His MP son Mukhriz Mahathir also said that with Anwar in Parliament, "we cannot afford to have a weak leadership because it could lead to our downfall".

Abdullah rejected the calls. "I believe we can still continue the government," Abdullah was quoted as saying.

- AP