KUALA LUMPUR: April 29, 2008 By MANJIT KAUR
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who made his first appearance in Dewan Rakyat after 10 years said now that he had stepped in, he will never leave.
Anwar, who is also the husband of new Opposition leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was at Dewan Rakyat to attend a special lunch for MPs and their spouses after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong opened the 12th Parliament.
Asked when he would be back in Dewan since he could now contest for a seat, he said:
“This is a new beginning; when I get in, I will not come out. I told my friends now that I am here, I will stay, and there will be no turning back."
Asked if he was seated at the same table as the King, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, and if he chatted with the Prime Minister, Anwar said:
“No, I just said hello to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as I was seated at the table where the other spouses were sitting with the Queen. The Opposition leaders sat with the King,’’ he said.
Asked when he was planning to make a comeback, Anwar said he needed to discuss the matter with Dr Wan Azizah and other leaders first.
“It is still too early. Give her some time. Now is the time for the Opposition MPs to carry out their responsibilities accordingly,’’ he added.
Dr Wan Azizah said that when the time was right, her husband would contest, but for now, he had come to Parliament as a respectable leader.
On how he felt watching the ceremony from the spouses' gallery, Anwar said: “It is okay, I have accustomed myself. The fact is I have been away for some time now. Ten years is a long time.
“But I feel good to be back to accompany the Opposition leader. I managed to talk to some of my old friends, including those in the Cabinet. They said very nice things and they were polite,’’ he added.
Anwar said he was very proud that both his wife and daughter were in Dewan. “My daughter, who is the youngest MP, has to perform to ensure that we are a strong opposition, as we need to ‘shake’ Parliament,’’ he added.
On Dr Wan Azizah's claims that he had not received any invitation for today's ceremony, he said apparently, the letter was not sent, adding that he was told that it was sent somewhere else.
“But on late Monday evening, we received the letter. I thank Azizah for reminding them. I also thanked the Speaker when I met him,’’ he said, adding that it was most probably a case of miscommunication.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment