What Will Happen To Pakatan Rakyat Now That Anwar Ibrahim Is In Jail?

Professor Dr Ahmad Marthada Mohamed, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Dean of the College of Law, Government and International Studies said Anwar could only be freed if he were to be granted a pardon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. "This comes under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution which says that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has power to grant pardons," he told Bernama.

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Marthada said in granting pardons, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall act on the advice of the Pardons Board, consisting of the Federal Territories Minister, Attorney-General and not more than three other members. He said the free pardon for a convict was usually granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on his birthday upon the government's proposal.

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There is one final possible avenue for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to get out of his Sodomy II conviction. He could file an application for a review of yesterday’s Federal Court decision, said his defence lawyer Ramkarpal Singh.

He said although the defence had the option of the review, they would need to study the full judgment first. “It depends on what we see in the judgment. Right now, we only have a brief oral judgment so it is too early to take action,” he said.

He added that unlike an appeal, there was no time limit on filing a review application, thus they did not want to jump the gun.

With the conviction also resulting in Anwar’s automatic expulsion as Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh, the first decision which PR must make is who to name as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

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National Council of Professors’ political cluster head Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak said that going by his position as the PKR deputy president, it was very likely that Azmin, who is Gombak MP, would replace his mentor. “The Pakatan Rakyat leaders will need to sit together and discuss who they want as the opposition chief in Parliament and given the tension between DAP and PAS, it looks like Azmin will be the ultimate choice,’’ said Dr Mohamed Mustafa.

He added that DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who had both taken the role of Opposition Leader in the past, may vie for the position. “However, due to the current tension between PAS and DAP, the decision would likely be to appoint someone from PKR to defuse the situation. That someone would probably be Azmin,’’ added Dr Sivamurugan.

The group must pursue an inclusive agenda to stay relevant and challenge the Barisan Nasional coalition that’s ruled for almost six decades, according to Clive Kessler, a sociology professor at the University of New South Wales.

Pakatan Rakyat has little in common aside from its desire to oust Barisan Nasional. It was wracked by infighting last year over the leadership of one state it controls and the planned implementation of Islamic law in another.

“New Malaysian politics, post-Anwar, will need not just a Pakatan three-wheeler vehicle, but a new kind of political mobilisation,” Kessler said. “It has been about trying to hold this coalition together in time for the next election and trying to overthrow Barisan Nasional. That is not sustainable. They need to sit down and think of winnable policies for the longer term and move beyond Anwar.”

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Political analysts suggest that PKR may try to capitalise on the sympathy vote by putting forward a member of Anwar’s own family in his stead. Regarding this possibility Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak said, “Anwar has six children and apart from Nurul Izzah, who is already an MP, there are five others who are eligible to contest.” He went on to name Anwar’s second daughter, Nurul Nuha, as the most likely candidate.

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Imprisoned Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's second daughter Nurul Nuha will lead the March to Freedom campaign for her family to free the Opposition leader.

The 31-year-old mother of two, was introduced to local and foreign media as the 'face' of the campaign by her elder sister Nurul Izzah, who is a PKR vice president, at their family home in Segambut Dalam, here.

"As his children we will take over his mantle and continue his struggle, hopes and ambition. These 17 years have been an emotional roller coaster. We do not know how long this struggle will continue but we will be with our father till the end," Nurul Nuha said before breaking down in tears at an emotional charged press conference.

Nurul Nuha added that the March to Freedom would be a local based movement that would reach out to Malaysians abroad while seeking pressure from international bodies to free Anwar who was sentenced by the Federal Court on Tuesday for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in June 2008.

"March to Freedom" is that struggle. A struggle to free our father from unjust incarceration and give voice to Malaysians who have suffered injustice in our country," she said.

The petition was created by J.M. of Alexandria, Virginia, who said Anwar was a champion of democracy, a believer in Islamic justice and a long-time friend of the US. The petition also claimed Anwar was convicted and jailed on trumped-up charges on Tuesday and added that statements from the White House alone were not enough.

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There is no guarantee that the petition will receive any response from the Obama administration.

The White House website said if a petition gets enough support, its staff would review it and ensure it was sent to the appropriate policy experts. It would also release an official response.

themalaysianinsider.com

In a stark departure from its mammoth rallies and the Reformasi protest of 1998, PKR today announced that the party would hold prayers and nightly solidarity vigils outside the Sungai Buloh prison in response to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction today.

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‎Party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail urged all Malaysians to join in the vigil every night beginning tomorrow‎ for "as long as possible", while a special prayer, or “solat hajat”, will be performed on Thursday night at each PKR division across the country.

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“Pakatan has some serious challenges in terms of leadership but Anwar has taken a backseat in the past six to eight months and him going to jail will allow Pakatan to transition to the next phase of leadership,” said Andrew Aeria, a political science associate professor at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. “Will this end Pakatan? I doubt it.”

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“Shared grievances can be a powerful political motivation,” Ang Ming Chee, a research fellow at the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies at Lund University in Sweden said, referring to Anwar’s ruling. “A more united Pakatan Rakyat will post big threat to Barisan Nasional, the latter may need to prepare for a very tough fight in the forthcoming election.”

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Nurul Nuha, who addressed the media for the first time in 1998, said that her father's last words to her and her siblings after the court's verdict on Tuesday was to "take care and remain strong".

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail: "Praise be to God, this is one of our struggles, perhaps a little sacrifice from among my circle, my children and grandchildren, but this is a real struggle, not to Anwar's alone. "What Anwar said (to me) is to be strong," Azizah said she and her family would continue the struggle although they have to endure this sad and tragic moment. "I'm not saying that we are strong, but we find strength in the people and in their support," she said.

Anwar's eldest daughter Nurul Izzah said it was a tragic day for her family. "Yes we are sad, we are devastated, but we will definitely continue our struggle," the Lembah Pantai MP added.