Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said the Barisan Nasional government was bent on ensuring he would not contest the next general election by convicting him on fabricated charges of sodomy.
“They would convict me before the elections, to deny me participating in the elections,” he said in an interview with Phillipine's The Philippine Star.
Anwar arrived in Manila yesterday to give a lecture today at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City on the influences of Dr. Jose Rizal and Ninoy Aquino on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leadership.
In the interview, Anwar spoke of reports that 200,000 Indonesians have been registered to vote as well as Filipinos being allowed to register as voters on the condition that they would vote for the ruling party.
“I believe in the people of Malaysia. The Malaysian media and the government may have labeled me as a threat to the country and accused me of being a pawn for Zionists and the United States, but I believe the people can’t be fooled,” said Anwar.
Insult on Jose Rizal?
Meanwhile, asked about reports that the wife of the Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines had insulted national hero Jose Rizal, Anwar said the issue should be considered closed as she had denied the report.
“I wish she could give her side on the issue since I know the family, and for the sake of good relations we just clear the air and since she denied (it), I think it is a good move because Jose Rizal is a Filipino hero to us, (he) is my hero and a hero of Asians," he said.
Earlier, several PKR leaders claimed that Zainab Abd. Kader, wife of ambassador Ibrahim Saad, had twitted a message labelling Rizal as "kafir" (infidel), the term normally used by Muslims on their enemy.
Zainah however said she was not the sender of the message, noting that the message showed she was the recipient. She added that she had merely replied "God willing" after the sender asked to send regards to her husband.
In the interview, Anwar spoke of reports that 200,000 Indonesians have been registered to vote as well as Filipinos being allowed to register as voters on the condition that they would vote for the ruling party.
“I believe in the people of Malaysia. The Malaysian media and the government may have labeled me as a threat to the country and accused me of being a pawn for Zionists and the United States, but I believe the people can’t be fooled,” said Anwar.
Insult on Jose Rizal?
Meanwhile, asked about reports that the wife of the Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines had insulted national hero Jose Rizal, Anwar said the issue should be considered closed as she had denied the report.
“I wish she could give her side on the issue since I know the family, and for the sake of good relations we just clear the air and since she denied (it), I think it is a good move because Jose Rizal is a Filipino hero to us, (he) is my hero and a hero of Asians," he said.
Earlier, several PKR leaders claimed that Zainab Abd. Kader, wife of ambassador Ibrahim Saad, had twitted a message labelling Rizal as "kafir" (infidel), the term normally used by Muslims on their enemy.
Zainah however said she was not the sender of the message, noting that the message showed she was the recipient. She added that she had merely replied "God willing" after the sender asked to send regards to her husband.
