Sworn in, Anwar is Opposition Leader
Malaysiakini.com
Aug 28, 2008 
Beh Lih Yi & S Pathmawathy

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is today officially parliamentary opposition leader. The newly-elected Permatang Pauh MP was sworn in this morning at the Dewan Rakyat.
MCPX

anwar ibrahim enters parliament building as mp 280808 10Anwar arrived at Parliament at 9.45am wearing a songkok and a black baju Melayu, and took his oath at 10.05am immediately after prayer recitals at the House.

Soon after, he took the corner seat reserved for the parliamentary opposition leader, vacated by his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, three weeks ago. 

The opposition leader's seat is directly opposite Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's seat (BN-Kepala Batas) in the 222-member Parliament.

malaysia opposition leaders 280808Anwar sat next to Khalid Ibrahim (PKR-Bandar Tun Razak), who is also Selangor mentri besar, and in front of R Sivarasa (PKR-Subang), the party vice-president.

Anwar has been declared leader of the opposition almost exactly 10 years after he was sacked as deputy premier and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges.

"I'm glad to be back after a decade," Anwar told a press conference later.

Earlier on his arrival, Anwar was received by Khalid and other Pakatan leaders at Parliament lobby.

Anwar, visibly suffering a back pain after an intense 10-day election campaign, walked slowly when climbing the staircase to the lobby and needed to be aided by Wan Azizah who held him.

State-owned television Radio Television Malaysia, which usually telecasts the first 30 minutes of parliamentary proceeding live - chose not to broadcast Anwar’s swearing-in and started broadcasting only after the ceremony.

Meanwhile, House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said he was satisfied that the member for Permatang Pauh has been unanimously appointed leader of the opposition. 

anwar ibrahim opposition leader parliament pc 280808 02"I hope the member for Permatang Pauh will contribute to the proceedings of this House," said speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.

DAP's Lim Kit Siang, who is former opposition leader, greeted Anwar from the parliamentary benches.

"I would like to welcome the member for Permatang Pauh who is back in the house after a second political tsunami. The government is like the Titanic which is going to sink," he said.

No confidence in Abdullah, Najib

Later at a press conference, Anwar said that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has lost the mandate of the people and should step down.

anwar ibrahim opposition leader parliament pc 280808 03He was responding to remarks by Umno leaders Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Mukhriz Mahathir for the premier to resign following Umno's devastating defeat in the Permatang Pauh by-election on Tuesday.

Anwar also said that Umno's defeat in the by-election showed that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has also been rejected by the people.

This, said Anwar, was based on the fact that it was Najib who led BN/Umno's campaign in Permatang Pauh.
The March elections saw the opposition gain control of five states and a third of parliamentary seats, in the worst ever setback for the Barisan Nasional coalition which has ruled for half a century.

Anwar needs to persuade 30 government lawmakers to defect in order to form a government, in a task political observers say will be difficult but not impossible.

Syed Hamid: No defection

anwar ibrahim opposition leader parliament 03He faces another daunting hurdle with new sodomy allegations, levelled by a 23-year-old former aide, which he says have been concocted by the government to sideline him.

Anwar's original sodomy conviction was overturned by the nation's highest court in 2004, allowing him to go free after six years in jail.

No trial date has been given yet for the new sexual misconduct allegations.

The government dismissed Anwar's claims of being on the verge of seizing power.

anwar ibrahim opposition leader parliament pc 280808 01"There is no threat from Anwar, he has won in a by-election and he becomes just another MP," Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said at parliament.

"Since the March 8 elections till now we have done nothing but politicking... but (the defections) haven't happened. They are waiting for it to happen but it hasn't happened - good luck to them."

Anwar arrived in parliament in time for debate today on a new bill which would force criminal suspects to provide DNA samples - legislation he says is aimed at him after he refused to give a sample following his sodomy arrest.

The former finance minister will also be in parliament for tomorrow's reading of the 2009 national budget.

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