KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — With an impending trial that could see him put away for the next 20 years and effectively cut off all chances of his ever becoming prime minister, clearly the least of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s worries is presenting Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as a credible alternative to the ruling coalition at its first-ever convention later this month.
The Opposition Leader, who today learnt that his second sodomy trial will start next month, laughed when quizzed about the growing poor public perception that the three-party alliance will be able to go toe to toe against the formidable Barisan Nasional (BN) at the next general elections.
A recent poll by independent research house Merdeka Center showed support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had shot up even as it recorded flagging public confidence in Anwar’s opposition alliance.
The PKR adviser denied there were deep and irrevocable splits among his party, the secular DAP and the Islamist PAS.
“We’ve had four to five meetings at various levels in the past one month,” he told reporters while on his way out of the court complex here this morning.
The Permatang Pauh MP added that the three parties had recently got together at the secretariat level and formed a task force to draw an outline of an alternative government to BN.
Pressed for further details on how PR would set up its government — besides marketing itself as “not Barisan” — Anwar pointed to Penang, Selangor and Kedah as model administrations.
He said that the three PR-ruled states had proved their ability to save public money despite limited federal funds. However, the newly-appointed Selangor economic adviser did not furnish specifics.
Instead, he blamed the media for not highlighting the PR state administrations’ efforts.
But he acknowledged that the PR had more tools at its disposal now, notably through the Internet, to spread news on its own achievements, compared to the past.
“We have not been effective in disseminating information. We have to do more,” Anwar admitted, before rushing into the lift and out of court.
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With BN control all mainstream media (even Astro Awana is becoming very pro-BN nowadays), the public need to hear results, not internal bickering that BN would highlight in its media.