Isaiah D Jacob, who is a PKR member, said that his initiative is also part of a petition drive to get the former opposition leader released from jail as he believed in Anwar’s “innocence”.
“I want to give a message to the people, and hope the King would hear it, that Anwar should not be in jail and he must be released immediately,” he told reporters today at a press conference held at the PKR headquarters here.
Anwar is currently serving a five-year jail term, since February 2015 for sodomising his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Isaiah said that besides seeking Anwar’s freedom, he also wanted to highlight the current economic situation in the country with the people burdened by the rising cost of living.
“I love my country and I also want to send a message to the government about the people’s plight,” he said.
He added that the country needs Anwar to strengthen the Pakatan Harapan coalition with Dr Mahathir Mohamad and lead the country.
Isaiah is optimistic his 51-day fast and petition drive would be heard.
“The OKU community is doing something for the country. If the government does not care, I let the public and world judge them, he said, adding that this was not the first time he had fasted and walked across the country.
“I did it before, by walking from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan in a protest against the Lynas factory,” he said.
Anwar’s daughter Nurul Nuha, who was also present, said she was touched by Isaiah’s spirit in wanting to do something for the good of the country.
“I do not see him as disabled or OKU, but he is ‘orang kuat upaya’,” she said using the Malay acronym for “people with disability” to instead mean that he was a “person with strong ability”.
Isaiah said he will be launching his “Free Anwar” campaign on Sept 29 at Permatang Pauh, Penang which is Anwar’s hometown and former parliamentary stronghold. Anwar’s wife, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, is now the Permatang Pauh MP.
His nationwide campaign will end on Nov 18 in Kuala Lumpur, completing his travel across all peninsula states.
Isaiah’s effort is not the first by PKR members or PKR-friendly groups to get Anwar a royal pardon.
On May 8, civil activist group Otai Reformasi had send a petition to the new Yang Dipertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V to appeal for a royal pardon for Anwar.
The group requested the King to pardon Anwar so he could stand for the next general election (GE14).
Besides Otai Reformasi, NGO #BebasAnwar is also pushing for Anwar’s freedom.