“If Umno decides to sack the prime minister, good luck to Ismail. I have not been informed and there have been no discussions on this issue,” he said at a press conference after PKR’s national convention.
Anwar, who is PKR president, made his comment in the wake of reports that Umno warlords had demanded that Ismail remove attorney-general Idrus Harun and Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, seek a royal pardon for Najib Razak, and call an early general election.
The demands were reportedly made at Umno’s political bureau meeting on Wednesday, which Ismail attended.
PKR election strategy
Anwar said PKR was expected to finalise its preparations for elections by the end of next month. PKR election director Rafizi Ramli had mapped out a strategy for the party which would be explained to party members soon.
“We admit that our defeats in the Melaka and Johor state elections had exposed certain weaknesses. We have worked out a strategy and could see that the situation is different now.
“We admit a major part of it had to do with (Pakatan Harapan’s) 22-month administration which had its weaknesses,” he said at the press conference, Bernama reported.
In his speech at the convention, Anwar said PKR was finding new approaches for the general election, and said victory would be possible through an effective machinery.
“At the same time, I am proud that PKR has two generations of leadership. People have asked me what would happen if I ‘went away’, I said the party will remain in good hands,” he said in his speech at the party convention.
Barisan Nasional’s failure
He criticised Barisan Nasional for having failed the Malays during the coalition’s 60 years in power.
“Where is the Malay reserve land? What happened to Felda? How are all our army veterans doing? What about educated youths who don’t have jobs?
“The majority of those involved are Malays. However, they are easily bought over by the government,” he said.
He said there was a need for the public to support a multiracial society, adding that Malaysia’s future was dependent on the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazan-Dusun, Ibans and other ethnic groups.
‘Nothing personal’ against Najib
Anwar also spoke about former prime minister Najib Razak, who has begun serving a 12-year jail sentence, and said the case against him was not personal but merely part of the opposition’s crusade to fight against corruption.
“We hate abuse of power (by politicians), and those who make people poorer while enriching themselves and their families. That is why we fight,” he said.
Najib is on trial in another case, involving four charges of using his position as prime minister to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds, and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
He was sent to Kajang prison on Tuesday after the Federal Court upheld his conviction and sentence in the SRC International case.