KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had signed the petition to free Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as an effort to redeem his sins said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamid.

He said many people believe that it was the former prime minister who had  ’framed’ his deputy when he was in power.           

"Now that he is no longer in power he wants to compensate Anwar by signing the petition,” he told reporters at the closing of the Home Ministry’s (KDN) Kembara Media event here yesterday.          

Dr Mahathir Mohamad"s signature is the third one in this petition to free jailed Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. — Picture by KAMLES KUMAR

Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years, signed the petition when he attended Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) 12th Annual National Congress here on Saturday with his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.

Ahmad Zahid said the petition should not have been initiated because it was not the proper channel.

"We are aware that Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in representing Anwar had appealed to the Pardons Board to grant clemency to Anwar.

That is probably more acceptable because it can determine the release of a person,” he said adding that the government had left it to the Pardons Board to decide.           

Anwar is serving a five-year prison sentence for sodomy.          

Also present at the ceremony yesterday were Bernama’s general manager Datuk Zulkefli Salleh and editor-in-chief Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab. — Bernama