KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim avoided answering today if he would forgive his once sworn political nemesis Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has now become his ally.
“I mean, of course we have suffered immensely.
“I have forgiven a lot of people, a lot of times, but my concern is the present, because people in the present should stop this harassment and injustice,” Anwar said when met by reporters at the court complex here, stopping short of answering if he would extend his forgiveness to Dr Mahathir, who had sacked him as deputy prime minister 18 years ago.
Last week, Anwar’s second daughter Nurul Nuha said that former prime minister Dr Mahathir must publicly apologise to her father and admit his past transgressions against the opposition leader.
Nurul Nuha told Malay Mail Online that Dr Mahathir must own up to the “trumped-up” sodomy and corruption charges against Anwar back in 1998 before even thinking about forming any alliance with the jailed PKR de facto leader.
Dr Mahathir showed up in court on September 5 for a case involving Anwar, who was filing an interim injunction application at the High Court to stop the National Security Council (NSC) Act 2016 from being enforced.
Both leaders, however, have remained tight-lipped on whether or not the move was a form of reconciliation.
“I have explained. The problem was that this came [all of] a sudden. I had no opportunity to speak to my children before that, but now since I have explained to them the circumstances, it is enough,” Anwar said today when prodded further.
Anwar and Dr Mahathir also issued a joint statement today condemning the NSC Act that provides the government with sweeping emergency powers.
The NSC Act, which came into force last month, proposes to allow the National Security Council — which would be chaired by the prime minister — to take command of the country’s security forces and to impose strict policing of areas deemed to face security risks, including having the powers of search and arrest without warrant.
