By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
KAJANG, June 10 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has blamed the prime minister for the recent rise in political violence in the country, saying the government’s inaction has made the situation worse.
The fired-up opposition leader made numerous attacks against Datuk Seri Najib Razak during a ceramah here last night, questioning his archrival’s resolve in quelling the recent spate of violent events targeting political leaders.
“Never once in Malaysia’s history have we seen such cruelty. Never have we seen it so excessively. Cases of people getting beaten up, stone-throwing, butt-showing exercises... where is Najib’s voice?” Anwar said to cheers from the 3,000-strong crowd.
The former deputy prime minister was referring to a recent ceramah in Lembah Pantai, where opposition supporters were attacked with stones and bottles, and the protest by retired soldiers outside Bersih co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s home respectively.
“Najib, listen to your brother here. If you want to lead, don’t become a person who co-operates with gangsters.
“Respect the rule of law, otherwise your next place of office will be as opposition leader,” Anwar said, adding that as Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) de facto leader, he would not sit idly by if any coalition member committed similar offences.
By condoning such acts, he added, Najib was making a “mockery” of his “moderate Muslim” (Wassatiyyah) approach.
“You make a mockery of religious precepts. In rule of law, there is no compromise in rule of governance. Wassatiyyah follows the Quran. What kind of wassatiyyah is this? The media is full of sex and slander.
“I never forget, as a person who has been victimised every day for the past 14 years in my own country,” he said.