Karpal confident Anwar will be acquitted

Referring to Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister-in-waiting, DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh expressed confidence today that the PKR de facto leader will be acquitted on the sodomy charge against him.

“There is no doubt in my mind that tomorrow, Anwar will be acquitted. He is entitled to the acquittal,” declared Karpal. The verdict in the long-running Sodomy II trial will be delivered tomorrow.

The fact that Anwar had testified from the dock instead of taking the witness stand does not mean the defence cannot secure an acquittal, added Karpal (right).

“The solitary witness is Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. Look at his evidence, a man who says he was ravished but for two days he did nothing.

“The complainant had an affair with a deputy public prosecutor and showed signs of having access to the investigating officer. But the prosecution did not call him to deny the allegation.

“These are sufficient for an acquittal,” he said at the party’s national delegates conference in Shah Alam today.

For these reasons, Karpal added, an interim prime minister is not needed because Anwar would helm the country’s leadership when Pakatan Rakyat captures federal power.

Target: Nine states and Putrajaya

Karpal went on to announce DAP’s target for the opposition coalition come the general election, vowing to replace the BN federal government.

“This time we must at least take power in nine states and take power in Putrajaya... it is no longer a goal beyond achievement,” he said.

Karpal urged the over 700-strong party delegates to grasp the opportunity of the next general election, warning that there may not be another such chance.

Speaking on the sidelines later, Karpal said if Anwar is indeed convicted tomorrow, the defence team will apply for a stay of execution of sentence pending appeal.