KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer-activist Siti Zabedah Kasim, better known as Siti Kasim, has urged voters to reject Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Port Dickson by-election.
The Port Dickson constituents, she said, should not vote for Anwar as he, his family and PKR need to be “taught a lesson.”
“Just don't vote for Anwar. Let the opposition win.
“PKR and his family must be taught a lesson. They did this three times! No more!
“They think they can do whatever they like at our expense? Nope!,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
Siti’s ‘three times’ remark was most likely in reference to PKR having engineered two by-elections, namely in Kajang in 2014 and Permatang Pauh in 2008.
In 2008, Anwar’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, stepped down as Permatang Pauh MP so that Anwar could contest a by-election, which he eventually won.
In 2014, PKR’s Kajang member of parliament Lee Chin Cheh resigned to trigger a by-election. However, Anwar, the expected candidate was unable to contest as he was convicted of sodomy. Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail contested instead and won the seat.
Siti, meanwhile, also shared a photo of PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin’s press statement, in which the latter questioned the decision-making process which was made to allow Anwar’s return to the parliament.
Zuraida had also labeled those involved in the matter as "shallow-minded" (dangkal) because the decision was not reached through proper channels. She said all party decisions should be made within a consensus in order to garner an overall support from party members, in line with the spirit of reform and democracy.
Zuraida, who is Ampang member of parliament, had also expressed concern that if the decision-making process was not done openly, transparently and democratically, it would result in confusion among the people and seem as if PKR had been manipulated by certain quarters
She had expressed hope that Anwar would make an announcement on his stand concerning the issue.
Meanwhile, FMT, who spoke to Siti, quoted her as saying that if Anwar could not be honest and open with his own party, he cannot be relied on to be honest to the rakyat.
She also questioned if Anwar would look for another constituency if he were to lose in Port Dickson.
Siti was quoted as saying this is what happens when a cause is based on one person instead of the people.
“Soon it will be another Umno.”