Anwar Ibrahim's wife launches new political party

Anwar Ibrahim's wife launches new political party

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The wife of ousted Malaysian deputy
premier Anwar Ibrahim launched a new political party on Sunday
and appealed to opposition groups to unite to oust Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad.

"Political parties and non-government organizations must work
together and set aside their differences in order to free
Malaysia from continuing stranglehold of crisis and oppression,"
said Azizah Ismail, president of the National Justice Party
(Keadilan).

"Our party is prepared to sacrifice its own interests in order
to achieve the larger goal of forging a credible alternative to
the Barisan Nasional (National Front)," she told a cheering crowd
of about 3,000.

Anwar himself, in a message from jail, fiercely attacked
Mahathir and what he called corruption and cronyism.

Other key personalities in the party are Chandra Muzaffar, a
wheelchair-bound critic of Mahathir, Tian Chua, chairman of the
Coalition for People's Democracy, and Marina Yusuf, a former
member of the premier's UMNO supreme council.

Mahathir is the president of the dominant United Malays
National Organization. He is also the chairman of the ruling
National Front coalition and has ruled Malaysia for 17 years.

Mahathir, meanwhile, has been admitted to a heart institute
with a lung infection, the official Bernama news agency said on
Sunday.

Bernama said the 73-year-old leader had been at the National
Heart Center since last Friday after his return from Saudi Arabia
where the premier performed haj.

The Prime Minister's Department, in a brief statement on
Sunday, described his condition as "stable" and that he would
remain in hospital for a few days.

The government's term does not expire until April next year
but there is speculation it will call a snap election amid signs
of economic recovery.

Anwar, 52, once Mahathir's heir apparent, launched the reform
movement after he was sacked from his office and from UMNO last
September. He was subsequently arrested and jailed and has been
charged with 10 counts of corruption and sodomy.

He is on trial on four of the corruption charges, which allege
abuse of his official powers to cover up sexual misconduct
allegations. The hearing ended last Thursday and the verdict is
due on April 14.

Pointing out the party logo of an eye, Azizah said it was a
symbol both of its struggle for truth and justice and of the
infamous black eye incident.

"It is a symbol of our quest for the truth. It is a symbol of
our struggle for justice itself -- 'eye' that seeks justice," she
added.

Rahim Noor, national police chief at the time, has admitted
assaulting Anwar while he was in police custody. Anwar's
subsequent appearance in court with a black eye sparked
international outrage.

Anwar described the formation of Keadilan as inevitable and
launched a stinging attack on Mahathir.

"Our country is in the grip of a severe crisis which finds its
root causes in widespread corruption, abuse of power and the
practice of nepotism and cronyism," he said in a speech read out
by his former aide, Mohamad Ezam Noor.

"Mahathir and his minions will continue to orchestrate massive
campaigns to instill fear towards the reform movement."

Anwar appealed to UMNO members to fight what he called
oppression and injustice. "Truth and justice must transcend
political boundaries."

Anwar is not a member of the new party but officials said he
would offer his support in a move to unify the opposition. He has
said he expects to be found guilty on April 14 and go to jail.