No reason for Umno to fear my friendship with Tun M: Anwar

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he sees no reason why Umno should fear or regard his partnership with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as something bizarre after years of animosity.
The jailed opposition de facto leader explained that he has accepted Mahathir's olive branch and regarded the former premier - who once put him in prison - as his friend and ally.
"I have explained before that I accept with good faith, and with the spirit of kinship, Mahathir's readiness to establish a friendship with me.
"I'm puzzled as to why Umno is so afraid of the Mahathir-Anwar partnership," he said in a statement today.
Anwar was booted from the cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister in September 1998 and subsequently sentenced to six years in prison for corruption in April 1999 when Mahathir was the Prime Minister.
Following his release in 2004, Anwar then formed what would now be known as PKR and became the leading figure in the opposition.
However, Mahathir had last year extended an olive branch to his former nemesis and now leads the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan together as chairman and de facto leader respectively.
Anwar, who is also PKR de facto leader, said his cooperation with Mahathir was also established as a concerted effort to bring a change to the country in the forthcoming elections.
"Issues of corruption and abuse of power are now widespread in our country. Hence, only with a change in power can this country be navigated based on laws and the constitution.
"The 14th General Election is the best opportunity for the rakyat to determine the future of the country, and rescue the people from any forms of oppression," he said.