Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar says Permatang Pauh is not like NF Corp which employed Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s family members. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 12, 2015.
Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar derided Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s remark yesterday after the Wanita Umno head likened the Permatang Pauh constituency to a "private limited company" under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The eldest daughter of the jailed opposition leader, who is serving a five-year sentence in Sungai Buloh prison for sodomy, said Shahrizat should be ashamed for making such a remark.
"There is a Wanita Umno head in Permatang Pauh who does not know shame to say Permatang Pauh is a private company.
"I want to say, if (you) want to learn, listen up, we are not like NF Corp (National Feedlot Corp) or NFC that used funds and involved family members in a project meant for the people.
"When we talk of struggle, it means that our children and family members are involved in fighting oppression of the people," Nurul Izzah said in her speech at the March to Freedom dinner organised by Perak PKR in Ipoh.
Nurul Izzah, who is also a PKR vice-president and election director, said she could still stand proudly as Anwar's daughter.
"Today marks the 61st day that my father is incarcerated and yesterday during our family meeting, indeed we felt very sad.
"But no matter how sad we were, because we did not commit bribery, did not abuse power and oppress people, we stand proud as Anwar's family," she said.
Shahrizat was the former women, family and community development minister and was forced to resign the post in April 2012.
Her husband, NFCorp chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, and their three children were accused of misusing public funds on the venture.
Salleh is facing charges of criminal breach of trust involving RM49.7 million and for violating the Companies Act in relation to RM49 million in federal funds given to NFCorp.
Earlier, Nurul Izzah told the audience that when she was detained overnight under the Sedition Act, she felt worried when she thought of her children who were still young.
"But if we are silenced now and don't find the courage to fight this oppression, we will forever be silenced."
Nurul Izzah was detained on March 16 for allegedly making a seditious statement while debating on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's speech, where she criticised the judiciary over the Federal Court verdict that upheld her father's sodomy conviction.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar later said Nurul Izzah was arrested under the Sedition Act for her remarks at a #KitaLawan rally, and not for a speech she had made in Parliament.
She told the audience, the March to Freedom dinner was part of efforts to collect one million signatures under a petition to urge the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to pardon Anwar.
She said her party's struggle was not a personal one for Anwar but the fight for freedom was also for the media and human rights and it had been ongoing for 17 years since the early days of the “reformasi” movement.
She said Malaysia had become a joke and a disgrace to international bodies such as the Human Rights Watch and United Nations, following the unlawful arrests of opposition leaders and activists.
"I will ensure they get the name list of all the opposition leaders and activists, who faced action."
She added that Malaysia had spent some RM20 million to secure a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.
"After spending the money, they (Barisan Nasional government) continued to oppress democracy, detain opposition leaders and activists.
"In parliaments around the world, the debates entail whether or not to implement the goods and services tax (GST), whether or not to implement new education system, but in Malaysia, all that is debated is Umno agenda," she said in reference to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) passed by the Dewan Rakyat on April 7, and the amendments to the Sedition Act.
She said BN was introducing the new laws to scare the people.
"Remember the militant group, Al-Maunah? These groups were convicted under Section 505 of the Penal Code. This shows that we already have laws to curtail terrorists but they are creating new laws to scare the rakyat."
Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali also spoke at the dinner and questioned Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's capability to lead the country after breaking the promise to repeal the Sedition Act.
"Najib promised to replace the Sedition Act with the National Harmony Act twice but now that is not the case.
"If the prime minister cannot keep his promise, who else can we rely on?"
Azmin, who is also PKR deputy president, said the people needed to be united in the struggle although Anwar as the opposition leader, who previously held the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, was in jail.
"Anwar cannot lead us now so we must lead ourselves so that his time in jail will not be in vain.
"Let us be arrested, chased, injured, we will continue our struggle," he said, adding that the by-elections in Permatang Pauh and Rompin should mark the first signal to BN that "enough is enough."
- TMI
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