KUALA LUMPUR, 11 March 2009: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the opposition was prepared to cooperate for the people’s benefit in tackling the worsening economic crisis, but on certain conditions.
Anwar (PKR-Permatang Pauh) said the “olive branch” offered by the government was a sign it wanted to cooperate with the opposition, but he reminded the government that the opposition did not forget easily.
He said this when debating the Supplementary Supply (2009) Bill 2009 or the Mini Budget at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Anwar said the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein (the second prime minister), when moving the motion for a coalition government with PAS, had done away with victimisation, stopped making slanderous statements in the media, released detainees held without trial, negotiated, and later offered the olive branch with an open mind.
As such, Anwar asked that these were also implemented by the government, claiming that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was not emulating his late father.
When tabling the second stimulus package totalling RM60 billion yesterday, Najib asked everyone, including the opposition, to cooperate.
Najib noted that there were already calls by the people for the government and the opposition to focus on efforts to resolve the country’s economic woes and put aside their political problems. — Bernama
