Discussion on Permatang Pauh seat will be done later - Lim

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will make an announcement soon after a discussion on the vacancy of the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat following the Federal Court's decision on Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case today, said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said.

The vacancy resulted after the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal's conviction and five-year jail term on Anwar for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008.

Anwar won the seat in the 13th general election held in May 2013.

"We will deal with all that later. Today is judgement day. One at a time. What's important is that we are disappointed and sad at the outcome," he said.

He told this to reporters after the apex court rejected Anwar's final appeal against his conviction for sodomising Mohd Saiful Bukhari.

Lim, who is also Chief Minister of Penang, said PR would ensure that their disappointment on the decision would be redeemed by strengthening the opposition pact.

Meanwhile, PAS general elections director Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli said the question of how to mobilise the PR would be discussed in a meeting tonight.

"I do not want to pre-empt the decision of the meeting. Let the matter be discussed," he said.

Asked where the meeting would be held, Mohd Hatta replied: "Somewhere in Petaling Jaya."

The Election Commission was reported as saying that an announcement on the vacancy of the Permatang Pauh Parliamentary seat would be made in 10 days after being notified by the Dewan Rakyat speaker.

Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali said a special meeting would be held within 24 hours with PAS and DAP to decide on the opposition chief's post, rejecting speculation he was given the mandate by Anwar to become the new opposition chief.

"No, Anwar only advised the leaders and party members to continue the struggle...matters related to the opposition chief post will be discussed in a meeting which is being arranged to be held 24 hours from now," he said when met while leaving the court.

He was queried whether Anwar had mandated him to lead the pact after the latter was seen whispering something to him after his conviction was upheld.

Anwar was convicted of sodomising Mohd Saiful at unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium, Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, between 3.10 pm and 4.30 pm on June 26, 2008.

Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria, heading a panel of five judges, delivered the judgement and retained the five-year jail imposed by the Appeals Court.

With this, Anwar, 67, was disqualified as Permatang Pauh Member of Parliament. Under Article 48(1)(e) of the Federal Constitution stated that any member of parliament will be disqualified if he is jailed more than one year or fined more than RM2,000.