Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim remains optimistic that Pakatan Rakyat will not break up even if he is jailed. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 8, 2015.Former editor of a pro-government newspaper, Datuk A. Kadir Jasin, agrees with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will not break up if the opposition leader is jailed over his sodomy conviction, and the pact may, in fact, go on to win the next election and take over Putrajaya."I am inclined to share his optimism. PR is unlikely to suffer instantaneously (sic) combustion upon his second sodomy jailing," Kadir said in a blog post today.The former top editor of the New Straits Times Press said Anwar's imprisonment, should the Federal Court on Tuesday uphold his conviction and sentence him to jail, could "increase the resolve of the alternative coalition and encourage the member parties to stay together".This was despite their "deep ideological differences", Kadir said, of the ongoing spats between the Islamist PAS and secular DAP over issues like implementing the Islamic penal code or hudud, and restoring local council elections."It could also generate a new round of sympathy for him, especially among young anti-establishment Malaysians," Kadir said.Anwar had recently said that PR still had strong support from the people and support could go up to 60% if he were jailed again.In the last general election in May 2013, PR won 52% of the popular vote, despite Barisan Nasional taking more parliamentary seats to form the government."The vintage Anwar prevails, declaring 'lawan tetap lawan’ irrespective of whether he is jailed or not," said Kadir.He predicted that support from Anwar would come from the young. He said youth who were 10 or 15 years old in 1999 – during Anwar's first sodomy trial – were now 25 or 35 years old, and were "angry young men and women"."They did know much about what happened in the last century. But they know what is happening now. Even the most extreme of Umno loyalists admit that Barisan Nasional (BN) is not getting the support of young voters by merely running down Anwar and the PR," he said.Quoting a nameless PKR MP, Kadir said the idea of PR would not die even if Anwar were jailed again."In the beginning, it was driven by idealism. Now (it is) driven by the power vested in it by the people."Anwar is appealing his second sodomy charge, this time against his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who claimed that the PKR de facto leader sodomised him in 2008.The Federal Court over seven days in October and November last year heard Anwar's appeal, and will deliver its verdict on Tuesday. – February 8, 2015.
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