JAILED PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will be released on June 11, said his wife and party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Dr Wan Azizah announced news of Anwar’s release at the launch of the Wanita Pakatan Harapan convention in Kajang today.

“Today marks the 1,062nd day Anwar has been a political prisoner. If the law permits, he will be released on June 11,” the Pakatan president said. 

Anwar is serving a five-year jail sentence for sodomising his aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in June 2008.

During a press conference later, Dr Wan Azizah dismissed suggestions that PKR had issues naming a Pakatan candidate for prime minister ahead of the 14th general election.

“Why do you want to speculate? We are solid. There is no internal problem,” said Dr Wan Azizah. 

Despite three parties – Bersatu, Amanah and DAP – agreeing last month to name Dr Mahathir Mohamad as its candidate for prime minister and Dr Wan Azizah as deputy prime minister, only PKR has held out. 

The party has asked for more time to consider its options and it was reported yesterday that Anwar was a cause for the delay.

Pakatan chairman Dr Mahathir said that the coalition would name its candidate at the Pakatan convention tomorrow. – January 6, 2018.