Erap to campaign for friend Anwar in Malaysian polls

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada said yesterday he is ready to campaign for his friend, former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, in parliamentary elections in Malaysia in November.

In a press conference at the Club Filipino in San Juan welcoming Anwar, Estrada said he is ready to go to Malaysia to personally campaign for Anwar.

“Well, if I am asked by the (former deputy) prime minister, why not? I will be all out for him because I believe in him and his cause,” Estrada said.

Estrada said he and Anwar have something in common, having both been jailed on trumped up charges.

“I am expressing my all out support for Anwar as he faces trumped up charges against him in his country because I know very well what it is like to be a victim of unjust and ruthless politics,” Estrada said.

Estrada said that his political career and Anwar’s career run on parallel paths.

“I was unconstitutionally ousted and imprisoned for six and a half years on trumped up charges of plunder. In the history of our judicial system, they had to create a special court to convict me of these trumped up charges,” Estrada said.

Estrada said that in a similar manner, Anwar was imprisoned for six years on trumped up charges, in his case it was for sodomy.

“But we all know that Anwar was imprisoned not because he committed corruption but because he countered it,” Estrada said.

A Malaysian court has said sodomy charges against Anwar are “credible.”

He is accused of sodomizing a former male aide in a Kuala Lumpur hotel in 2008. Anwar denied the charges. If proven guilty, he could go to jail for 20 years.

Sodomy is illegal in Malaysia, even among consenting adults.

Anwar was imprisoned on separate sex and corruption charges in 1998, and freed on appeal in 2004.

Estrada urged the Filipinos to convey their all out support for Anwar.

“I called on all freedom-loving Filipinos to convey our all-out support for the former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim because we share his vision for an Asian region that is committed to a real democracy; a democracy that is committed to supporting instead of suppressing the will of the people; a democracy that honors instead of obliterates justice; a democracy that respects religion and race,” Estrada said.

Estrada said Anwar honored all the Filipino people and the Philippines as a nation for coming to the country in time for the 150th birth anniversary of Filipino national hero Dr. Jose Rizal.

Anwar arrived in Manila last Thursday and conducted yesterday a lecture at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, regarding the influences of Rizal and the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leadership.

“It is a real tribute to our national hero that his wisdom and writing have inspired leaders even from other nations. In fact when we (he and Anwar) first met, the deputy prime minister impressed me with his knowledge not only of Rizal’s life and literature but also his knowledge of Rizal’s loves. As we all know, Rizal was a hero not only of Filipino people but also of the Malay race because he was a man who died for his convictions,” Estrada said, pointing out that, since both of them had been convicted, “Anwar and I are also men of conviction.”

He said it is always an honor for him whenever Anwar visits the Philippines.

“My friend, once again, thank you for honoring our country with your presence. Today is a very special day for me because today, August 5th, marks my political anniversary. I began my career as a politician on this very day 42 years ago, when I was proclaimed mayor of the municipality of San Juan. Mayor Guia (Gomez) was instrumental in that victory 42 years ago,” Estrada said.

Estrada said he is very fond of Anwar because he is “a man of integrity and intellect, the voice of democracy in Malaysia.”

“Our friendship is beyond race and religion because that is what true democracy is all about. Know that all freedom-loving Asians are 100 percent behind you in your mission to strengthen democracy in our region,” Estrada said.

For his part, Anwar said Estrada is his “great friend.”

“President Estrada is my great friend and my family. How I wish he could come to Malaysia. A lot of my friends have asked me about my experience with President Estrada. We, political leaders, tend to make friends. We are also human beings. There are characteristics that form the trust. But very rare that a man with such stature as a superstar in his own right, that they show humility. He is a superstar, then he became Vice President, loved by the poor and the downtrodden,” Anwar said.

Anwar said Estrada is loved by the poor and the downtrodden because he himself is very much concerned with the interests and rights of the “poor and the downtrodden.”

He said Rizal is also a hero of Malaysians because the Filipinos belong to the Malay race.

“Rizal is our hero. He is a great Malay. The man who fought because of his courage and conviction.”  

He said he and Estrada spent much time talking about the poor with passion.

“That is the reason why we form so much chemistry. This is what we talked about, about freedom, like Rizal and Ninoy (former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., father of President Noynoy),” Anwar said.

Anwar said people with conviction, like he and Estrada, would likely be convicted.

He said compared to other leaders that he knew, Estrada is so humble and does not show “arrogance, like they knew everything.”

“My daughter told me, while I was in jail, that President Estrada was very concerned about me. She has so much pride when she told me that President Estrada expressed so much concern,” Anwar said.

Anwar said he is very proud having known Estrada.

“I am very proud to be in San Juan and more so, I am so proud to be associated with President Estrada who has been a very loyal, dedicated servant of San Juan,” Anwar said.