Former Malaysian deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim will not rejoin the all-powerful ruling party, due to its "corrupt practices," official media said yesterday.
Speculation has continued to be rife about Anwar's possible re-entry into Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) since he was released from jail in September last year.
"I have many friends in UMNO, especially at the divisional level. They meet me to talk and discuss issues. I have never at any time refused to meet them," Anwar was quoted as saying by the state Bernama news agency.
"In discussions with them, they have always asked me if I could rejoin UMNO and my answer has always been a no," he said.
Asked why he would not rejoin UMNO, Anwar said "The corrupt practices in UMNO made it not possible for me to join UMNO now."
Anwar last month hit the campaign trail for the first time since his release from jail in support of the Islamic opposition during a crucial by-election in which the ruling UMNO-led National Front coalition won.
The coalition's win, a setback for Anwar who has been eyeing a political comeback since his release, was hailed as a victory for their moderate brand of Islam, which promotes development, against the policies of the hardline Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS).
During his campaign, Anwar criticized the government for failing to root out corruption despite winning the 2004 general elections in a landslide on an anti-graft agenda.
Anwar, once former premier Mahathir Mohamad's heir apparent, was sacked in 1998 and later jailed on sodomy and corruption charges.
Anwar says were trumped up to prevent him from challenging Mahathir.
Anwar was released from jail after the sodomy charges were overturned but remains barred from holding political office until 2008 because of the corruption charge.
But he has said he still has ambitions of returning to power, in league with the People's Justice Party or Keadilan, led by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Keadilan and PAS are both members of the "Alternative Front", an informal opposition alliance against the National Front.
Before his sudden sacking, Anwar was widely expected to succeed Mahathir as prime minister.
But there appears little likelihood that Keadilan could provide him with a platform from which he would be able to revive those ambitions.
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