Sworn in, Anwar is Opposition Leader (Malaysiakini)

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is today officially parliamentary opposition leader.

The newly-elected Permatang Pauh MP was sworn in this morning at the Dewan Rakyat.

Anwar arrived at Parliament at 8.55am wearing a songkok and and very dark blue baju Melayu, and took his oath at 10.05am immediately after prayer recitals at the House.

Soon after, he took the seat reserved for the parliamentary opposition leader, vacated by his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, three weeks ago.

The opposition leader's seat is directly opposite the prime minister's seat in the 222-member Parliament.

Anwar has been declared leader of the opposition a decade after he was sacked as deputy premier and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges.

He came to Parliament together with Wan Azizah, who held his Permatang Pauh seat during his political exile, and his daughter Nurul Izzah, who is also parliamentarian for Lembah Pantai.

"I hope the member for Permatang Pauh will contribute to the proceedings of this House. I am satisfied he has been unanimously appointed leader of the opposition," said speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.

No confidence in Abdullah, Najib

Later at a press conference, Anwar said that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has lost the mandate of the people and should step down.

He said this when asked to respond to remarks by Umno leaders Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Mukhriz Mahathir for the premier to resign following Umno's devastating defeat in the Permatang Pauh by-election on Tuesday.

Anwar also said that Umno's defeat in the by-election showed that deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has also been rejected by the people.

This, said Anwar, was based on the fact that it was Najib who led BN/Umno's campaign in Permatang Pauh.

entire news n photos courtesy of Malaysiakini n swaeing-in photo courtesy of the star