Anwar revealed he was not invited for congress.
“I did not receive any invitation and I will be preoccupied elsewhere,” PKR president Anwar Ibrahim told reporters after a dialogue session with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) students in Shah Alam this evening.
When asked if it was appropriate for Dr Mahathir Mohamad to officiate the event, Anwar said he believes the prime minister would not use the race and religion cards during the Malay Dignity Congress.
“I trust he will leave a message that would cover the interests of all Malaysians,” he said.
According to the Port Dickson MP, this would also hinge on the contents of the prime minister’s speech.
“That would depend on what Mahathir has to say (at the congress),” he said.
“I mean he has been consistently a prime minister for all. I think he has legitimate concerns about the aspirations of the Malays, but I think, it would depend to a large extent on what he has to say.
“I think we should not pre-empt that,” he added.
On the same note, Anwar cautioned against using the congress as a platform to sow divisiveness amongst Malaysians.
“My position is quite clear that we need to encourage the participation of all. (I think it is acceptable) if the intention is to have more nuanced (discussion) and be sensitive to the presence of other races and cultures.
“I think we have to look at the programme and its resolutions. It is important to keep to the aim of the congress so that we don’t heat up the political temperature and racial tension.
“Some of them were strong supporters of the old regime and have strong racial sentiments and we must be careful.
“If the objective is good, I have no problem,” he said.
Yesterday, former minister Zaid Ibrahim and DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago said Mahathir should not attend the conference.
The two also disagreed with the organiser’s justification that Mahathir is attending the congress in his capacity as a Malay leader and not as prime minister.
The congress – organised by four public universities Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and UiTM – would be held at Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam on Sunday.
Organisers say the congress is aimed at addressing problems faced by the Malays, including those related to education, religion, culture, politics and the economy.
Anwar also brushed aside speculation that the congress is organised by those aligned with former finance minister Daim Zainuddin in a bid to derail his appointment as prime minister.
“You must ask Daim. I am not involved,” he said, but added that he did not think there is any attempt to stop him from taking over the top post.
On Tuesday, PAS confirmed that its president Abdul Hadi Awang would be attending the congress.
Whereas, Umno has confirmed that its secretary-general Annuar Musa and three supreme council members would also be present.
Zahid said he will not be attending as he would need to attend to other commitments on the same date.
Earlier, Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin had questioned the involvement of public universities in the congress, saying it is not the job of such institutions to tackle these issues.
He said the focus of public universities should be to develop and expand knowledge.
“If public universities take on such a role now, it will come as no surprise after this if there are calls for them to organise congresses for Chinese dignity, or Indians or the Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak.
“Then, they will lose their focus on their academic responsibilities, which are more important,” he had said.