DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng criticised Kota Baru MP Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan for heaping shame on those who have been cleared of wrongdoing. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng accused PAS lawmaker Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan of disrespecting the monarchy by claiming Malaysia would have an ex-convict as its next prime minister.

Lim, who is also finance minister, criticised the Kota Baru MP for heaping shame on those who have been cleared of wrongdoing.

He said Takiyuddin was disrespecting Kelantan Ruler Sultan Muhammad V, who had granted a full pardon to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in May 2018 when he was Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“Does he not respect the former DYMM YDP Agong and the Tuanku Sultan of his own state?

“A full pardon had cleared of criminal records and Anwar is no longer a convict. Does a lawyer not understand this? Who is opposing the King now?” Lim tweeted this morning, attaching a screenshot and link of a news report citing Takiyuddin’s remarks.

The PAS secretary-general was reported by news portal Malaysiakini as saying that even when a person is freed from prison, he is known as a former convict for the rest of his life.

Takiyuddin, trained as a lawyer, said no one should question the Federal Court’s sodomy conviction and jail sentence on Anwar because the decision was made by a panel of five judges and not just one.

The ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition has named Anwar to succeed Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mid-term as part of its leadership transition plan.

Anwar was freed and pardoned on May 16 after PH bested Barisan Nasional in the last general election.

The PKR president has been jailed twice on sodomy convictions and also for abuse of power.