Revealed: How Anwar’s PKR engaged foreign consultants to build US pressure on Najib

Email correspondence involving senior PKR leaders in 2016 shows the party collaborated with, among others, a US consultancy group to run an intensive campaign, not only to secure freedom for Anwar Ibrahim, who was serving a prison sentence for his second sodomy conviction, but also to find ways to persuade the White House to apply "very hard" pressure on then prime minister Najib Razak, MalaysiaNow can reveal.

The revelation comes as Putrajaya intensifies efforts to discredit the family of the late Daim Zainuddin for engaging a foreign public relations firm to counter accusations against the former finance minister, with authorities stating they are investigating his widow, Na'imah Khalid, and financial news outlet Bloomberg under laws related to undermining democracy and toppling the government.

But while pages from a "Communications Plan" prepared by London-based Teneo – and shared by PKR cybertroopers – clearly stated the main objective was to "preserve the good name of Daim Zainuddin and his family", the group engaged by the PKR top leadership in 2016 was tasked with a broader mission: to build US political pressure against Najib's government.

In one of dozens of emails seen by MalaysiaNow, Perseus Strategies, a Washington-based law firm and political consultancy led by lawyer Jared Genser, discussed strategies with a group of party leaders to get then President Barack Obama's administration to apply pressure on the Malaysian government, at a time when Najib was facing his greatest challenge in office in the form of the 1MDB scandal.

Genser invited Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah, to travel to Washington in late November 2016 for a public relations offensive that would include " highest level meetings possible with the White House and State Department", as well as the publication of articles in the media to highlight Anwar's application for a royal pardon.

"As discussed, we are very much hoping Izzah can come to Washington in late November both to push President Obama to make a final push for Anwar’s release and to re-engage the Congress. The dates that would be ideal, when Congress is back in session, would be November 29, 30, and December 1st," said the email dated Oct 26, 2016 from Genser to Nurul Izzah and current PKR legal bureau chief Sivarasa Rasiah, who was also a member of the party’s political bureau, its highest decision-making body.

Genser added: "While in Washington, we would seek the highest level meetings possible with the White House and State Department, meet key Members of Congress, and engage with media and human rights groups."

He then suggested that, to ensure "the most productive trip possible", preparations were being made to publish an article in Foreign Policy, the influential magazine frequently used by lobbyists and business leaders to pitch ideas to US policymakers.

Nurul Izzah to compile Najib's statements on Malay, Islam

Presumably to help him build a favourable case with US officials, Genser also requested that Nurul Izzah provide him with a list of statements by Najib and government officials which showed them "pressing Malay ethno-centric views, race hatred, and ultra-conservative views of Islam".

MalaysiaNow can confirm the authenticity of the email, which forms part of a cache of emails accessed through a senior PKR MP, but is unable to confirm whether the trip suggested by Genser took place.

However, a year earlier, Nurul Izzah had travelled to the US at the height of the 1MDB scandal, during which she told Bloomberg in an interview that the Obama administration should end its alliance with Najib because "the opposition could take over".

She said Washington should engage with the then opposition Pakatan Harapan or risk being labelled as Najib's ally.

"That's why I'm here. The fact that Najib has lost a lot of credibility should not be lost on the United States," Nurul Izzah, currently second in line in PKR after her father, told Bloomberg in September 2015.

Just two years earlier, in April 2014, Najib had welcomed Obama to Malaysia on the first official visit by a US president in decades.

Months later, photographs of Najib and Obama golfing in Hawaii again showcased their close ties.

Even as Najib's involvement in the 1MDB scandal unravelled in 2015 following an article by the Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration refrained from directly commenting on it while the Department of Justice pursued legal action against culprits in the US.

'Need to press Obama'

Meanwhile, Genser stated in his email that there should be "major public pressure from numerous governments" on Najib to release Anwar "immediately and unconditionally", despite the fact that the PKR leader was imprisoned after being convicted following an exhaustive legal process that reached the Federal Court.

In 2015, the Federal Court upheld Anwar's conviction for sodomising his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008, sentencing him to six years in prison.

In 2018, after Dr Mahathir Mohamad led the opposition to an election victory, Anwar was granted a royal pardon and released as part of a deal between the former leader and PH.

At one point, Genser conceded that it was difficult to get Obama to secure an immediate release for Anwar, especially in the absence of pressure from other foreign governments.

He then suggested that Anwar seek medical treatment in the US and "stay out of Malaysia until Najib was no longer PM".

According to Genser, in this way, Nurul Izzah's trip to Washington could be an opportunity to press Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and members of the US Congress "to press Najib very hard".

"We would also use this information to engage the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UK government, EU, Commonwealth, and countless others."

The emails made it clear that Anwar, who was serving his prison sentence, was fully aware of the discussions and initiatives by the top PKR leaders, in addition to being regularly consulted for further directions.

"Siva, can you consult with Anwar on the approach and give us guidance back as to how he wants us to frame our requests for assistance? I would suggest not discussing orally but writing a small note to him to read, where he can write down his reaction," wrote Genser, addressing Sivarasa, one of Anwar's lawyers who had access to visit Anwar in prison.