DAP chairperson Karpal Singh's call for Anwar Ibrahim to step down as the Pakatan Rakyat leader was his personal view and did not reflect the official stand of DAP, said the PKR leader today.

Anwar said that Karpal was disappointed with him for not agreeing with the senior lawyer in filing a suit against the Sultan of Perak over the sacking of the Pakatan government in the state.

anwar ibrahim penang event 091208 02 "Our opinions differ on the suit against the sultan. What he said was his personal opinion," Anwar told reporters after attending a Pakatan rally in Ipoh.

He also dismissed Karpal's allegations that he had caused disarray in Pakatan with his calls for BN elected representatives to defect to Pakatan.

Anwar said he had discussed Karpal's outburst with DAP leader Lim Kit Siang and will be talking to Karpal too. He also said that a Pakatan meeting today did not discuss the matter.

Earlier today Karpal attacked Anwar for the disarray Pakatan was in at the moment, especially in Perak.

The DAP politician also urged Anwar to step down as the chief of Pakatan, stating that Anwar had created enough trouble for Pakatan with his open calls of enticing defectors from Barisan Nasional to form the federal government.

The rally held at the Perak menteri besar's official residence in Ipoh attracted more than 8,000 people.

Petition to the sultan

Among the Pakatan leaders who were present included PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP leader Tan Seng Giaw.

Kit Siang and DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng were the notable absentees although they were supposed to be present.

Apart from Anwar, the other speakers at the rally included ousted Pakatan menteri besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, Abdul Hadi and Tan.

The rally stared at about 9pm and ended at 11.45pm without any untoward incidents.

Earlier in the evening traffic in Ipoh was reduced to a crawl as the result of the police closure of an important roundabout next to the menteri besar official residence.

At 5pm, police began erecting roadblocks preventing people from entering Jalan Raja Dihilir where the menteri besar's residence is located. The police however allowed cars to exit the road but not to enter.

However, as of 9pm, some 3,000 Pakatan supporters have managed to enter the residence on foot.

A petition was distributed to the crowd at the rally to collect signatures to ask the Sultan of Perak to agree to dissolve the state assembly.

It was to act as a referendum which also sought the sultan to suspend the new menteri besar and his exco that was to be sworn in on Tuesday.

It also wanted the government agencies and security force to remain neutral.