Dari Malaysiakini

Angkatan Muda Keadilan Malaysia (AMK) melihat tindakan Perdana Menteri, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi menurunkan harga minyak semalam sebagai satu usaha terdesak bagi meraih semula populariti di kalangan rakyat.

Kerajaan mengumumkan penurunan harga runcit petrol RON97 sebanyak 15 sen kepada 2.55 sen seliter, manakala harga runcit petrol RON92 dikurangkan 22 sen kepada RM2.40 seliter, berkuatkuasa hari ini. Harga diesel turut diturunkan 8 sen kepada RM2.50 seliter.
Ketuanya, Shamsul Iskandar mohd Akin berkata, AMK berpendapat ini adalah tindakan terdesak Abdullah setelah beliau menafikan sekeras-kerasnya sebelum ini bahawa tidak akan menurunkan harga minyak sebelum 1 September 2008.

Dalam satu kenyataan hari ini, beliau berkata, AMK tidak menafikan sebarang usaha untuk menurunkan harga minyak adalah baik.

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Malaysiakini, 22 Ogos 2008

Mursyidul Am PAS tidak mempercayai sumpah laknat Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan dan sentiasa yakin penasihat PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, yang dikaitkan dengan tuduhan meliwat, menjadi mangsa konspirasi politik.

“Saya tetap dengan pendirian bahawa fitnah terhadap Datuk Seri Anwar adalah konspirasi politik.

“Saya juga berpendirian bahawa sumpah yang dibuat oleh orang yang menuduh baru-baru ini penuh dengan persoalan dan keraguan,” kata Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat dalam rayuannya kepada pengundi pilihanraya kecil Permatang Pauh yang akan membuat keputusan 26 Ogos ini.

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From Forbes

Malaysian annual inflation soared to 8.5 percent in July, way above analyst forecasts for 7.8 percent in a Reuters poll, and sharply up from 7.7 percent in June.

The July data was the steepest rise since 8.5 percent in December 1981 and the government also on Friday announced that the price of petrol will be cut to 2.50 ringgit per litre from 2.70 effective Aug. 23, a move which will dampen inflation.

It was unpopular petrol price hikes in June and electricity price rises in July that catapulted inflation from 3.8 percent in May.

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From The Wall Street Journal

By JAMES HOOKWAY

PERMATANG PAUH, Malaysia — Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim faces a crucial election next week, seeking a victory that could put him in striking distance of Malaysia’s premiership and help him fend off a sodomy charge that threatens his political career.

Every night, thousands of supporters turn out here among the rice fields and industrial parks of northern Malaysia as Mr. Anwar campaigns for a parliamentary seat in a by-election Tuesday. At rally after rally, Mr. Anwar stirs the crowds with vows to topple the National Front government and pursue an agenda of political and economic overhauls.

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“If he overcomes the government’s smear campaign and returns to parliament, Anwar Ibrahim could usher in an era of reform”

From The Guardian

by Bridget Welsh

Next Tuesday’s by-election in Penang in the constituency of Permatang Pauh will determine the future of Malaysian politics. Voters in the largely semi-rural constituency will decide whether to return their controversial favourite son, Anwar Ibrahim, to parliament. The former deputy prime minister was beaten and jailed in 1998 on charges of corruption and sodomy.

He served six years, and subsequently the sodomy charges were dismissed. He now leads an opposition coalition, the People’s Alliance, comprised of three disparate political parties – his own People’s Justice party, the Islamic party PAS and the secular, largely Chinese-based Democratic Action party – which won a record number of parliamentary seats and five of the state governments in the March 2008 polls.

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Anwar Ibrahim di Hotel Pearl View

Perjumpaan Dengan Dr Tan Kee Kwong (bekas ketua gerakan wilayah persekutuan)

Video Kempen pada 22 Ogos 2008

Pakatan Rakyat sentiasa konsisten dan komited di dalam merangka sebarang dasar mahupun program yang bertujuan untuk meringankan beban rakyat. Kita malah berulang kali menegaskan pentingnya harga minyak diturunkan agar rakyat tidak dibebani dengan kadar inflasi yang tinggi sekaligus mengakibatkan kerencatan ekonomi negara.

Kita sedar harga minyak global akan turun, dan sering saya utarakan ‘Teori Yergin’ sepanjang syarahan dan ceramah saya berhubung dasar Pakatan Rakyat untuk menurunkan harga minyak. Berlakunya penurunan harga minyak global memungkinkan kita untuk menurunkan lagi harga minyak dari 50sen ke 70sen. Oleh itu ingin saya tegaskan semula bahawa ‘Hari Ini Pakatan Rakyat Memerintah Esok Harga Minyak Turun Sebanyak 70sen’ menjadikan harga minyak hanya RM 2.00 seliter.

Saya sendiri di dalam debat ‘Hari Ini Pakatan Rakyat Memerintah Harga Minyak Turun’ pada 15 Julai lalu menjelaskan mekanisme untuk menurunkan harga minyak tersebut. Kita menggariskan beberapa langkah yang sememangnya penting untuk memastikan penurunan harga minyak.

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From The Malaysian Insider

By Debra Chong

SEBERANG JAYA, Aug 23 — The tent set up at the open air carpark next to the Ku Cheng Tse temple here last night was packed to overflowing with the local Chinese community eager to see and hear Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Underneath the marquee, the tables were abuzz with talk of the federal government’s latest announcement of a reduction of petrol prices at the pumps by 15 sen per litre, effective today.

Closer to the back of the tent, a group of older gentlemen were discussing the issue with great fervour. Having just finished the lotus leaf fried rice course, they were very willing to share their opinions on the matter.

Did the Barisan Nasional government think they were naive not to suspect that the announcement had something to do with the upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election next week, they asked.

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