From International Herald Tribune
After 10 days of racist insults, accusations of sodomy and oblique references to murder, campaigning drew to a close Monday in a key by-election to Malaysia’s Parliament that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim looks set to win.
Anwar is pitted against Arif Shah Omar Shah of the governing National Front coalition in Tuesday’s by-election in this semi-rural district in the industrial heartland of Penang state.
“God willing we will perform well. We will manage against all odds, unless there is massive rigging. Any independent observer will concede we have an edge,” Anwar, 61, told reporters Monday.
A former deputy prime minister with an eye for the top job, Anwar sees his imminent entry into Parliament as the next step in his effort to topple the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by mid-September.
If Anwar succeeds and becomes prime minister, it would be a stunning political comeback for the man who was ousted from the ruling coalition in 1998 and served six years in prison for sodomy and corruption. Anwar has always said those charges were political frame-ups.
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Few expect Anwar to lose, despite being charged anew with sodomizing a male aide in June, said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the independent Merdeka Center, which conducted a telephone poll of 544 voters from Friday to Sunday.
Ibrahim said 57 percent of those polled believe that Anwar is “capable of bringing change that will benefit the people regardless of race.”
In general elections in March, Anwar’s three-party opposition alliance won an unprecedented 82 of Parliament’s 222 seats — 30 short of a majority — as well as control of five states.
Among the seats won by the opposition was Permatang Pauh by Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Anwar could not contest the March elections because of a ban on holding political office stemming from a previous corruption conviction. It was slapped on him in 1998 when he was also charged and later convicted of sodomy. The sodomy conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2004, and the political ban expired in April this year.
In June, Wan Azizah resigned her seat to allow Anwar to contest it.
But his campaign received an early setback when his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, swore on the Quran at a Kuala Lumpur mosque on Aug. 15 — a day before Anwar filed his candidacy papers for the election — that he was raped by Anwar.
Anwar said the ruling party “orchestrated the entire malicious, dirty campaign in time for this election.”
The ruling coalition’s campaign posters have also described Anwar as an Israeli agent who would allow American military bases in the country the minute he becomes prime minister.
The opposition has delivered a few punches under the belt too. Anwar has called ruling party leaders stupid, idiots, scoundrels and damned.
His party posters have shown images of slain Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu with the word “Justice” stamped on her forehead in red.
Shaariibuu, 28, was shot in October 2006 and blown up with explosives in a jungle. Abdul Razak Baginda, a close friend of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, is on trial for abetting the murder. Najib also has been linked to the woman with allegations that he had an affair with her.
Najib denies this vehemently, and recently took an oath in a mosque that he never knew the woman.
___
Associated Press reporter Eileen Ng contributed to this report.
“War Cries” Before The Mother of All Battles in Permatang Pauh.
“Laungan-Laungan Perang” Sebelum Perang Terbesar di Permatang Pauh.
“Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!” - PKR
“Sodomy! Sodomy! Sodomy!” – BN
“Taliban! Taliban! Taliban!” – Akim
Posted at http://patek1472.wordpress.com
Woe to the slanderer and the backbiter.
BN/UMNO shares another page with the US.
After 9/11 America legitimised ISA by coercing Congress and Senate to bring the Patriot ACT into law.
There was a bizarre election scandalette in the poll among competitors for athlete-representatives to the International Olympic Committee. The US tried to ensure victory for its candidate, Julie Foudy, by offering team members a $50 (€34, £27) shopping voucher if they voted.
BN/UMNO took things a step further; they accused DSAI of snitching for Uncle Sam of course without a thread of proof. Little did we know, Paul Wolfowitz also accused Anwar Ibrahim of going extremist and swore that Muslim heads of gomen and their foreign ministers sanction some even lobbied George Bush regime to Invade Iraq which culminated war and occupation to this day.
Mahathir Mohamad Abdullah Badawi along with Husni Mubarak Abdullah of Jordan and a host of wicked men and women said Paul Wolfowitz given America the green light to attack Iraq and Afghanistan. Paul Wolfowitz vouchsafe to reveal all the signatories along with their dossier and secret connivance.
I would give my all to the first person who dare refute credibly my claims.
Anwar Ibrahim opposed the invasion both secretly and openly. Anwar Ibrahim is the only recognised Muslim leader along with Nik Azziz and the Malay leadership of PAS to have vehemently oppose and criticized the invasion war and occupation of a Muslim country.
Woe to the slanderer and the backbiter.
BN/UMNO shares another page with the US.
After 9/11 America legitimised ISA by coercing Congress and Senate to bring the Patriot ACT into law.
There was a bizarre election scandalette in the poll among competitors for athlete-representatives to the International Olympic Committee. The US tried to ensure victory for its candidate, Julie Foudy, by offering team members a $50 (€34, £27) shopping voucher if they voted.
Do the above reminds us of a particular party?
BN/UMNO took things a step further; they accused DSAI of snitching for Uncle Sam of course without a thread of proof. Little did we know, Paul Wolfowitz also accused Anwar Ibrahim of going extremist and swore that Muslim heads of gomen and their foreign ministers sanction some even lobbied George Bush regime to Invade Iraq which culminated war and occupation to this day.
Mahathir Mohamad Abdullah Badawi along with Husni Mubarak Abdullah of Jordan and a host of wicked men and women said Paul Wolfowitz given America the green light to attack Iraq and Afghanistan. Paul Wolfowitz vouchsafe to reveal all the signatories along with their dossier and secret connivance.
Anwar Ibrahim opposed the invasion both secretly and openly. Anwar Ibrahim is the only recognised Muslim leader along with Nik Azziz and the Malay leadership of PAS to have vehemently oppose and criticized the invasion war and occupation of a Muslim country.
So who is the real American Agents - and who in the Majlis Tertingi aren’t members of the US & UK lodge? The Devil’ advocates. Anwar Isn’t.
I would give my all to the first person who dare refute credibly my claims. Don’t worry I ain’t running anywhere.
irs3@hotmail.com
Congratulations to DSAI, you really shook the whole cabinet. One man against the whole cabinet. What a wanderful show it was in Permatang Pauh, you really made the whole cabinet to run after you. May ALLAH bless you long life and good health and also good goverence.
To All the Pakatan Rakyat supporters & volunteers,
Pls be 100% alert on tomorrow whole day long voting process and especially the transfer of votes from polling center to the Dewan for counting. We should consider the possibility of someone who may swap the ballot boxes.
Therefore all kind of preventive action need to be carry out in all polling station.
Besides, pls come out with the counter measure for ensuring there is a smooth of electricity supply and communication system.
There are more dirty tricks which might happen anytime.
PeoplePower
It’s not just a Penang holiday but a ‘Destiny Day’
For all eligible voters to have their final say
Who will be ‘fated’ in this pivotal seat to stay
But make sure no legitimate voting papers go astray
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 250808
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Mon. 25th Aug. 2008.
sharibuu was blown to pieces…? oh my god what a human can be that can do such an unthinkable…
Shobhan Reply:
August 26th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I am sure DSAI is wanting justice for the blown up Mongolian woman, Altantuya Sharibuu. It is only humane and for a humanitarian cause that this is done, though she is not a Malaysian. Anyone guilty of such heinous crime should not go unpunished, be it a VIP or not.
I’m with confident believe that Mr Anwar is heading to parliament to get rid all the corrupt leaders especially the one who always asleep.
Sleeping and earning through tax payer money - what type of job is that.
Mr Anwar hope you enter the parliament as how Sir William Wallace whacked the English some time ago.
With the bless of God, No one can resist the new rulers …
Well done might.
I’m praying day and night for your victory, please proof to us.
Sincerely
Razid Ismail
God bless you Anwar! You will win today and go on to become our PM soon. All Malaysians in Thailand love you.
DSAI,
UMNOI/BN TIPU UNDI MERATA D PP…FIGHT THEM HARD
PRAY TO ALLAH
Najib and this government will do anything ( not only killing the Mongolian woman) when anything treatening to loose their power. They all are desperate to grab the power. Najib is like a wild dog. So embarrassing for having this government in Malaysia.
They still think they will win.
Barulah sekarang saya mengerti erti MERDEKA…..harapan saya di tahun-tahun akan datang, erti Merdeka akan lebih bermakna setelah Dato Seri menjadi PERDANA MENTERI yang ke-6….insyaallah…