From The Associated Press
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim rejoined Malaysia’s Parliament on Thursday, resurrecting his mission to become prime minister a decade after he was charged with sodomy and his career written off.
Hours after he was sworn in, Anwar staged a walkout to protest proposed legislation that critics say is meant to bolster a new sodomy case against him.
Anwar says his alliance is on track to topple the government by Sept. 16 with defections from the governing National Front coalition, which has ruled Malaysia since its independence from Britain in 1957.
“I am glad to be back after a decade. I really feel vindicated. I feel great,” Anwar said on Thursday.
Anwar was forced to resign his Parliament seat in 1999 amid a sodomy allegation and was jailed for six years after he was convicted of corruption and sodomizing his family driver. The sodomy conviction was overturned by Malaysia’s top court in 2004.
A special election was held Tuesday after his wife vacated her seat, which she had held for two terms during Anwar’s political exile. He regained the seat in a landslide victory.
Anwar’s triumph came on the heels of big gains by the opposition in the March general elections that loosened the governing National Front’s 51-year grip on power.
The Front returned to power with a simple majority of 140 seats in the 222-member house. Anwar’s People’s Alliance coalition increased its strength from 19 to 82 seats and needs 30 more to form a government.
“Anwar — whatever we think of him and many of us are deeply skeptical — is looking more and more like our future prime minister,” columnist Karim Raslan wrote in The Star daily on Thursday. “There is a mounting sense of inevitability to his impending succession.”
Tuesday’s election also was a gauge of public anger against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration, which the opposition has painted as corrupt, inefficient and uncaring toward minorities.
The opposition promises to scrap Malaysia’s decades-old system of preferences for ethnic Malays. The government says that would jeopardize the country’s unity.
Within hours of being sworn in on Thursday, Anwar led the opposition in a walkout to protest a proposed law that would make it mandatory for criminal suspects to provide DNA samples.
Critics say the law is meant to target Anwar, who has been accused of sodomizing a 23-year-old male aide in case separate from the 1999 one.
Anwar has dismissed the allegation as a “sickening” government conspiracy to prevent his rise to prime minister and has refused to give a DNA sample to police, saying he fears it would be tampered with.
A court will hear his case on Sept. 10 to set a date for the trial. Under Malaysian law, even consensual sodomy is punishable by up to 20 years in jail if convicted.
On Thursday, Home Minister Syed Hamid’s closing speech on the DNA legislation debate was interrupted numerous times by heckling opposition lawmakers.
Just as Syed Hamid was finishing his speech, Anwar led all opposition members in a walkout, watched by stunned government lawmakers. He told reporters that the opposition had demanded the setting up of a select committee to study the bill first.
“We have walked out because they have refused to respond” to the request, he said. “So there’s no point in staying and participating in this debate.”
Associated Press writers Eileen Ng and Sean Yoong contributed to this report.
Assalamuailaikum
Anwar Ibrahim dan Pakatan Rakyat …
Mari kita sama sama bersolat hajat dan mendoakan agar kes terhadap Anwar Ibrahim akan menemui jalan buntu dan digugurkan …
Aku tak rela melihat Anwar Ibrahim ditangkap , dipenjarakan dan dibekukan daripada arena politik …
Aku tak rela melihat pisang berbuah dua kali …
This dirty , stinky , unethical , immoral , inhuman tactic of the Highest Leaders of UMNO must be stopped once and for all …
Not only they have lost the battle , now they are starting to stink like rotting dead animal bodies …
Anwar Ibrahim mesti dipertahankan
dalam usaha untuk mempertahankan kepentingan RAKYAT !
REFORMASI ! REFORMASI ! REFORMASI !
SELAMAT KEMBALI KE PARLIMEN DSAI.
SEMOGA ALLAH MEMBERKATI DAN MELINDUNGI DSAI DARI KEZALIMAN MANUSIA YANG RAKUS.
MAHA SUCI ALLAH YANG MENJADIKAN SEKELIAN ALAM.
Keputusan dah tahu. So, what next..?
Kita semua dah mengetahui bahawa keputusan PRK di Permatang Pauh dimenangi oleh DSAI. Ramai yang bergembira daripada berduka dengan keputusan itu. Bagi semua rakyat, keputusan itu memang mengembirakan tapi bagi pemimpin Bee End bagaimanan pula? Apakah pemimpin Bee End belum sedar dengan signal yang diberikan oleh rakyat. Pada saya, keputusan itu bukan kemenangan kepada DSAI tapi itu adalah signal kepada pemimpin Bee End supaya mereka sedar bahawa rakyat mahukan perubahan. Rakyat mahukan perubahan pemimpin dan juga perubahan pemikiran pemimpin. Kalau setakat pemimpin bertukar tapi cara dan pemikiran sama dengan yang sebelumnya, itu tiada makna. Rakyat makin marah ada la.
Apapun kita lihat saja apa yang akan berlaku selepas ini. Apakah perubahan yang akan berlaku. Adakah perubahan yang mengejutkan atau mengembirakan akan berlaku. Adakah detik 16 September akan berlaku perubahan yang besar atau sekadar janji kosong atau cerita penglipur lara yang kita dengar sebelum ini.
Wait and see arrrr….
TAHNIAH DSAI. SELAMAT KEMBALI N SELAMAT BERJUANG!!
Tolong ingatkan(tazkirah) depa yang nak tunjuk hero/jantan di parlimen tu..
di antara beberapa peristiwa akhir zaman (ini)..
HR Ahmad.. orang2 akan mempercayai pendusta n engkari yang jujur. tidak percaya yang amanah
n mempercayai yang khianat
HR Ahmad n Hakim .. sesungguhnnya disaat hari akhir akan ada persaksian palsu n pemyembunyian
bukti
Kebohonngan n kecurangan menjadi hal biasa.
suapan/ rasuah disebut hadiah dan dianggap halal
ruj.peristiwa akhirzaman harunyahya.com
Congrats.
Mahathir said you can even hoodwink the devil. U mean there are so many devils in PP?
In very clear analysis, I think Mahathir is hoodwinked by the DEVIL and has become one of his personal favorite.
Please go on and persevere, and do be on the lookout for that DEVIL too. Bear fruits for us to see. Your words imply a good harvest, but actions will only endorse your greatness.
Surely, Malaysia history will document Mahathir as a pariah, and Najib…., well….just a spoilt brat and damed by addiction to extreme perversion. Then still thinking he is still favoured. But for sure, the DEVILs favorite son, now.
Congratulations, we have been looking forward to the day of your return to parliament. I have followed the presentation of the budget by the PM. Towards the end he mentioned about taking power through unconstitutional means. I do not think vote of no confidence is unconstitutional because it was applied in Sarawak and Kelantan before. My worries is that the PM can call for a fresh election if the vote of no confidence is passed. Your comment please.
I have followed the budget speech just now. The PM, towards the end mentioned about the unconstitutional means to get power. But I do not think vote of no confidence is against the constitution. I remember it was valid when used in Sarawak against Datuk Tawi Seli and again in Kelantan against Datuk Mohammad Bin Nasir in 1978. What I am worried is that, the PM can dissolve parliament immediately after his fall if there is no clear majority to form the new government. They can hide or even kidnap the MPs which have crossed to your side. Your comments please.
Good morning Datuk Sri and congrats for being in Parliment. WE Sabahan voters are solidly behind you DS this time. Pakla’s budget speech was a low quality sweets and very disgusting indeed.I agree with you Farid, BN can do anything to suit their rythm. PM will definetly dissolve Parliment as his last resort, but that is much better because PR will win anyway. Even if BN use phantom voters PR will still win because we in Sabah already have a strategy to stop phantom voters. This is a do or die stategy. We are for the war of PV and other kinds of vote rigging by the BN UMNO keparat.
DSAI, you are one in a million. We love you.
WHAT COUNTRY WE ARE LIVING IN? THE LAW AND POLICIES ARE MAD BY MORONS, APPROVED BY MORONS, IMPLEMENTED BY MORONS…..
THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WAS NEVER HEARD! SO STUPID!!!!
“NEW BROOM SWEEP CLEAN !”
“NEW BROOM SWEEP CLEAN !”
“NEW BROOM SWEEP CLEAN !”