Campaign hots up, Anwar still favoured

SEBERANG JAYA, Aug 23 — With only three days before the Permatang Pauh by-election polling day, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is still leading in his attempt to return to Parliament.

Unofficial figures from political campaigners and observers put Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar’s majority votes at around 10,000, slightly lower that that obtained by his wife former MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail who won the seat with a 13,000-plus margin.

Both PKR and Barisan Nasional are now intensifying their campaign to scramble for votes in the next 48 hours before the campaign period ends.

PKR national strategy director Saifuddin Nasution believes that retaining the majority of March 8 general election is within reach.

Although he declines exact estimation, his party campaigners are enthusiastic about surpassing Wan Azizah’s majority, with some of them claiming that achieving a 20,000-vote majority is not impossible.

They, however, realise that Anwar is facing a lot of problems, from the swearing on the Quran by the former deputy prime minister’s male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who accused the politician of sodomising him, to the fuel price reduction announcement by the government.

BN chief campaigner Datuk Seri Najib Razak has also pulled a surprise last night when he want to a mosque here to swear that had never met murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaaribuu. The deputy prime minister has been linked to the case by his detractors, despite repeated denials.

PKR youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said his campaigners had been working hard to convince voters that the lowering of fuel prices was due to Anwar’s pressure on the government.

“The people are happy with the lower price but the people also knew that we have promised to reduce it to RM2 if we come to power. Lowering it to RM2.55 (from RM2.70) will not change the voters’ sentiment,” he said.

As for Najib’s swearing on his innocence in a mosque, Shamsul Iskandar said the Umno deputy president would use religion for political ends.

“If Saiful’s oath on the Quran is not accepted by the Islamic religious scholars and voters in the constituency, why would it work this time?” he added.

PKR deputy election director Fuziah Salleh is more concerned with ensuring all voters would go out to vote, as she is confident that voters who chose Wan Azizah in the last general election would not switch to BN.

Even with the odds still against him, BN candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah is confident of winning.

He has said it before - on nomination day BN’s chances of winning was 60:40, a couple days later it was 55:45 and went down to 59:41 a few days ago and now is on the way up again.

By polling day, it should exceed 50 per cent and BN will win the by-election – that’s what Arif Shah wants to believe.

He also believes the reduction of fuel price will swing the votes. For him, the daring move by Najib to swear in a mosque last night will also give a boost to his campaign. “I can see that Najib was sincere when he took the oath yesterday,” he said.

Permatang Pauh Umno division secretary Ahmad Shahar Shuib is also confident that BN would win, saying that the party election machinery had been fully activated.

Situation in the constituency is reportedly calm but according to PKR campaigners, the number of police personnel has doubled since nomination day to 6,000, a ratio of one policeman for every 10 voters

By Adib Zalkapli

ANWAR – THE ONE LEADER THE PEOPLE TRUST

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

Despite intensive propaganda by the government and Umno publicity machines against Anwar Ibrahim, the people still trust him. This is shown by the polls taken by Merdeka Centre research which indicate that only 11% of those polled believe the allegation that Anwar sodomised Saiful. An overwhelming 89% prefer to trust Anwar - that even 76% of Malays polled do not believe the government propaganda about Anwar

When news about allegations of sodomy against Anwar were spread in the international print and electronic media, there was shock and dismay.

Condoleeza Rice, US secretary of state, a Canadian ex-prime minister, former World Bank president, former IMF president, Gus Dur ex president of Indonesia, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch - all expressed dismay and disbelief.

They say Anwar is innocent and called upon the Malaysian government to free Anwar of the sodomy charge.

Gus Dur visited Malaysia and declared that Anwar is innocent and not the type of person to commit sodomy. He has called upon the prime minister to practise democracy.

International opinion must be valued and not taken lightly. If foreign investors see that democracy and justice are absent, their confidence will be affected and foreign investments to Malaysia will diminish.

Obviously, to foreign leaders, ANWAR IS THE ONE.

THE HOPE - THE LEADER

There is a crisis of confidence in the country. Merdeka Centre has from a poll found that PM Abdullah’s standing has descended rapidly from its high point in 2004 to only 26% today. This is because corruption has gone from bad to worse, the judiciary is corrupt, there is no rule of law and there is a corrupt police force. All the promises to clean up the judiciary and police force have come to nought.

Government policies which are supposed to treat all races equally and fairly have deteriorated and are now based on the concept of ketuanan melayu or supremacy of Malays.

Instead of good governance, the entire government is now engaged in a conspiracy to convict Anwar of sodomy on a false charge.

Mafia methods are adopted. The police attempted to pressure the Burmese doctor to change his medical report of Saiful by repeated visits, but the doctor stood by his findings. After filing his sworn affidavit, he and his family are now missing - probably fled overseas for refuge.

if PM Abdullah perceived Anwar as a threat to his government, he should deal with him through democracy, not by subverting the government administration, the Attorney-General’s chambers and the police and pursuing a desperate conspiracy to trap and convict Anwar of sodomy.

The whole country is tired and disgusted with the conspiracy and lack of good governance. The people want a change, for someone to take the country out of the mess and become a clean, corruption-free, multiracial, multireligious, multicultural, democratic and progressive society.

THE HOPE, THE LEADER. ANWAR IS THE ONE.

Vote Anwar Ibrahim for the Future of Our Country

Dr. Bakri M. Musa
Morgan-Hill, California

August 18, 2008

“Permatang Pauh voters will get the unique opportunity to decide on behalf of entire Malaysia on who will lead our nation. It is as much an opportunity to vote for Anwar Ibrahim as it is against Abdullah Badawi, and to vote for Malaysia’s future – on whether she would progress to join the developed world or continue its present path to join the likes of Zimbabwe.”—Bakri M. Musa

Before last March 2008 elections, I urged Kepala Batas voters to perform a great national service by booting out Prime Minister Abdullah.That would have triggered a seismic shift in UMNO’s leadership. With its ban on contesting top posts effectively circumvented, the party would get to preview other potential candidates.

If Kepala Batas voters were to shy away from exercising that historic opportunity, I suggested that Malaysians could still teach Abdullah a lesson by substantially reducing his coalition’s victory. That would also trigger a challenge to his leadership, and we would have the same effect as with the first scenario.

Alas, Malaysians did teach Abdullah a hard lesson, but not hard enough.Besides, being a slow learner, Abdullah did not get the message.Now voters in Permatang Pauh, practically next door, will get a chance to deal Abdullah a third and final knock-out blow, one he would surely get.This upcoming by-election will be more than just electing the area’s representative to Parliament.

Permatang Pauh voters will get the unique opportunity to decide on behalf of entire Malaysia on who will lead our nation. It is as much an opportunity to vote for Anwar Ibrahim as it is against Abdullah Badawi, and to vote for Malaysia’s future – on whether she would progress to join the developed world or continue its present path to join the likes of Zimbabwe.

Anwar Versus Abdullah

In Abdullah we have a dull and apathetically detached leader who exploits the differences among us in order to remain in power. In Anwar we have a charismatic leader well regarded especially internationally. He nurtures our commonalities and challenges us to rise above our differences.

Abdullah’s “I am Prime Minister for all Malaysians” utterance rings hollow when he allows, nay encourages the racist taunting of UMNO Youth leaders. Again illustrative of his opportunistic and exploitative character, right after the March elections when his party’s position was threatened in many states, he initiated a series of secret meetings with the opposition PAS. In so doing he showed contempt for his Barisan coalition partners.

Abdullah was also insensitive, or more accurately contemptuous of the feelings of those non-Malays who voted for his Barisan candidates, UMNO and non-UMNO alike. The rewards he dangled must have been quite substantial to tempt the otherwise self-righteous PAS leaders to participate in those talks. Fortunately wiser heads prevailed in PAS; the futile discussions were aborted.

Anwar does not have as yet a formal leadership role. Yet as adviser to PKR he successfully created a viable coalition effective enough to deny Barisan its two-thirds majority in Parliament and dislodge it in five states, including such major ones as Perak, Penang, and Selangor.

It is a testament to his leadership skills that Anwar could forge an alliance comprising the DAP and PAS, two parties that represent the polar extremes of political views in Malaysia. Anwar was successful because he builds on their commonalities, their yearning for a clean, efficient and transparent government, one not blighted by cronyism and corruption.

It is also the wish of all Malaysians, whether they embrace “Malaysia for Malaysians” or the “Islamic State of Malaysia” political ideals. It should also be the theme and aspiration of any government.

I am also impressed with Anwar’s ability to attract many young talents. While UMNO had to content with such worn-out retreads like Ezam Noor, Anwar managed to attract many young educated and intelligent individuals like Nik Nazmi and Sim Tze Tzin.

It reflects the priorities of Abdullah and more importantly, his lack of diligence as a leader, that on such important matters as our energy policy he remains blissfully detached except for making empty silly remarks. With rocketing oil prices threatening the global (and Malaysian) economies, Abdullah and his deputy Najib are content busying themselves that Saiful would swear on the Quran that he had been sodomized.

It is the height of obscenity to see this young man wearing his songkok and Baju Melayu, symbols of everything pure and pristine in our culture, entering the sanctity of the holy mosque in the heart of Malaysia to utter, “… telah memasukkan zakarnya ke dalam lubang dubur saya.”

All so clinical, and so well-timed politically! It would have been obscene even without the ugly smirk on Saiful’s face after he blurted his utterance. Thankfully, he spared us the lurid details. One’s fantasy can get quite vivid, especially when given some attention and encouragement. As for the frequency, he has yet to decide on that. He is waiting to see Anwar’s diary first!

With his hands above the Holy Quran, witnessed by the Imam and nationally televised, those crudities issued forth from his sullied mouth. Obviously the cleansing ablution he took only minutes earlier before entering the mosque was merely a ritual, and a meaningless one at that. Surely Saiful, and others beside him including and especially the pious Imam, realized that by just uttering those crudities he had effectively nullified his ablution. Yet there he was, piously declaring Allah hu Akhbar (God is Great!), and then proceeding to his prayers.

I cannot imagine a more despicable sight of desecration of our Holy Book. I would not stoop to this college dropout’s gutter level to even translate the obscenities coming forth from his soiled lips.

Someone had put a microphone on the young man so the world could hear his filthy utterance. How thoughtful! The event was broadcasted at prime time! I pity those parents who would have to explain to their young children on what had transpired.

Such are the priorities of this dysfunctional duo of Abdullah and Najib. And they want Permatang Pauh voters to endorse their leadership!

Contrast that with Anwar’s statesmanship. The day he forms the government, he would lower gasoline prices and release those prisoners of conscience held under the ISA. Regardless whether one agrees with his policies, there is no denying that Anwar has set his priorities and the national agenda right.

Respecting The Quran

I am appalled that many Malaysian Muslims are calling for Anwar to debase himself to the same sewer level as Saiful by swearing on the Quran. If the truth could be had so simplistically, we would not need the court system and extensive police force.

Those Muslims’ commitment to things Islamic does not extend however to their suggesting that the Sharia Court takes jurisdiction over this case. After all both participants are Muslims, and Anwar has already lodged a complaint to the religious department. Somehow at this particular instance and circumstance, those Muslims suddenly have more faith with our secular criminal justice system than with the Sharia.

I would rather Anwar swear on the Quran to commit that, on becoming Prime Minister, he would uphold the constitution and lead a government that is efficient, not corrupt, and has the interests of the people uppermost, as encapsulated in his Ketuanan Rakyat declaration. I also challenge Abdullah and Najib to do likewise. That would be the proper and dignified use of our Quran, the symbolic enactment of the phrase, “Let Allah be my witness!”

It would also have been more meaningful and dignified had Saiful taken the oath over the Quran committing himself to be a diligent student when given the rare opportunity for a precious slot in a local university. And had he followed through with that and studied hard, he would have achieved something for himself and be of service to his nation. Saiful should have known that he was given an opportunity denied to too many other young Malaysians. Instead, he blew that chance for a moment of infamy.

A few years ago former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Ghaffar Baba declared that UMNO could be had for a few billion ringgit, at most. He was referring to the endemic corruption in the party. Apparently that price has gone down considerably since. Today, a local college drop-out with only a promise of a cheap scholarship to a lousy local institution could derail the whole UMNO government and paralyze the country.

I would have never imagined that the future of our Prime Minister and his Deputy would hang on whether a young man’s posterior had been violated. That is what Abdullah’s and Najib’s leadership has been reduced to, and how it will end, on Saiful’s end.

If a struggling failed-freshman like Saiful could create such a havoc, I would not dare imagine what a smart, savvy, rich foreigner could do to UMNO and our country. There is one sure way to spare our beloved nation such a fate: get rid of UMNO and the incompetent and dysfunctional team of Abdullah and Najib.

By voting for Anwar in the upcoming elections, Permatang Pauh voters get to do just that, and thus protect our country.