Anwar eyes East Malaysia despite pact’s troubles

While his allies argue over hudud (Islamic penal code –ed.) laws and fret over the wobbling economy in their five states, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has taken over as liaison chairman for both Sabah and Sarawak in Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) efforts widen its base and capture the Borneo states.

Anwar is the new liaison chairman for both Sabah and Sarawak in Parti Keadilan. — Pic by Choo Choy May

The opposition leader, who made a triumphant parliamentary comeback in August, is initially eyeing Sarawak in the next state elections due by 2011 as chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud faces increased opposition to his 27 years in power.

Sabah is a different proposition as the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is dominant with 57 of the 60 seats in the state assembly.

But consumed with garnering more support from both states, Anwar has been conspicuously silent about the controversy over implementing Islamic criminal Hudud laws that flared up again this week between Pas and DAP, and Pakatan Rakyat state governments’ efforts to mitigate the fallout from a growing global recession.

“Some things are out of his hand. Anwar will quietly handle Pas and DAP behind the scenes but the economy will take some work,” a Pakatan Rakyat source told The Malaysian Insider, adding the electoral pact had made suggestions in the budget debate.

The PKR supreme council met late Monday night but party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is Anwar’s wife, only announcement was that Anwar has taken over as liaison chairman for Sabah and Sarawak, citing the appointment as proof of the party's focus to struggle for the people from Perlis to Sarawak.

“The agenda to bring change in Sabah and Sarawak needs the support from all levels of society. Sarawak will have its state elections soon and Datuk Seri Anwar’s appointment as state liaison chairman for both states justify our concern for problems there and is significant in Pakatan Rakyat’s power transition to Putrajaya,” she said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The Pakatan Rakyat electoral pact, which groups PKR, Pas and DAP, has 81 out of the 222 seats in the federal parliament. BN has 137 seats while the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), which pulled out of BN in September, has two seats and one to Independent Datuk Ibrahim Ali. The Kuala Terengganu seat is vacant with the by-election on Jan 17.

PKR’s focus for the Borneo states has been apparent when Anwar predicted he could form capture Putrajaya by Malaysia Day with help from 30 federal lawmakers after Pakatan Rakyat made a historic upset in the March 8 General Elections where BN lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority and four more states to the opposition.

Since then, only SAPP has pulled out of the 14-member BN coalition but has chosen to remain independent in Parliament although its president Datuk Yong Teck Lee is close to the sacked deputy prime minister, who has yet to fulfil his prediction to unseat BN from power.

Anwar, in a posting at his weblog today, called the changes routine and said the state leadership in the party are merely coordinators in an effort to dispel notions of consolidating power for himself as “experienced leaders will be act as advisors at the national level while the new leadership will get exposure apart from introducing new approaches to attract new members”.

“Personally, I am not inclined to coordinate activities in Sabah and Sarawak. In fact, even Wilayah Persekutuan asked me to help but I feel that Tan Sri Khalid as Selangor Menteri Besar, is better there,” Anwar said, adding the appointments will be reviewed regularly.

He also said his offer to help both PKR state liaison committees has been announced before and he hoped to get support from all quarters in both states.

Apart from Anwar heading both Sabah and Sarawak, and Khalid leading Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan, the other state leaders are Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman (Pahang), Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (Penang), Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas (Negri Sembilan), Ahmad Kassim (Kedah), Abdul Aziz Abdul Kadir (Kelantan), Johari Shafie (Perlis), Khalid Jaafar (Malacca), Dr Zaliha Mustaffa (Johor), Osman Abdul Rahman (Perak) and Wan Rahim Wan Hamzah (Terengganu). – The Malaysian Insider, KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25, 2008

Terengganu a battleground: Critical test for Umno-BN in state by-election

Malaysia's coalition government faces a by-election next month which analysts say will be a critical test of public reaction to its reform promises after disastrous polls in March. (ref Malaysiakini : BN faces critical by-election test –ed. )

The by-election in northern Terengganu state, a battleground between the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the Islamic opposition party PAS, was triggered by the death of a deputy minister.

Election Commission deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar announced Friday that the vote would be held on January 17, with parties to declare their candidates on January 6.

After wrangles in the past over allegations of fraud and vote-buying, Wan Ahmad said that MAFREL (Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections) would be allowed to monitor the process.

"We like having MAFREL as observers as it boosts the confidence of people and transparency," he told a press conference.

The vote comes at an unfortunate time for the UMNO, which leads the Barisan Nasional coalition that was humbled in March elections -- losing a third of parliamentary seats and five states to the three-member opposition alliance.

Since then it has been in a state of disarray that is unlikely to be resolved until its annual assembly next March, when deputy prime minister Najib Razak is expected to replace unpopular premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Infighting and rivalries helped it lose an August by-election that allowed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to return to parliament -- a decade after he was sacked as deputy premier and jailed on sex and corruption charges.

Analysts said the UMNO faces a tough fight against the PAS, which along with Anwar's Keadilan party and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party, makes up the opposition alliance.

"It will be a classic battle between two Malay political parties in a Malay heartland," said James Chin, professor of political science at the Kuala Lumpur campus of Monash university.

"If PAS wins it means the people do not believe UMNO's reform programme. It means their sentiments against the ruling party since the March elections are still there," he said.

"It could also demonstrate that voters do not have confidence in Najib Razak's leadership and believe that UMNO is not capable of any reform."

Najib, who as deputy premier will direct the ruling party's election campaign, has promised to make good on Abdullah's promises of change, which were never realised after he came to power in 2003.

But there are doubts whether the UMNO, which has become plagued by corruption in the half-century it has dominated Malaysian politics, is capable of undergoing the changes that voters are demanding.

The party won the vacant seat of Kuala Terengganu in March, but only with the slimmest of majorities.

"There is no escape but face the Kuala Terengganu by-election, which is wholly unexpected and could not have come at a worse possible time for UMNO and Barisan," the Star newspaper said in an analysis.

It said that a major factor would be the 11 percent of Chinese voters among the more than 80,000 eligible to vote. Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities abandoned the coalition in the March polls.

A victory would be a major boost for the PAS, which lost control of Terengganu state in 2004, after having held it for just one term and alienating voters with extreme measures such as enacting Islamic "hudud" laws.

Since then it has dropped its hardline rhetoric and tried to reach out to Malaysia's minorities who are alarmed over rising "Islamisation" in the multicultural country. -- Agence France-Presse - 12/5/2008 7:24 AM GMT

Projek 16 September diteruskan, gegarkan Sarawak! - Anwar

Penasihat KeADILan, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim memilih Sarawak sebagai usaha terbaru menjadikan 'projek 16 September' menukar kerajaan persekutuan satu kenyataan.

"Langkah pertama, gegarkan Sarawak. Sarawak barisan hadapan kita sekarang," kata Anwar dalam ceramah khas malam tadi bersempena Kongres Nasional kelima parti itu selama dua hari di Shah Alam.

Ini merupakan kempen terbaru Penasihat KeADILan itu yang dilancarkan selepas pelan asalnya berhubung isu pertukaran kerajaan, berlalu 16 September lepas.

Difahamkan pengumuman itu berikutan sambutan baik 12,000 penduduk Sarawak yang dilaporkan menyertai parti itu dua minggu lalu.

Anwar berkata, tarikh 16 September itu, merupakan sasaran ke arah membina satu kekuatan bagi menubuhkan kerajaan baru bersama dengan Pakatan Rakyat.

Menurutnya, mengambil alih kerajaan bukan perkara mudah dan menasihatkan agar rakyat bersabar menunggu masanya.

"Ini isu yang tidak mudah diungkap dan dilakar dengan kata-kata kerana ada sebab, ada hal yang saya tidak dapat sebutkan.

"Orang yang bersetuju, menunggu waktu untuk menyeberang, syaratnya tidak didedahkan sehingga mereka bersedia. Jadi, cakap salah, tidak cakap pun salah.

"Cakap salah, tidak cakap salah, jadi semua serba salah," katanya dengan gaya bernyanyi dan disambut dengan gelak ketawa ribuan para penyokongnya.

Sehubungan itu, Anwar berharap orang ramai bersabar walaupun beliau mengakui terdapat ahli-ahli KeADILan dan rakyat yang ragu-ragu dan tertanya-tanya bilakah beliau akan membentuk kerajaan baru dan berada di Putrajaya.

"Jika Allah mentakdirkan kita menang, kita menang. Saya yakin, insya-Allah sebagaimana mana saya yakin sebelum 8 Mac," katanya.

Beberapa hari sebelum pilihan raya umum ke-12, Anwar membuat kejutan dalam ceramahnya di Singapura apabila mendedahkan lima negeri akan jatuh ke tangan gabungan pembangkang. - mks _ Harakahdaily Mon Dec 01, 08 8:43:24 am MYT

Anwar says march to victory has only been delayed

SHAH ALAM, Nov 29 – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim admitted today his plans to topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had been foiled but he did not say whether he had abandoned the idea of engineering defections to take power.

"Yes, there have been setbacks. We skirted with destiny on Sept 16 and despite our best efforts our march to victory has been delayed. I empathise with you and with the people of Malaysia," the PKR de facto leader said at the party national congress here.

"We are all forced to further endure the slings and arrows of an incompetent government that has lost touch with the people," he added.

Speaking before 2,000 party delegates at the PKR annual congress, Anwar took the opportunity to rally his supporters and attempted to redefine his promise for change.

"Although our promise has not yet been fulfilled, the Pakatan Rakyat leaders and I remain committed to the agenda for change and our tenacity has never been stronger," said Anwar to loud cheers from the crowd.

His fighting words to the party faithful come amid a sense of waning momentum on the part of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) challenge to the BN federal government.

The BN's transition plans, which will see Datuk Seri Najib Razak take over as prime minister from Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi next March, has brought renewed stability to a BN government which was badly shaken by the resurgent opposition boosted by the March general election results.

"I ask you, first as Malaysians and second as members of Keadilan, let us prepare ourselves with a renewed resolve and the courage of conviction that with our efforts a thousand flowers of freedom will yet bloom in Malaysia," declared Anwar.

He also urged party members in BN-controlled states to work harder to ensure the party's victory.

"To those living outside the Pakatan states, the task is formidable. You believe in Keadilan and you believe that with Pakatan Rakyat the future of the country can be great. Yet, you live in the stronghold of Barisan Nasional. We need your unwavering commitment and we need you to work harder than ever before so that Pakatan Rakyat's banner can be raised throughout Malaysia," said Anwar.

The Permatang Pauh MP, who was welcomed with Malaysian multicultural dances as he walked into the Malawati Stadium here, also reminded the delegates of the party's extraordinary performance in the last general election.

"Our successes in 2008 are immense and we should be immensely proud. After two successful elections we have proven that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition is strong and unified," he said.

Anwar is expected to address a public rally later this evening to explain why he had failed to form the federal government on Sept 16. -- By Adib Zalkapli, M/Insider

Judge sets Anwar Ibrahim free

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim scored a legal victory Friday, his lawyer said, as a judge struck down the government's bid to shift his sodomy trial to a higher court.

Anwar fears the government will be able to manipulate the case more easily at the High Court, said lawyer Sankara Nair who hailed the ruling by a lower court judge as "courageous".

"We are very happy... this is rather refreshing that a judge has been able to make a decision professionally and judicially," Sankara told AFP.

"My client fears there will be judge-fixing, and there is good reason to fear that because we've been there before," he said of Anwar's trials a decade ago which saw him convicted of sodomy and corruption.

Those decisions were widely seen as politically motivated, and there has been a furore over the latest sodomy allegations against Anwar who says the government is trying to prevent him from seizing power.

Anwar, who is married and the father of six children, has rejected the allegations levelled by 23-year-old former aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan who said he was sodomised in June.

The charges emerged after March general elections which saw Anwar's opposition alliance make huge gains, securing a third of parliamentary seats and five states in the ruling coalition's worst ever performance.

Anwar has said he has enough support from defecting lawmakers to seize power, but failed to meet a self-imposed September deadline to topple the coalition which has ruled for half a century.

Sankara said the government was very likely to appeal Friday's decision by Sessions Court judge Komathy Suppiah, but that if it does not intervene, the lower court will on November 14 set a date to begin the trial. -- Agence France-Presse - 11/7/2008 9:53 AM GMT

Anwar’s View of Obama’s Win

Malaysia said Wednesday that Barack Obama's victory could mean less use of American force in solving world conflicts, and more respect for smaller nations.
"Malaysia... hopes Obama's government will be more sensitive to the sovereignty of smaller nations and will not use force in resolving global conflicts," Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said in a statement.
"Obama's victory is seen as bringing change and hope to the world," he added.
"Malaysia welcomes him as the new light in the struggle for democracy. As America's first black president his victory has shown that Americans can accept a leader regardless of colour, religion or beliefs."
Rais said that Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim nation, hoped the new administration would also pay greater attention to developing countries as well as to humanitarian and developmental issues.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy premier who was strongly backed by the United States after being sacked and jailed in 1998, said Obama would boost prospects for engagement between the US and Muslim countries.
"Some of the most contentious issues of our time, including the ongoing conflicts and confrontations in the Middle East, require a commitment to diplomacy, a willingness to engage in a meaningful dialogue and a departure from the aggressive unilateralism witnessed in recent years," he said.
"In this we anticipate that president-elect Obama will show leadership where previous administrations have failed."
Malaysia has been a long-term critic of the US intervention in Iraq, with former premier Mahathir Mohamad branding incumbent US President George Bush a "war criminal". -- Agence France-Presse - 11/5/2008 9:20 AM GMT


Anwar congratulates Obama, says we can learn from America
By Debra Chong and Shannon Teoh, m/insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 – Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called Barack Obama's victory in the US elections a "phenomenon."
"I know it is not easy to say anything positive about America, at least not in Malaysia, particularly not the way the media has been portraying me," he said, referring to allegations that he is a stooge of the American government.
"But his strength – unlike Bush – is that he is prepared to engage. And this is very critical for the US," Anwar continued.
He was referring to outgoing US President George Bush's famous "You are either with us or against us" catchphrase.
"But this is a very healthy and welcome trend ... that you have a black and minority leading as an American and not as a black person. We should learn from this," he said at a press conference in Parliament today.
Anwar, however, added a caveat that he did not necessarily share the same foreign policy prescriptions as Obama.
"In fact, some of his views regarding the Middle East conflict are quite disturbing," the former Deputy Prime Minister stressed.
He also told reporters that he had written a congratulatory note to Obama and called on him to "act on the need to immediately engage with all quarters and to try first to withdraw from Iraq."
"I've great admiration for him personally. I believe Barack, at least, represents change in the US. He represents the face that is willing to engage and have a meaningful dialogue and serious conversations with various groups," he said.
"I have been in touch with him and I am really pleased that he and Senator Biden won."
Joe Biden was Obama's running mate and now America's new Vice President.

[From The Time] Anwar’s View of Obama’s Win: Greater Expectations

What seemed audacious and improbable before is now a reality. In Obama’s victory are sown the seeds of great expectations that a truly new chapter will be written in the history of the world.

Muslim nations will have cause to celebrate this triumph; it offers prospects for genuine dialogue and engagement and should witness the politics of diplomacy supplant the politics of war and the theology of terror. Other nations traditionally at loggerheads with America may find reason to reciprocate to a more balanced approach.

—By Anwar Ibrahim
Former Deputy Prime Minister

His full PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Tahniah Kepada Perubahan!

Anwar's First BIG Step...

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim Thursday proposed an alternative budget plan to restore confidence in the country's
economy amid a global downturn and expected low growth rates.

Anwar produced a 20-page document that proposes slashing government expenditure on mega-projects and opening up public tenders while spending more on areas that provide direct help to the people.

"Our recommendations, if implemented properly, will steer the country through the turbulence ahead," Anwar told reporters on the sidelines of the annual budget debate in parliament.

He said the Pakatan Rakyat alliance of opposition parties came up with the plan after the government unveiled its budget in August this year but refused to amend it despite a downturn in the global and local economies.

The proposals call for a 23.83 billion ringgit (6.69 billion dollar) cut in the government's proposed operating expenditure of 154.17 billion ringgit (43.25 billion dollars) with additional savings by reducing corruption and mandating open tenders for government procurement.

"The aborted 1.13 billion crooked scenic bridge, a nine billion ringgit undersea cable-tracking project and a 15.2 billion high speed broadband project, all this has got to be shelved," Anwar said.

He said the money could then be put into improving education standards, strategic public transport initiatives, home ownership and fighting crime.

However, his budget proposals are unlikely to be accepted by the Barisan Nasional coalition government which control two-thirds of the house and does not normally work with the opposition in formulating laws and policies.

A resurgent opposition scored a big win in March 8 polls when it secured a third of parliamentary seats and control of five states. – msn/Agence France-Presse - 10/23/2008 9:56 AM GMT

Related articles:
Anwar’s options to take power diminishing by M/insider
Anwar no longer in a hurry to take power By Shannon Teoh, M/insider

This is the first BIG step on the way. So do not think of arrival or meeting; they are not yet in sight. How can you reach Brader! There are mountains in the way, and high peaks and deep ditches besides. What you are calling to is very hard on them; for they remain captive to their fancies and never know the real perfections of the Deen – the way of life, the royal road. When they meet you, they say: "We are with you;" but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: "We are really with you: We were only mocking." – So beware!

‘Correct, Correct, Correct team’ in action?

O pretender, what is this?




Isu lompat parti :Minggu pertama sidang Parlimen berlalu sepi

You are all smooth talk and rhetoric. Our house is in ruins. You turn around and around in circles without moving from your spot, as if you were the camel at the mill. Perhaps you have been cursed by one of the saints of Allah.

The eyes of your perceptive faculty have gone blind. You have neglected Allah (swt), so He has let you get lost way along the path. The eye of your intention (niyyat) was one firmly fixed on the road to destination, then your concerns (himmah) multiplied and the wings of your intention ceased to fly, so you were left as a lump of flesh between this world and the next. Now, you need a champion of the truth -- as-sadiq, to pray for you after the reemergence of this legacy ultra force.

Beware! that things do not produce effects by themselves; fire does not burn because of its nature – tabi‘eyyah, nor does water irrigate because of its natural inclination. The fire of Namrod did not burn Abraham (as). Al-Khawlani (ra) was not burned when he was cast into the fire. The salamander is not burned by fire --- so understand.

cetusan-hati : ada ekor, baru cam kepala









thesaurus: pretender (n.) aspirant, leader of the opposition, aspiring leader, candidate, opponent, claimant.

Islam Inside: Hangat di luar… sejuk di dalam

Hangat di luar…sejuk di dalam

‘Tembak menembak’ yang hangat kebelakangan ini fasal pelan pembangkang yang tak jadi-jadi sampai hari ini nak tawan Putrajaya tidak semestinya para pemimpin parti tidak boleh lagi duduk sembang-sembang. Suasananya macam tak ada apa-apa hal ketika Agendadaily rakam detik kandid Menteri Pelajaran Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein dan Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz sedang berbual mesra dengan Naib Presiden PKR, Azmin Ali yang juga Ahli Parlimen Gombak di bilik rehat Ahli Parlimen petang Selasa.- 14/10/2008



Setelah kami melihat dan menyaksikan scene ini maka tidak ada du’a kami selain ucapan: “Ya Tuhan kami, ampunilah dosa-dosa kami dan tindakan-tindakan kami yang berlebih-lebihan dalam urusan kami, dan tetapkanlah pendirian kami, dan tolonglah kami menghadapi kaum yang tidak beriman.’ [3:ali imran:147]

Ekonomi didorong nafsu tamak tidak akan berjaya - Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Okt (Hrkh) - Pemerkasaan ekonomi tidak akan berjaya selagi mana kemajuan dan pembangunan didorong oleh nafsu serta tamak yang bukan kepalang, tegas Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam Perutusan Eidulfitrinya.
"Pertumbuhan ekonomi dan kekayaan harus difahami dan dimaknai dengan pengertian yang lebih luas. Kekayaan tidak boleh berlegar di kalangan segelintir sahaja, ianya harus menjadi pendorong untuk membebaskan masyarakat dari penindasan dan kezaliman.
"Inilah yang kita tegaskan sebagai ekonomi yang manusiawi. Ekonomi yang dibangun di atas prinsip insan sebagai makhluk bermoral dan berakhlak, bukannya semata-mata homo economicus; yang hanya memburu kepentingan diri sendiri," jelas Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) itu.
Menyentuh perubahan yang diusahakan pihaknya, Anwar berkata, perubahan yang ingin dilaksanakan bertapak di atas bongkah-bongkah yang kukuh, jauh sekali dari retorik kosong yang berasaskan kebencian dan persengketaan.
"Kita harus menyedari negara Malaysia bukannya ekabudaya. Kita harus memastikan negara ini tidak ditelan api asabiyyah dan karam dengan sikap taksub melulu. Ingatlah ‘siapa yang menyemai angin akan menuai badai,’” katanya.
Ramadhan, katanya, pastinya mengingatkan kepada kisah Pembukaan Kota Mekah (Fath Mekah).
"Kejayaan Rasulullah s.a.w. yang didokong para sahabat baginda wajar menjadi teladan. Kejayaan tersebut sudah tentu tidak datang sekelip mata. Dua tahun sebelum kejayaan membuka Kota Mekah, satu perjanjian yang dikenali sebagai Perjanjian Hudaibiyyah telah dimeterai di antara Rasulullah s.a.w. dengan wakil kaum Quraisy," katanya.
Tidak sedikit yang merasa ragu dengan perjanjian tersebut, kata Anwar lagi, namun ternyata ada hikmahnya di sebalik kesediaan dan kesabaran Rasulullah s.a.w. di dalam menerima perjanjian tersebut.
"Rupa-rupanya ‘jalan kemenangan sudah jelas nyata.’ Selepas sahaja termeterainya Perjanjian Hudaibiyyah, maka turunlah firman Allah s.w.t. yang berbunyi: Sesungguhnya Kami telah membuka bagi perjuanganmu (wahai Muhammad) satu jalan kemenangan yang jelas nyata. [48 :1 –ed.]
"Ayat ini menghilangkan keraguan umat Islam serta memperkuatkan lagi azam mereka bagi memastikan seruan untuk melakukan islah terlaksana," katanya lagi.
Dengan memulakan ucapan Salam Eidulfitri kepada umat Islam di Malaysia dan seluruh dunia amnya mewakili keluarganya dan segenap lapisan kepimpinan serta akar umbi PKR, Anwar mengakhiri perutusannya dengan berkata "Insya Allah kemenangan yang diredhai menjadi milik kita pastinya, sebagaimana yang dijelaskan di dalam Al Quran, ‘ibarat pohon yang baik, akarnya teguh dan cabangnya menjulang ke langit (Ayat 24, Surah Ibrahim)’"

teks penuh perutusan beliau: Perutusan Eidulfitri 1429 Hijrah; foto ehsan dinmerican

Kerajaan Baru 916: Insya-Allah, Anwar mampu melakukannya!

siku harakahdaily: Detik mula perubahan ke arah kerajaan baru 16 September
Sekarang ini Barisan Nasional menghadapi masalah paling besar. Hasrat Umno untuk kekal berkuasa dengan mengekslpoitasikan isu Melayu dan agama diketepikan rakyat.
Gerakan sepatutnya berfikir semula untuk meneruskan hasrat keluar BN.
MCA yang terbahagi kepada dua pendapat, semakin cenderung meninggalkan BN
Kedudukan Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi terumbang ambing, Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak pula hampir pasti tidak berpeluang menjadi PM.
Parti Umno yang sedang menghadapi mesyuarat bahagian dan pemilihan Majlis Tertinggi sekarang semakin hampir terkubur.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mungkin patut memikirkan secara serius untuk berhijrah keluar negara,
manakala Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, Mohamed Ezam Md Nor dan para kroni mereka harus bersedia menelan segala muntah dan sumpah seranah yang dihamburkan kepada Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Ada seorang lagi pembelit besar yang tiba-tiba menyerang Anwar tanpa memikir risiko yang bakal menimpanya. Dato' S. Nallakaruppan. Adeii Nalla..yenge poringge..? (Mana lu mau pergi). Mana lu mau taruk lu punya muka sekarang!
Hari ini pemimpin-pemimpin utama Umno/ BN terpaksa berhadapan secara 'live' dengan Anwar dan rakan-rakan dalam Pakatan Rakyat.
Sejak dari PRU 8 Mac lepas, laluan mereka di Parlimen tidak lagi mudah. Mereka semakin sukar sekarang ini berhadapan dengan Anwar – PM yang dinanti-nantikan.
Mulai hari ini, usaha membentuk Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat semakin hampir. Itulah kehendak rakyat sebenarnya. Insya-Allah, Anwar mampu melakukannya! - mks.

Yahoo!.. Sworn Into Parliament, Anwar Launches Attack Against Badawi, Najib & Co.

afp/msn m’sia: Malaysia's Anwar returns to parliament
"I'm glad to be back after a decade," Anwar told a press conference, attacking Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has faced calls to quit since March elections in which the opposition gained unprecedented ground.
"The prime minister has lost the mandate of the country and the nation," Anwar said, calling on Abdullah, his deputy Najib Razak and "all their cronies" to be removed from power.
Asked if he was on track to carry out his plan to secure enough government defectors to oust the ruling coalition by September 16, he said "Yes".

m/insider: Anwar’s back in Parliament
Dressed all in black, including his songkok, as is required for the swearing in of an MP, Anwar later told the press that "everyone wanted me to take an oath, so it's done", a double entendre alluding to earlier calls for him to swear on the Quran to counter sodomy allegations reiterated in a similar oath taken by his accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Saying that he was glad to be back after a decade of "being denied of my rights, although it's been good that Azizah has been holding the fort as MP for Permatang Pauh and opposition leader," referring to his wife and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
"I feel I am vindicated after all these personal attacks just to deny me — at all cost, Anwar must not be allowed to return to Parliament. But the people of Permatang Pauh are wise enough to want to see me in Parliament. All their machination, the might of those in authority, the massive power and billions of dollars cannot alter the minds of Malaysians," he stated.
He also commented on fresh calls for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign, saying that it is up to Umno but "clearly the PM has lost the mandate and the Deputy Prime Minister who spearheaded the campaign has been rejected outright. It's not just them but the entire Umno and their cronies who have amassed billions from the people".
the star: Anwar challenges DNA Bill
After Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN - Pasir Salak) interjected to ask Dr Siti Mariah whether the Bar Council "was a credible body" in the first place to cast doubts on the Bill, Anwar stood up.
"Don't Yang Berhormat agree with me that the one with no credibility is the corruption-ridden Government?
"This is the Government which tabled a Bill last Monday, giving no opportunity to MPs, including those of friends from the other side, to study it, and presented it with malicious intention.
"This is a Bill which has seen opposition from both the Bar Council and non-governmental groups," he said, adding that the Opposition would support any Bill that would benefit the people.
"But we are against the method employed by the Government to push this Bill through without taking heed of the public's voice," he said.

malaysiakini: DNA bill: PKR supremo leads walkout in protest
Pakatan Rakyat MPs staged an angry walkout over the controversial DNA Identification Bill this evening after the government refused to set up a parliamentary committee to study the ‘flaws’ in the new legislation.

Tomorrow…the former finance minister will be in parliament for Friday's reading of the 2009 national budget.

PM-In-Waiting To Be Sworn Into Parliament Tomorrow

Special Report: Anwar's Return
Malaysia's Anwar to be sworn in Thursday
Agence France-Presse - 8/27/2008 3:04 AM GMT
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will be sworn in as a member of parliament on Thursday, his party said, after a landslide by-election victory that ended his decade-long political exile.
Anwar, who was sacked as deputy premier in 1998 and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges, returns to parliament as the head of the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance which controls a third of the lower house.
"The parliament speaker has said Anwar will be sworn in as an MP on Thursday," said Tian Chua, information chief of the Keadilan party which leads the three-member alliance.
"We will all be there to welcome Anwar as the leader of the opposition and the parliament will be very different with his voice," he told AFP Wednesday. "It is a real morale boost for the Pakatan Rakyat in parliament."
Anwar on Tuesday won the by-election in his old constituency of Permatang Pauh with a thumping majority, despite claims of a "dirty tricks" campaign mounted by the ruling coalition to sideline him.
The 61-year-old opposition leader spent six years in jail before the sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004. But he now faces new sodomy charges levelled by a former aide which he says have been concocted by the government.
Anwar has said that the Pakatan Rakyat will be able to form the next Malaysian government by mid-September. He needs to secure the support of 30 government defectors in order to topple the coalition.

Hurrah!.. el-Permatang Pauhi Menghantar Anwar Balik Ke Parlimen Untuk Meneruskan Perjalanan Menakluki Putrajaya

SAH, tanpa ragu-ragu… Anwar menang besar: Majoriti 15,671 – Hurrah!.. Kita Menang! We Won!

Ternyata el-Permatang Pauhi telah menyahut seruan Merdeka Anwar sempena bulan Merdeka ini mendakap semangat merdeka yang sebenar di dada masing-masing untuk Merdeka dari kesengsaraan hidup aqibat KKN yang menghambat pembangunan negara dengan mengundi beliau sebagai wakil mereka di Parlimen.

Dengan menghantar beliau balik ke Parlimen, langkah demokratik terakhir di kalangan rakyat telah termakbul – syukur al-hamdulillah . Kini, langkah seterusnya adalah tindakan parlimen Anwar memenangi hati dan fikiran Ahli-ahli Parlimen BN untuk menyeberang ke kem beliau, Pakatan Rakyat, bagi menggapai matlamat menakluki Putrajaya pada 16 September mendatang – insya’Allah.

Rakyat melalui el-Permatang Pauhi telah membuka jalan buat Anwar ke Parlimen, maka kini adalah menjadi tanggungjawab Ahli-ahli Parlimen pula untuk membuka gate buat beliau ke Putrajaya.

Adalah amat bijaksana bagi Ahli-ahli Parlimen BN memberi laluan mudah buat Anwar ke Putrajaya dengan menyahut seruan beliau menyeberang ke kem Pakatan Rakyat sebagaimana rakyat melalui el-Permatang Pauhi menyahut seruan beliau menghantar beliau balik ke Parlimen buat meneruskan perjalanan menakluki Putrajaya.

Setelah rakyat melalui el-Permatang Pauhi menitip Anwar di Parlimen maka janganlah pula Ahli-ahli Parlimen melengah, apatah lagi menyekat perjalanan beliau ke Putrajaya, nanti ditakuti… rakyat mendahului dengan tindakan yang tidak berparlimen dan tidak demokratik – na’uzubillah min zalik.

malaysiakini’s report: Now we have reason to celebrate Merdeka

Exit polls show Anwar won 61 percent of vote

Malaysia's Anwar won 61 percent of vote: party exit polls
Agence France-Presse - 8/26/2008 7:55 AM GMT
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's party said Tuesday its exit polls indicate he has won 61 percent of the votes in a by-election expected to return him to parliament.
"From our exit poll figures and what we are tracking, Anwar is safely leading in the polls and... I think that it is right to say about 61 percent," said Sivarasa Rasiah, vice president of the Keadilan party.
Sivarasa said that Anwar's opponent from the Barisan Nasional coalition, Arif Shah Omar Shah, had garnered about 39 percent of the vote.
"We are still not declaring victory as we will wait for the official election results from the Election Commission," he told AFP.
Polling booths opened at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) and are due to close at 5:00 pm. Official results are expected to be released by 10:00 pm.
Anwar has been widely tipped to win the vote in Permatang Pauh, an electorate in his home state of Penang which he held until he was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998 and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges.
But political pundits said they will focus on the size of the winning margin, compared to that attained by Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who held the seat during his political exile.
"We are expecting Anwar's win to be the same as big as when Wan Azizah contested but we think that it will be less in terms of absolute numbers due to it being a working day for many," Sivarasa said.
Wan Azizah won about 64 percent of votes cast in March general elections. The groundswell of support allowed the opposition to take control of five states and a third of parliamentary seats.
Turnout in March was 81 percent, but Keadilan information chief Tian Chua said only 60 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballot by mid-afternoon Tuesday, and that numbers from ethnic minorities were low.
"Chinese and Indian voters are not coming out as much as we had expected. This could be due to intimidation," he told AFP. "We are trying to round them up to come out and vote."
The opposition has accused the government of stoking tensions between Muslim Malays and the nation's ethnic minorities to try to undermine Anwar, by painting him as a "Chinese agent" who has sold out Malay interests.

"Of course, Anwar Ibrahim."

An AFP reporter at the Penanti polling station where Anwar cast his ballot said that voting got under way peacefully, with good weather expected to increase turnout in a boost for the opposition leader.
Hundreds of his supporters shouted the opposition battle cry of "Reformasi" (reform) as Anwar walked out of the polling station here.
A group of three women in traditional Malay outfits and Muslim headscarves walked out of the voting centre smiling. Asked who they voted for, they said: "Of course, Anwar Ibrahim."
"Our grandparents, parents are all friends of Anwar's parents and grandparents, so we know all these allegations against him are untrue," said 42-year-old housewife Siti Ismail.

AFP’s full report via MSN Malaysia: Malaysia's Anwar tips victory in a critical by-election set to return him to parliament

Malaysians vote in Anwar by-election to return him to parliament

klik gambaq: Anwar Watch - Special Report by MSN Malaysia

Malaysians vote in Anwar by-election

Agence France-Presse - 8/26/2008 12:33 AM GMT
Voting opened Tuesday in a by-election that is expected to return Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to parliament after a decade-long absence.
Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked in 1998 and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges, held the seat of Permatang Pauh in his home state of Penang from 1982-1999.
Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail held the seat during his political exile, and stepped aside to trigger the by-election.
An AFP reporter at the Penanti polling station where Anwar was due to cast his ballot said that voting got under way peacefully, with good weather expected to increase turnout in a boost for the opposition leader.
Security was tight with 200 police on duty at the Penanti station alone, among a force of some 4,500 police who have been deployed amid allegations of misdeeds and attacks on supporters by both sides.
The 61-year-old has accused the government of mounting a dirty-tricks campaign to undermine him, including vote-buying and stoking racial tensions, but has said he is nevertheless confident of victory.
Anwar faces new sodomy allegations levelled by a 23-year-old male aide, which he says have been concocted by the government to thwart his ambitions of seizing power with the help of defecting government lawmakers.
Polling booths opened at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) and are due to close at at 5:00pm. Results are expected to be released by 10:00 pm.
There are a total of 58,459 eligible voters in Permatang Pauh.
Pollsters have said they expect Anwar to win, but that the government's negative campaign may impact on his winning margin, which will be seen as an indicator of his ability to shrug off the sodomy allegations.
However, Anwar has drawn huge crowds during the intense 10-day campaign, including a rally that drew tens of thousands on Monday night.
Roslie Ismail, a 37-year-old factory worker who attended the rally and then came to Penanti to cast his vote, rejected the ruling coalition led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
"I will vote for Anwar, he represents the voice of the people. God willing, he will win," he told AFP.
"I have no more faith in UMNO because there's corruption and abuse of power."

We want change. The future is Anwar. Long live Anwar!

Agence France-Presse - 8/16/2008 6:40 AM GMT
A huge crowd cheered Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim Saturday as he registered for a by-election to return him to parliament, the next step in his plan to become prime minister.
The August 26 ballot in Anwar's home state of Penang is also seen as a test of his popularity after a young male aide accused him of sodomy -- the same charge that saw him jailed a decade ago.
"I am touched by the support. This is an overwhelming support," Anwar said as he arrived at the nomination centre in the Permatang Pauh constituency, which was locked down by barricades and an armed security presence.
Some 30,000 supporters shouted Anwar's battle cry of "Reformasi" or "Reform", and waved party flags, facing off against 5,000 government supporters and trading taunts and insults.
At least 3,000 police including the riot squad were deployed to keep the peace and a police helicopter hovered overhead.
"We want change. The future is Anwar. Long live Anwar!" chanted supporters of the opposition leader, a former deputy premier who was sacked in 1998 and convicted on a sodomy charge that was later overturned.
Anwar, 61, has said the sodomy allegations have been fabricated to prevent him from ousting the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, after March elections that handed the opposition alliance a third of parliamentary seats.
He was formally charged earlier this month, just after his wife vacated the Permatang Pauh constituency -- which she has held since he went to jail -- to allow him to return to parliament after a decade-long absence.
The coalition has fielded a little-known candidate for the by-election and is gloomy about its chances.
"Barisan Nasional is contesting as an underdog. We will continue to work hard. This will be an uphill task. But it is not impossible," said Deputy Premier Najib Razak who attended the nomination day.
The government candidate, Arif Shah Omah, speaks Mandarin and the local Hokkien dialect which is a plus in the multi-racial seat, but is nevertheless unlikely to win the seat which Anwar held from 1982-1999.
In a racial breakdown that broadly mirrors the national population, more than two-thirds of voters in Permatang Pauh are Muslim Malays, alongside Chinese who make up 26 percent and Indians at six percent.
Anwar has said he is still pursuing his plan to wrest power within months, with the help of government defectors, despite the looming sodomy trial.
On Friday, Anwar's accuser Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 23-year-old former volunteer in the opposition leader's office, visited a mosque to swear he was telling the truth and challenged Anwar to do the same.
He also said he was sodomised against his will, although when Anwar was formally accused in court the charge indicated the alleged sex act was consensual.
Anwar said at a rally Friday night that Saiful's action was part of the government plot.
"They are afraid of me being an MP and going on to become the opposition leader in parliament," he said.
Sodomy is a serious offence in Malaysia, a conservative and predominantly Muslim nation, and carries a penalty of 20 years' imprisonment.
Sarimah Ali, a 33-year-old teacher who was among the huge crowd of Anwar supporters, said the renewed allegations were of no concern.
"Nobody believes Saiful. His swearing in the mosque yesterday makes it more clear that it's a government conspiracy to bring down Anwar," she said.

Iran suggests Asia parliament formation

pix: Iran's FM Mottaki speaks to reporters.
Iran suggests Asia parliament formation
Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:47:04
Iran's foreign minister has proposed the foundation of an Asian parliament to play a more active role in the international community.
"The Asian unions including the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) , the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should strengthen convergence within the framework of an Asian parliament with the aim of playing a greater international role," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters in Sri Lanka Saturday.
Mottaki is in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo to attend the 15th SAARC summit. Iran has observer status in the organization.
Mottaki expressed hope that practical measures would be taken in the near future aimed at bolstering political and economic cooperation between Tehran and SAARC member countries.
He said that the expansion of Tehran-Colombo relations would prepare the appropriate groundwork for participation of Iranian companies in various projects in Sri Lanka.
SAARC was established in 1985 to provide a platform for the peoples of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding. It aims to accelerate the process of economic and social development in member states.
Senior officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives Islands, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are attending the two-day SAARC summit. China, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, South Korea and the US are taking part as observers.
SF/MR/BGH

P44 Permatang Pauh: WAWI steps down as MP; DSAI to contest election for wife's seat

Malaysia's Anwar to contest election for wife's seat
Agence France-Presse - 7/31/2008 11:10 AM GMT
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday he would contest a by-election for a parliamentary seat vacated by his wife in a bid to expedite his return to political office.
But party officials said his plans could come to a crashing halt next week, if police arrest him on sodomy charges that the former deputy prime minister says are politically motivated and aimed at derailing his comeback.
"I thank Wan Azizah (Wan Ismail) for stepping down as the member of parliament for Permatang Pauh. The decision was not easy," Anwar told reporters at his Keadilan party's headquarters.
Wan Azizah said she handed her letter of resignation to the parliamentary speaker on Thursday. Party officials said the by-election must be held within 60 days.
Anwar said he decided to contest his hometown seat in northern Penang state to speed up his return to parliament after a 10-year absence, adding that leaders of the other two parties in the opposition alliance supported him.
"I will defend anyone who has been victimised, including Anwar," the president of the Islamic PAS party, Abdul Hadi Awang, told reporters.
The alliance made huge gains in March general elections, seizing control of five states and a third of parliamentary seats.
Anwar has said he will form a new government with the help of defecting lawmakers from the powerful ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
His by-election announcement came after his party said he could face imminent arrest on charges that he sodomised a 23-year-old male aide, charges similar to those that saw him jailed 10 years ago before they were overturned.
"They may arrest him in the next 48 hours. It is aimed to prevent him from contesting a by-election," Tian Chua, the party's information chief, told AFP.
The government responded by saying it did not fear Anwar's possible return to office.
"We are not worried ... we will face it .. he is not a threat. It is a democratic process, good luck to him," Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.
Syed Hamid, who is in charge of internal security, also said police had completed their investigation into the charges against Anwar and forwarded the case file to government lawyers to decide whether to charge him.
But a defiant Anwar said the investigations should be dropped.
"Why should I be charged? For what? They have gone for one month on a fishing expedition and they have not caught anything," he said.
A survey conducted by the independent Merdeka Centre research firm revealed that two-thirds of the 1,030 respondents polled viewed the charges against Anwar as politically motivated, while only 11 percent believed the accusations.
Anwar has rejected the claims by Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, calling him an "outright liar" who was working with others in power to frame him and block his plans to topple the government.

UNDI INFO: PENANG: P44 - Permatang Pauh

No-confidence motion rejected; Opposition MPs walk out

Parti Keadilan Rakyat President Datuk Seri Wan Azizah voices the opposition’s dissatisfaction over the motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister motion rejected by the Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and the police's reaction to the emergency motion by turning Parliament into a “ war-zone”. >>>
KUALA LUMPUR: Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia rejected an emergency motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Cabinet, which prompted a walkout by Opposition MPs.
The motion was filed by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail last Thursday. It was filed as a non-voting motion under Standing Orders 18 (1) and (2).
The motion was rejected in the Speaker's chambers under Standing Order 18 (7). Dr Wan Azizah was informed via a letter.
The matter was not brought up in Dewan.
The motion was rejected by the Speaker due to the "wrong choice of words."
The Opposition MPs walked out after their appeal for him to review his decision was rejected.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders said they were disappointed with Pandikar Amin's rejection of their emergency motion. They also condemned the police roadblocks across the city, saying the action was "unjustifiable."