The result of the Permatang Pauh by-election was a foregone conclusion to many Malaysians. It was the tirade of negative news churned up by the main stream press (MSM) that may have got some worried but overall, Malaysians are now savvy enough not to swallow everything that the government controlled media reports. The question was how much the majority would be.
The government succeeded in denying Anwar Ibrahim a chance to contest a seat for parliament by holding the 12GE in March because he had not completed his 5 year ban from contesting for public office.
The by-election on August 26 was Anwar's second chance to fulfil his promise to the people who had stood by him and the opposition when he was incarcerated and walloped left and right by the BN and the main stream media.
Even then, prior to the by-election it wasn't smooth sailing for Anwar as well. He had to deal with the 'familiar sodomy' accusation by one "Saifool" whose medical report by a doctor says that there was no evidence that "Saifool" was "hentam di balakang".
Due to the outcry over the leaked medical report and the media attention that followed, the poor doctor (Dr. Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid of Pusrawi Hospital) who is a foreigner with P.R. status in Malaysia went into hiding and later fled the country. Does he have a choice? If he had stayed put, he would have been a "guest of the government" and who knows he may be "advised" to do a "Bala" (P.I. P. Balasubramaniam) and retract his medical report.
Anyway, coming back to the Permatang Pauh by-election, it seems the feelings of the people since the March 8 GE have not changed. They are still annoyed with the current government of the day. The main stream media gave an impression that the people are fed-up with what has been going on with the opposition since March 8. Further, there were lots of events happening which the people does not believe to be mere coincidences. The people are not that easily fooled anymore.
The constant harping on race and religion also did not go down well with many Malaysians. We boast to the world that we are truly a multi-racial and multi-religious country where the people live in harmony. All these only look good in the Tourism Ministry promotion brochures but on the ground it's a different story. I really yearn for the days when a person's race and religion meant nothing and we treated each other like brothers and sisters.
Anwar must now play his role as a respected opposition leader who can united the various races in the country. Perhaps, he should also consult with his partners in PAS to rein in their hotheads who seems to be against everything that others like to do or enjoy doing e.g. the coming Avril Lavigne concert. These chaps from PAS must not impose their narrow-minded views on others who happens to be in the majority.
A DAP & PKR coalition is workable but with PAS tagging along both DAP & PKR have to be careful with some of these ultra conservatives in that party.
As for the much talked about change in the Federal government by September 16, I don't see it happening. It's probably mere talk by Anwar just to shake up the BN. I forone would not be too enthusiastic about accepting BN MPs who jumps over to the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. These people have no principles and what guarantee does the P.R. coalition has that these BN dogs will not jump back to BN if a better offer comes their way in the future.
Anwar Ibrahim should exercise patience and wait till the next GE to perform his coup de grace.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
By-election in Permatang Pauh
It is interesting to note that with the impending by-election in Permatang Pauh where Anwar Ibrahim will finally get his chance to slug it out with a candidate to be nominated by the Barisan Nasional.
Already the press is making Anwar to be the Goliath and the BN for once will be playing the uncharacteristic role of David.
As in any by-election, the might of the BN election machinery will be concentrated and focused in one area. The people in Permatang Pauh will soon get to see VVIPs practically living among them and bringing lots of development funds which had previously been hard to get. Almost instantaneously they will be made available. I am sure the people are silently thankful for any by-election regardless who wins.
It has been reported that pouring in millions of ringgit worth of development funds to ensure a victory for its candidate is morally wrong but legally it is not.
Just ask the people in Ijok and they will tell you they did basked in the limelight and enjoyed the massive development and attention given to them in the weeks prior to the by-election in 2007.
In this coming by-election, a political observer (from the BN) was quoted as saying that Permatang Pauh was Anwar's safest bet to get "instant access to Parliament" and with the whole BN machinery focusing on it, Anwar may not have it easy. He further dismissed talk that the BN candidate facing Anwar in the constituency previously represented by him for 17 years would be wiped out and that BN doesn't send out sacrificial lambs.
However, I beg to differ. The BN had indeed sent out a sacrificial lamb to take on the DAP candidate for the Seremban by-election in 1983. The by-election arose when the then MCA President Datuk Lee San Choon resigned from his seat after having narrowly defeated the incumbent Dr. Chen Man Hin of the DAP in the 1982 general election.
Even before the BN could savour the fruits of a hard fought victory they found themselves having to fighta by-election due to Lee San Choon's sudden resignation. The BN was in disarray. After having wrested the seat from the opposition, they could not explain why the MCA President chose to resign.
Nobody high up in the MCA hierarchy was willing to offer themselves as a candidate and eventually the party nominated a leader from its Wanita division to stand against Dr. Chen. Even with the then Deputy PM Datuk Musa Hitam campaigning for her, it was a mismatch all the way.
Now coming to the Permatang Pauh by-election, it seems like only Mohamed Ezam Mohd Nor and perhaps the defeated candidate in the March 8 general election have expressed any interest in contesting. I am sure the other aspiring UMNO candidate would not want to cut their teeth against someone like Anwar.
The next few days should be interesting and the electorate in Permatang Pauh can be assured of massive development projects being implemented in the weeks to come.
Already the press is making Anwar to be the Goliath and the BN for once will be playing the uncharacteristic role of David.
As in any by-election, the might of the BN election machinery will be concentrated and focused in one area. The people in Permatang Pauh will soon get to see VVIPs practically living among them and bringing lots of development funds which had previously been hard to get. Almost instantaneously they will be made available. I am sure the people are silently thankful for any by-election regardless who wins.
It has been reported that pouring in millions of ringgit worth of development funds to ensure a victory for its candidate is morally wrong but legally it is not.
Just ask the people in Ijok and they will tell you they did basked in the limelight and enjoyed the massive development and attention given to them in the weeks prior to the by-election in 2007.
In this coming by-election, a political observer (from the BN) was quoted as saying that Permatang Pauh was Anwar's safest bet to get "instant access to Parliament" and with the whole BN machinery focusing on it, Anwar may not have it easy. He further dismissed talk that the BN candidate facing Anwar in the constituency previously represented by him for 17 years would be wiped out and that BN doesn't send out sacrificial lambs.
However, I beg to differ. The BN had indeed sent out a sacrificial lamb to take on the DAP candidate for the Seremban by-election in 1983. The by-election arose when the then MCA President Datuk Lee San Choon resigned from his seat after having narrowly defeated the incumbent Dr. Chen Man Hin of the DAP in the 1982 general election.
Even before the BN could savour the fruits of a hard fought victory they found themselves having to fighta by-election due to Lee San Choon's sudden resignation. The BN was in disarray. After having wrested the seat from the opposition, they could not explain why the MCA President chose to resign.
Nobody high up in the MCA hierarchy was willing to offer themselves as a candidate and eventually the party nominated a leader from its Wanita division to stand against Dr. Chen. Even with the then Deputy PM Datuk Musa Hitam campaigning for her, it was a mismatch all the way.
Now coming to the Permatang Pauh by-election, it seems like only Mohamed Ezam Mohd Nor and perhaps the defeated candidate in the March 8 general election have expressed any interest in contesting. I am sure the other aspiring UMNO candidate would not want to cut their teeth against someone like Anwar.
The next few days should be interesting and the electorate in Permatang Pauh can be assured of massive development projects being implemented in the weeks to come.
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