Permatang Pauh by-election: A do-or-die mission
Saturday, August 16th, 2008 | 12:59 pm @ SK
After the usual dramas unfolded, it’s now a confirmed three cornered fight between PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim, Barisan Nasional’s Arif Shah Omar Shah and another third independent candidate Hanafi Hamat.
Hanafi is the president of Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (AKIM).
Earlier, former Penang PKR leader Mansor Othman had also submitted his nomination but later withdrew, losing his RM15,000 deposit in the process. He was expected to take up the challenge on behalf of PKR in case of Anwar’s being disqualified as a candidate, as a result of expected objections with regards to Permatang Pauh nomination.
Both Anwar and Arif Shah were accompanied by the heavyweights in their respective coalition, with supporters from both sides chanting shouts of liwat and reformasi, as reported by Malaysiakini.
Undoubtedly, this is going to be a closely watched battle royale for both PKR and BN.
To many of us, the do-or-die or Anwar in this by-election looks to carry much needed weight and hope to shape the future of this country, or in another word, to salvage this ailing nation from the brink of collapse.
As for BN, it’s going to be the first electoral test of the BN-led federal government under the leadership of PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in which the BN suffered the worst defeat ever in the recent General Election with his recent plummeting approval view as shown in a poll survey recently published by the opinion research firm Merdeka Center. Aspiring presidential candidate for Umno Tengku Razaleigh and the rest of unhappy faction in Umno are watching closely, for the result of this by-election is going to determine the early retirement of Pak Lah, who is expected to handover the premiership to his deputy Najib Tun Razak in 2010.
Many of us had done our bit in the recent GE, now it’s time for our anak bangsa Malaysia in Permatang Pauh’s constituency to put a good ending.
Let’s have faith in them that they’re going to vote with their utmost conscience in giving the rest of us and this country a dire need of revival opportunity, subsequently with the returning of Anwar to the parliament and for him to carry out the rest of reform with us - the rakyat.