Anwar won with BIGGER majority

Congratulations Sdr Anwar!

Anwar Ibrahim scored a big victory in the Permatang Pauh Parliamentary by-election on Tuesday with a majority of 15,671 over his main challenger Arif Omar Shah from Barisan Nasional, Malaysiakini reports.

Anwar polled 31,195 votes to defeat Arif Shah who garnered 15,524 votes.

Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (AKIM)'s Hanafi Mamat secured only 92 votes and lost his deposit. Official turnout was 81.01%. There were 447 spoilt votes.

The result was announced by Returning Officer Roslan Yahaya at 10.02pm at the Aminuddin Baki Hall of the Tuanku Bainun Teacher's Institute here.

Below is the update from Malaysiakini:

9.50pm: Final official EC tally -
Anwar: 31,195 votes
Arif Shah, 15,524,
Hanafi, 92.
Anwar won with a majority of 15,671.

Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, won the seat with a 13,388 majority at the March 8 general elections.

The official voter turnout is 81.1 percent, or 47,410 out of 58,459 registered voters - which is much higher than what the EC has stated earlier. There were 599 spoilt votes.

Meanwhile, outside Tuanku Bainun Teaching Institute, thousands of jubilant PKR supporters have gathered to embrace their leader's return to Parliament.

PKR vice-president Azmin Ali is already there to address the crowd numbering some 6,000. Other party leaders like R Sivarasa and Tian Chua were also there.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and PAS' Husam Musa were also there.

Anwar also addressed the ecstatic group of supporters, thanking voters for their support. Tian said that the overwhelming victory showed that "the prime minister's racial politics is bankrupt".

"I thank the voters and consider this as a very defining moment in our history. This is in pursuant to the clamour and demand for change that you have seen during the March 8 general election," he told a packed press conference after he was declared as a winner. (Read here)

The EC made the official announcement at 10.05pm. Only Anwar and Hanafi were present at the announcement. Also present was Wan Azizah.

After the announcement was made, Anwar said that he was touched by the victory.

The victor immediately went to meet his supporters after that.

Read Kuda Ranggi's entry: Permatang Pauh - tamparan hebat kpd Pak Lah dan Najib

Polling starts in Permatang Pauh - Malaysiakini

Malaysiakini …

goes live today with the by-election coverage, giving updates on the voting and other happenings in this constituency. Please click 'Refresh' or 'Reload' in your browser for the latest reports from Permatang Pauh. (read also Polling day blog by MAFREL here)

Polling over, counting to start soon

5pm: Polling ends for the Permatang Pauh by-election.

4.35pm: Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is understood to have left Penang to Kuala Lumpur, an early indication that the premier has accepted defeat and has no reason to stay back.

4.25pm: Voter turnout stands at 53.5 percent, according to EC secretary Kamaruzaman at 3pm.

He also denied rumours that the EC had extended the voting hours to 6pm. Polls will close at 5pm.

2.35pm: PKR vice-president Azmin Ali wants all party supporters to use motorcycles to go to the polling centres due to the massive traffic jams in all roads leading to these centres.

"From the indications we are getting, we are very confident of Anwar's lead," he said.

But he said that traffic gridlock on the narrow roads of the largely rural electorate had disrupted exit polling aimed at determining how voters cast their ballots.

"It is so bad that it's very hard for us to determine accurate exit polls due to the large number of people filling the polling centres and the long jams outside," he told AFP.

2.30pm: A worried-sounding BN candidate Arif Shah urged voters to come out to vote.

2.20pm: Malaysians for Free and Fair Election (Mafrel) spokesperson Ong BK said the election watchdog has recorded three cases of voters' names missing from the electoral roll this morning.He said these complainants have all voted in the previous elections but could not find their names on the roll today.

In one case, the complainant found his name missing despite his wife being allowed to vote."We don't know whether this is going to be a pattern as we have to continue to monitor the process until polling is closed" he told Malaysiakini.

1.27pm: The rain has stopped in certain areas, the traffic situation has improved in some parts and voters seem to be taking their time off for lunch first.

1.15pm: All roads leading to voting centres are going nowhere! Traffic has come to a standstill in most parts of Permatang Pauh.Najib attributed the massive traffic jams at the centres to narrow roads and on voters coming out early to vote.

1pm: Election Commission secretary Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said voter turnout as at noon was 44.8 percent.However EC deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar told Malaysiakini that he estimated the turnout to be at about 53 percent as at 1pm.

12.55pm: Eyewitnesses claim of a tense situation at the SMK Penanti polling centre between supporters of BN and PKR over the former's pondok panas which is located very close to the polling centre. [See map]

The situation is still under control but the respective supporters are continuing to trade barbs. The police are keeping a close watch.

12.30pm: Najib says he is happy with the polling so far."No untoward incidents so far and everything is under control," he told reporters in Seberang Jaya.He also visited a BN pondok panas at the polling centre in Seberang Jaya, talking to party workers and volunteers.

12.10pm: As predicted it's raining in Permatang Pauh now!

11.20am An Election Commission official says that they are not allowed to reveal details of voter turnout."Only EC secretary Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor can give those details," she said when contacted.Kamaruzaman is presently on his rounds visiting the polling centres.

11.05am PKR polling agent at SK Seberang Jaya 2 Rodziah Ismail confirmed that there were no discrepancies in the electoral roll used in the polling station. She said that only the pages were different in the roll used today as compared to the previous one.

11am: The crowd at SK Sri Penanti has dispersed. However a small group of around 300 still remain at a distance. Police are keeping a watchful eye on them. No ntoward incident has been reported.

10.52am: Third candidate Hanafi Hamat told malaysiakini that he was on the way to visit a polling station in Kubang Semang.

"I think I have chance to win," he said.

"But even if I lose, it's okay as our message has gone down to the voters. They are aware of our message," he added.

10.42am: Penang police chief Ayub Yaakob is at the scene at SK Sri Penanti. The crowd is given five minutes to disperse. The FRU are slowly moving the crowd out of the place. PKR information chief Tian Chua is also at the scene, asking the police to give more time for their supporters to be there.

10.30am: A PKR supporters is arrested for allegedly throwing an object to the BN side at SK Seri Menanti polling centre. There are about 1,000 supporters from both BN and Pakatan still gathered at this centre. They are kept afar on either side of a road opposite the centre.

Eye-witnesses say that there are about 600 Pakatan supporters as opposed to 400 from BN. They are very boisterous. At least nine truck-load of Federal Reserve Unit personnel are on standby at the place.

10.10am: "I hope to take oath in Parliament tomorrow," said a highly-confident Anwar.

"We are entering Parliament with a clear agenda and they (BN) should wake up with the stark realities of the day."

He said that he was receiving a strong support from the people of Permatang Pauh. He said this in a short five-minute speech after casting his vote.

10.05am: PKR's election bureau deputy director Fuziah Salleh told Malaysiakini that they were checking with the Election Commission on the discrepancy in the voters' list at SMK Seberang Jaya 2 polling district.

10am: Anwar and Wan Azizah left after casting their votes.

9.43am: Anwar, accompanied by his wife Dr Wan Azizah, enters the polling centre. He is wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt and a songkok. Wan Azizah will also be casting her vote at SK Seri Menanti.

9.38am: Anwar arrives at SK Seri Menanti

9.35am: At SK Seri Menanti, almost all voters are using the PKR line to check their status before voting. Exit poll shows nine out of 10 favoured Anwar.

9.31am: Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Gerakan acting president Koh Tsu Koon are at SK Seberang Jaya 2 polling centre where they bumped into Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and DAP leader Lim Kit Siang. The political leaders shook hands and exchanged greetings. However their respective supporters were less cordial, with the Pakatan group shouting ‘Altantuya! Liar! Cheater!' at Najib. BN supporters responded by shouting 'Hidup Barisan!'

9.10am: A PKR alert states that the voters' list used in the SMK Seberang Jaya 2 polling district is different from that given earlier.

It is however learnt that only the page numbers are different, but with the same list of voters.

9.05am: The crowd at SK Seri Penanti has now swelled to about 1,000, with almost two-thirds of them being from Pakatan. They are waiting for Anwar to arrive to vote.

8.45am: BN and Pakatan Rakyat supporters have started gathering at SK Seri Menanti where Anwar will be casting his ballot. About 300 Pakatan supporters have been teasing and mocking their rivals from the BN camp. The 50-odd BN men are also not slow to retort,singing away ‘liwat' songs. Pakatan supporters respond by chanting ‘Altantuya'.About 30 voters are also in line to vote here.

8.30am: There are about 70 supporters from both sides at SK Seberang Jaya 2. Anwar supporters are seen with a mask of him, goading the BN supporters. Bantering between the two sets of supporters are jovial and in good mood

8.08am: BN's Arif Shah is among the earliest to vote. His polling centre at SK Seberang Jaya 2 is close by to his house. He told reporters that he was confident of winning today.

"I voted at 8.08am as eight is a good number for me," he told reporters with a beaming smile. His wife Latifah Asmawi and son Izwan Shah also cast their votes with him.

8am: Polling starts. Almost all polling centres have voters milling around to vote early.

7.30am: It's polling day in Permatang Pauh, with a total of 58,459 voters who can vote to determine their chosen elected parliamentarian.

The contest to be the elected MP is among PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, Barisan Nasional's Arif Shah Omar Shah and little known Hanafi Hamat from Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim).

This has been Anwar's fort since 1982 and in his absence in the past 10 years, the seat has been held for him by his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The by-election is necessitated by Wan Azizah's decision to vacate the seat in July 31, to allow her husband a way back into the Parliament.

Permatang Pauh has three state seats under it - the BN-held Seberang Jaya, PKR's Penanti and PAS' Permatang Pasir.

Arif is also the state representative in Seberang Jaya.

There are 25 polling centres, with 110 polling stream - all opened for voting since 8am. They will remain open until 5pm.

The weather in Permatang Pauh is clear and sunny. However, rain is expected throughout the day. Voters are being reminded to be ready with their umbrellas and raincoats.

It has been constantly raining in the evenings in this constituency for the past week- Malaysiakini http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/88579

Perak Exco member remanded for two days

Perak PKR state executive councillor Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi was today remanded for two days to assist the ACA in their investigations into a RM180 million housing project scandal.

The state cabinet member was taken to the Ipoh magistrate's court this morning where the two-day remand order was made, reports Malaysiakini.

He was arrested at 10.30am yesterday morning when he surrendered himself to the ACA.

Jamaluddin (PKR-Behrang), the exco for entrepreneur development, agriculture and commerce was among six detained yesterday for alleged graft in relation to a RM180 million housing project in Seri Iskandar, about 30-minute drive south of Ipoh. yesterday following a public tip-off. (read here)

Perak Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin told reporters yesterday that those who have been remanded are innocent until proven guilty.

"They are remanded for investigations and no charges have been laid against them... Let natural justice takes its course," he told reporters.

The incident is expected to send the Perak government into turmoil as the Pakatan Rakyat government only holds a slim three-seat majority over Barisan Nasional

Meanwhile, PKR deputy leader Syed Husin Ali said the manner the arrests were made "indicates the possibility that the individuals involved may have been victims of entrapment".

"The timing of this incident also gives reason to suspect a political motive given our close proximity to the by-election in Permatang Pauh," he said in a press statement yesterday.

The PKR leader called on ACA to conduct a "thorough, transparent and professionally conducted investigation" into the matter.

"If the investigation proves that alleged misconduct did in fact occur in this matter then PKR and our partners in the Pakatan Rakyat will take swift action against those involved in any impropriety consistent with our commitment to good governance, transparency and accountability." - Excerpts from Malaysiakini .

Read Tulang Besi's (of Malaysia Waves) entries : Entrapment in Perak and Relation to Permatang Pauh here and When BPR is Practicing Selective Investigation: Perak Entrapment Case here.

(I applaud the ACA for its good work. Very efficient too, mah, If these exco members are guilty, their place is in jail. No two ways about it. But until then, they are innocent until proven guilty. And I hope the ACA will continue to carry out its duty without fear or favour…and catch those who abuse their public office... irrespective of party affiliations.)

Permatang Pauh: Claims, counter charges and the goodies roll in …

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he amended the Education Act while he was Education Minister in 1996 to ensure that Chinese schools were recognised as part of the national education system.

When PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was Education Minister, he did not dare make such a decision because he wanted to remain popular with the Malays, (read here) he said.

“So please believe me when I say that we will be fair to the Chinese. Universiti Teknologi Mara should not be an issue,” he told the Chinese community in Butterworth in reference to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's proposal to allocate 10% of the university's intake to non-bumiputras.

During the function, Najib also approved a RM500,000 allocation requested by the villagers for an indoor basketball court. He also said there would be good news in the 2009 Budget.

On Sunday Najib made a plea to the Indian and Chinese voters to support the Barisan Nasional by voting in its candidate, Arif Shah, and to reject the Opposition.

Admitting that that they had been abandoned by the coalition, he told them not to gamble the future of their children by supporting the opposition candidate who had been making false promises.

The BN, he said, would champion the Indian and Chinese communities' cause in the constituency as they had been neglected by the opposition. (The PKR has been holding Permatang Pauh Parliamentary seat since the 1999 G.E)

This what he had promised, in particular to the Indian voters that:

* a newly-set special cabinet committee to look after the well-being of the Indian community increase the educational opportunities of the Indian community,
* vocational and skills training courses were conducted for those living in the estates.
* Tamil primary schools with less than 50 students each were to be merged to enable the government provide better facilities for the students.

He also announced aid for six Chinese primary schools. (Malaysiakini - Goodies roll in, RM1 mil for Chinese schools).

Below is an excerpt from Malaysiakini

Goodies roll in…from all sides

On the PKR front, Anwar Ibrahim made an impromptu visit to Kampung Jalan Baru in Seberang Jaya, where some 100 households were affected by the flash flood.

During his brief visit, the opposition leader made a few stops at some houses and visited the affected families.

After he left, a team led by the party’s Kedah chief senator Zamri Yusuf handed out rice packets and hampers to the families amounting to about RM6,000. However, no cash was given.

Zamri told reporters that the aid was from a donation drive initiated by party members after the incident yesterday.

Also present was PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. The former MP for Permatang Pauh said this was not an unusual practice as she used to give out such aid in her capacity as a parliamentarian before.

A check with the locals however revealed that they have not received such aid before, apart from a sum of RM300 they had allegedly received from Arif Shah during the 2004 general election.

Anwar launches election slogan

Earlier today, Anwar launched his election slogan called 'mermerdekakan rakyat’ (independence for the people) at an event held in Seberang Jaya witnessed by about 200 supporters.

Standing on a lorry and against the backdrop of a huge board carrying the words ‘this country does not belongs to Umno or BN, it belongs to the rakyat,’ Anwar appealed to the voters to make the right choice.

The opposition leader said somebody asked him why he chose the slogan since the country had gained independence 50 years ago.

"I said the independence is not for ministers or son-in-laws, it should be for the people," he told the audience. He then led the crowd in chanting ‘merdeka’ three times.

At a press conference later, he said Pakatan Rakyat will review projects which do not benefit the rakyat should it come into power.

As examples, he cited the RM15.2 billion high-speed broadband service project announced recently, the double-tracking railway and the undersea cable projects.

"(These projects are awarded) at a time when people complain of suffering and when the economy is not picking up, they (the leaders) are losing their sense of priority," he said.

Under the Election Offences Act 1954, a candidate cannot spend more than RM200,000 to contest a parliamentary seat and RM100,000 to contest a state seat.

However, there is a grey area on whether the allocation or goodies handed out by the candidate’s party during election campaigns contradicts any election law.

The Election Commission has previously argued that these developmental allocations are not a form of bribery.

Read The Ancient Mariner's take : Now or never here and Magick River's Trawling the Malaysian Blogosphere here.

On the eve of nomination day, Saiful dropped the bombshell…

.. .by swearing on the Quran claiming that he was sodomised by the de facto Opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

Such perfect timing indeed!

But Saiful - in a press conference held in a hotel after having sworn on the Quran in the Federal Territory Mosque - denied that the timing of his statement was politically motivated, claiming that he was telling the truth.

Appearing for the first time in public since lodging a report on June 28 against Anwar, he said he was not a consenting partner in the alleged crime.

He also said that it was the first time he was sodomised by the former deputy Prime Minister, but refused to answer question on how many times he was sodomised. (Didn’t he say that he had been sodomised several times? )

“It’s a politicall gimmick,” Anwar responded when told of Saiful ‘s religious oath. ( Malaysiakini - Anwar questions accuser's timing.)

“One day after the Election Commission (EC) announced the date for the Permatang Pauh by-election they charged me in court for consensual.

"Now, on the eve of nominations for, this guy is swearing on the Quran. What is the motive for all this?" exclaimed Anwar.

According to Anwar, this is nothing more than a ‘dirty trick’ by Umno and goes to show that they are desperate.

The EC announced on Aug 6 that nominations for the Permatang Pauh by-election would be held tomorrow.

Below is an excerpt from Malaysiakini

Saiful's bombshell

This evening, Saiful dropped a bombshell on his former employer when he surprised everyone by taking a religious oath.

After declaring the authenticity of his allegations in the mosque, the former PKR volunteer proceeded to give his first press conference in a hotel at Jalan Ipoh.

Flanked by his father and lawyer, Saiful said that the timing of his "revelations and oath-taking" was not politically motivated and that it was his own undertaking.

He also said it was a coincidence that he was making this revelations one day before the nominations for the by-election.

And here are the questions posed to Saiful and his answers during the press conference.

Saiful: Sodomy wasn't consensual

Who witnessed the oath-taking at the mosque?
Saiful's lawyer Zamri: All the FT Mosque imams.

Where have you been hiding all this time?
Saiful: I've not been hiding but I was quietly gathering enough courage to answer all the allegations against me, especially by Anwar Ibrahim.

Why did you pick today and the FT Mosque?
I've been intending to do this for some time now but it needs mental and spiritual strength as taking an oath is not something trivial or easy. The consequences can be very dire in the eyes of God. Nevertheless, Allah has given me the strength to take the oath today.

Is it because tomorrow is the nomination date for Permatang Pauh by-election?
No.

How do you feel after taking your oath?
I feel relieved and for the first time, I feel that I've been given the strength by Allah to face reporters.

Was it consensual?
I wish to stress here that it was done without my consent.

Do you intend to campaign in Permatang Pauh?
This is not a political matter, it is a private matter between me and Anwar Ibrahim.

Are the allegations you've made against Anwar frivolous?
Everything happened without my consent.

Some people have said that you were sodomised more than once?
I will answer that in court later.

Were you examined at Hospital Pusrawi?
I will answer that in court later.

Why did you go to Hospital Pusrawi first?
I will answer that in court later.

You did go to Hospital Pusrawi, right?
I will answer that in court later. I'm not like Anwar Ibrahim and do not wish to conduct a trial by media. I will give my statement in court and cooperate with them later.

Is this the first time you have been sodomised?
Yes, first time.

The timing of your swearing is very close to the nomination date for the Permatang Pauh by-election. Please explain.
It's all a coincidence. We don't know that Anwar is going to contest and I wish to stress here that I need strength and God has given it to me now. It so happens that it is Friday today. (We/he didn’t know? Liar! Didn't you wish him 'good luck' in your blog on Aug 1st? 'Kepada DSAI, saya mengucapkan selamat bertanding! ' Read here and here).

Were you ever in love with Anwar?
No.

Have you made a police report and can we have a copy of it?
I made the police report at 5.30pm but at 6.30pm it's already everywhere via the SMS and Internet. I wrote the police report myself.

How many times and why did you go and see Najib Abdul Razak?
I will answer that in court later.

Read also: Malaysiakini's Hadi: Saiful's swearing a stupid act here.

(This is an act of sheer desperation. How low can they go? Using virtually every trick to stop Anwar from contesting the by-election. Saiful, you’re a downright liar. Stop invoking the name of Allah. You are making a mockery of Islam. You got the strength from the people who are giving you protection lah. This whole episode is a private matter between you and Anwar, you said. Then why the hell did you tell the whole world (and blogged about it too) that your butt had been poked? Moron!)

"I can defeat Anwar"...

...says Datuk Arif Omar Shah (left), the chosen BN candidate who will be taking on the PKR de facto leader in the Permatang Pauh Parliamntary by-election on Aug 26.

"I am confident of winning even if not by an overwhelming majority," Arif Shah declared after he was named the BN’s choice on Thursday night. (Malaysiakini read here)

He added that Anwar should be contesting in Kuala Lumpur since the PKR leader was now Klang Valley based - instead of contesting in Permatang Pauh

BN's Arif: 'Who can defeat Anwar? I can'

...The 52-year-old Arif Shah - who is also the Seberang Jaya state assemblyperson - said his selection was unexpected.

He broke into tears hearing the announcement, and his supporters were up on their feet applauding him. It is not BN's norm to select a by-electioncandidate who is already holding office- in a state assembly or Parliament.

The candidate nevertheless took the podium without haste and declared his readiness for the uphill battle, to the approval of the 1,500-odd BN supporters gathered.

In his short speech - punctuated with Mandarin sentences - he asked voters to give BN a chance and pledged to serve all communities equally.

The Umno man, popular among locals, is known for his constituencyservices and can speak fluent Mandarin, an advantage in BN's bid to woo back Chinese voters.

He successfully defended his state seat in the last general election, whilst his Umno colleagues faltered. - Malaysiakini

(All I can say is, all the best to you, Datuk, Just play it clean! Read here)