Anwar to contest Permatang Pauh -Malaysiakini

Jul 31, 08 3:16pm

BREAKING NEWS! Anwar Ibrahim will contest a by-election in the Permatang Pauh Parliamentary seat which will be vacated by his wife, PKR leader DrWan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Wan Azizah told a packed press conference this afternoon that she will be resigning her position as member of parliament for the seat but will retain her post as PKR president.

"I have submitted my resignation letter to House speaker today," she said.

A calm Wan Azizah told the journalists that the people in Permatang Pauh have a special affinity to Anwar, who have been their elected representative eviously.

Anwar said that other party leaders had offered their seats to him but he preferred Permatang Pauh.

He said that, among others, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim had offered him his Bandar Tun Razak seat, just as party vice president Azmin Ali had offered his Gombak seat.

"After discussion with party leaders, I have decided to go for Permatang Pauh," he said.

He added that he had informed his decision to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang who had given his full support.

Anwar, who is seeking a parliamentary comeback after an absence of 10 years, has been shopping for a seat to contest after the expiry of a five-year ban from active politics.

The Election Commission will be required to call a by-election within 60 days.

Permatang Pauh has been held by Anwar for 17 years since he joined Umno in 1982.

Wan Azizah took over as MP for the seat after her husband was sacked from Umno in 1998, and was subsequently jailed on charges of corruption and sodomy.

In the 2008 general elections, she won the seat for a third term with a majority of 13,388. Anwar had earlier said that he would contest in Kulim-Bandar Baharu seat if a court orders a by-election in the Kedah seat.

The High Court is to hear a challenge on Aug 19 asking it to invalidate the result in the seat that was won by his PKR in March 8 general elections. However, uncertainty over possible delays in the court decision was a key factor in the change of mind.

In resigning her seat, Wan Azizah could be slapped with a five-year ban from running in another election. Her decision today will likely mean an end to her 10-year political career.

Anwar was also asked what would happen if he is to be charged with sodomy in relation to the police report lodged by his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 28.

"What charge?" he retorted.

"They have nothing to charge me with. They have been fishing for almost a month now and they haven’t caught any fish yet. Maybe they would catch a coconut and assume it’s a fish."

However, there are fears that he could be arrested. (read here)

"They may arrest him in the next 48 hours. It is aimed to prevent him from contesting a by-election," Tian Chua, PKR information chief, told AFP.

The government responded to today's announcement 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 confirmed that police have completed their investigation and have submitted their findings to the Attorney General’s Chambers to determine if a criminal charge should be levelled against the PKR leader.

Even if he was arrested and charged, Anwar can still run in the by-election as he would only be disqualified if he was found guilty and slapped with at least a two-year jail sentence and/or fined more than RM2,000.

Present at the press conference to show support were also two of Anwar’s daughters, Lembah Pantai MP Nurrul Izzah and Nurul Nuha as well as PKR deputy-president Dr Syed Husin Ali and vice-presidents R Sivarasa and Azmin Ali.

Other who were there included Cheras DAP MP Tan Kok Wai who was there to represent the party leadership.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/87047

Read Rocky'sBru2 Husam welcomes Anwar back in Parliament : here

Cabinet didn't approve of indelible ink - Rashid

Update:

No Instruction For EC To Scrap Ink Plan, Says Abdullah

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi has denied that it was the government who had instructed the Election Commission (EC) to scrap its plan of using indelible ink in the last general election.

Abdullah said, although in principle the government made the decision, it was delivered in the form of an opinion and not instruction.

But EC which handles elections in Malaysia has the final say, he said

He was commenting on a statement by EC Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman that the Cabinet did not approve the use of indelible ink although the EC had initially agreed to use it.

"The election ran smoothly, the results have been announced and everybody has accepted it so, why should it be made an issue," he said. Read the Bernama report here

(So who's telling the truth? Obviously one of them is lying.)


Earlier report:

Remember the announcement made by the Election Commission three days before the March 8 polls that the indeilible ink was not going to be used on polling day citing public order and security reasons?

Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said then the EC was obliged to make a firm and final decision to ensure the smooth conduct of the 12th general election.

Of course, we didnt buy the reasons given and the only conclusion we could make from the announcement was that the Barisan was losing big time on the ground and resorting to using another dirty trick, (read here and here)

Today Rashid dsiclosed that it was the Cabinet's decision not to approve the use of use of indelible ink during the March 8 election and he was told to take responsibility for agreeing to it.

"The Cabinet gave two very strong reasons why they did not agree to it – security and the law - Article 119, concerning the basic right for everyone to vote, and I agreed with them," he said.

It’s not easy being EC chairperson. I took the rap over the years,” Abdul Rashid said, adding that the commission wanted a review of election regulations.

He said that the commission should have a bigger control over the electoral process under Article 113 to Article 120 of the Federal Constitution. To continue, read here

We never cheat...we did well and we worked hard - Pak Lah

The Prime Minister said this in response to allegations by the Opposition that the Election Commission's (EC) decision not to use indelible ink on polling day Saturday was a ploy by the Barisan Nasional(BN) to cheat.

"There is no such thing, we never cheat. We have been successful not because we cheated, we did well and we worked hard," he said. (Right! Who're you kidding Pak Lah!. Please read here , here , here and here.

Here's the report.

Abdullah: Retracting Ink Use Not A Ploy, Opposition Using It As Excuse

KOTA KINABALU, March 5 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today lambasted the opposition which claimed that the decision not to use indelible ink on polling day Saturday was a ploy by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to cheat.

"There is no such thing, we never cheat. We have been successful not because we cheated, we did well and we worked hard," he said.

He said that the opposition would now use the Election Commission's (EC) decision yesterday as the "best excuse" if they lose in the election.

"Now the opposition is happy because now they have an excuse to tell the whole world why they cannot succeed in the election. It's the best excuse for them," he told reporters after a meet-the- people session at Kian Kok secondary school here, today.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman yesterday announced the decision to scrap the indelible ink plan for the election following legal advice, and to ensure security and public order.

He said that investigations following a report to the police had confirmed that irresponsible groups had bought the ink from abroad to persuade and bribe those who were not so sure about the use of the ink by smearing ink on their fingers even before they voted.

Asked if BN was unhappy that the indelible ink ruling was not implemented, Abdullah, who is also Barisan Nasional chairman, said:

"Well, we would have certainly welcomed such a move, but if it cannot be done we cannot just forget our election... election is election and we go ahead."

"We (BN) have won many elections before, this is not the first time, it's not even a second or third time, it's the twelfth time... the election has been conducted very well, it's the same, and the person who is the Election Commission chairman is very experienced man, who has done well before.

"But these people (the opposition) have a lot of excuses, now they accuse that they are being cheated," he said.

To another question on promises made by the opposition to win votes, such as promising a second Deputy Prime Minister from Sabah if they won the polls, he said the opposition was fond of making promises because they knew they could not win.

"They promise all sorts of things, if they don't get it (win), then they would say sorry we can't do it because the BN cheated us.

"In the first place, they don't have a chance of winning because they are not contesting all the seats to form the government. They just want to deprive us (the BN) of the two-third majority, and with that kind of objective, they were talking about electing the second Deputy Prime Minister.

"The opposition make all sorts of promises, but they are all false. Promises that cannot be kept and made only to make the rakyat happy," Abdullah added.

The Prime Minister said that the BN government did not have to make false promises as it already had the Ninth Malaysia Plan and evidence of success from other projects and programmes.

Asked on the level of cooperation among BN component parties in Sabah, Abdullah said that although the level of cooperation was good, there was still room for improvement.

"They (Sabah BN component parties) have improved. They have to work together because the most important is only when the party wins, can we form the government.

"We want to form the government because we would like to carry on what we started, money allocated and machinery set up," he said.

Abdullah also expressed confidence that the people of Sabah would make the right decision to support the BN come Saturday.-- BERNAMA

Another dirty trick by the EC - use of indelible ink cancelled...

...and 47,000 bottles of ink costing over RM2mil of the taxpayers' money have been wasted - gone down the drain.

The question is: why has the use of the ink suddenly withdrawn? Why the about-turn decision at the eleventh hour with polling just a few days away? What has national security and public order issue got to do with the use of the ink?

Here's the full Star report.

The Election Commission has cancelled the use of indelible ink in polling this Saturday, citing public order and security reasons.

Its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said following a meeting held Tuesday, the EC was obliged to make a firm and final decision to ensure the smooth conduct of the 12th general election.

He said provisions to the law needed if the ink was to be used still could not affect the constitutional right of a voter to cast his vote, even a person whose fingernail had been marked with indelible ink or one who refuses to have his or her fingernail marked this way.

"From a practical point of view, the issuance of a ballot paper to such a voter would render the EC's proposal meaningless and will not bring about a positive result, whilst having the potential to create misunderstanding as well as ltercations and arguments at polling stations," he said.

The Federal Constitution gives you the right to vote, and a black mark on your fingernail should not bar you from exercising this right, he said.

Abdul Rashid said there were also reports made to the police confirming that certain irresponsible quarters had purchased indelible ink from abroad with the intention of creating confusion and suspicion as to the status of voters.

"The EC views these issues seriously as the election process and public order and security cannot be compromised," he said.

The use of indelible ink was first proposed last June to safeguard against multiple or phantom voting. Abdul Rashid then said that the system would be subject to amendments to the Election (Conduct of Election) Regulation 1981.

He said indelible ink had been chosen over other measures, such as a biometric system working off the MyKad (chip-based identity card carried by all Malaysians above the age of 12) because such such smartcard readers would have cost about RM60,000 each, and every voting stream would have to be equipped with one. Using such a system would have cost in excess of RM30mil.

The commission bought about 47,000 bottles of the indelible ink, manufactured in India, for RM2mil.

Pak Lah replies, read here and Najib, here .

Read Activists Warn Malaysian Elections Will Be 'Dirtiest Ever' here

It's ' Nomination Day today...

...candidates contesting in the March 8 general election will be trooping to the 222 nomination centres throughout the country accompanied by their respective supporters this morning to submit their papers.

They will be vying for 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats.

The candidates will be given one hour (9-10am) to submit their nomination papers. There will be an hour of objection period before returning officers announce the candidates for the respective constituencies.

For the first time, all election candidates must pay stamp duty on their application forms to contest, a ruling announced by Election Commission (EC) on Thursday Feb. 21 . (read the angry reaction here and EC 's explanation here)

At total of 10,922,139 electorates, including 221,085 postal voters, are eligible to vote for their representatives from the various political parties that will later form the federal and state governments..

The Parliament has 219 seats prior to the dissolution - three new parliamentary seats have been added in this general election (Igan, Sibuti and Limbangl in Sarawak) following the redelinenation of the state's electoral boundaries.

Campaigning period has been extended to 13 days from the previous 10, beginning today (Sunday) until 12 midnight on March 7.

Updates:

Nomination scare for Rafidah: Read here

Double standard Read here

Go to Hantu Laut for Nomination Updates

Election chief says media bias will make Malaysia polls a laughingstock

Election Commission (EC) Chief Tan Sri Rashid Abdul Rahim in an interview with the Associated Press (AF) appears to lend rare support to the Opposition’s complaint of pro-government bias in the press.

The EC needs more power to prevent one-side coverage in the local media or the entire electoral system will become a "laughingstock."

"If you want free and fair elections, if you want a level playground ... you must be able to have that power to level that playground." he said.

"Without that power, then the whole system becomes a laughingstock," he said.

The commission must be able "to control the media when they take sides."

Here's the rest of the interview:

It is rare for any official connected with the electoral process to speak so candidly about the media bias.

The comments are even more surprising coming from Abdul Rashid, who has been criticized by opposition parties for refusing to acknowledge that voting rregularities occur in the country.

"In an election you have to produce what is called an informed choice. That's the principle. People must know who is contesting so publicity must be given to all, not just one section. And there are media bodies that take only one side," he told The Associated Press.

The mainstream media in Malaysia are either government-owned or controlled by the parties in the ruling coalition. They also need annually renewable government
licenses to operate.

This has ensured that virtually every newspaper and television station broadcasts flattering reports of the government. The opposition rarely gets a good mention in the papers.

The Election Commission is supposed to be an independent body, whose members are appointed by the constitutional monarch. But it is largely seen as a pro-government panel that has done little to promote electoral fairness.

Abdul Rashid indicated his hands are tied, saying the commission is in charge only of the electoral rolls and the polling process and has no power to control other irregularities, including vote-buying.

The laws need to be changed to give the commission more muscle, he said.

"Our (electoral) laws have been there for 50 years. After 50 years, I feel there must be some kind of review," he said. "There must be a law ... put in place where the EC is seen to be in full control."

Despite his frank comments that will likely be welcomed by the opposition, Abdul Rashid insisted that the electoral process itself is free, fair and transparent.

He dismissed allegations that electoral rolls, which are vetted by the Election Commission, are filled with names of dead people and people living in other constituencies. These names are used by bogus voters deployed by the ruling party, critics say.

"That never happens here. It cannot happen because the process — the polling, the counting and so on — is so transparent," he said.

"Cheating has never been proven anywhere in this country," he said, adding that the few incidents of fraud that may have taken place have been so minor that they didn't affect election results.

Polls is on March 8

To the polls we shall go, Saturday March 8 - the date announced by EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abul Rahman today.

Here's the report from Bernama:

Malaysians Go To The Polls On March 8

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Polling for the general election will be held on March 8 and nominations on Feb 24, the Election Commission (EC) announced today.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said the election would involve 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats in 12 states except for Sarawak which held its state election in 2006.

He said 10,922,139 were eligible to cast their votes based on the electoral roll gazetted on Feb 5.Abdul Rashid made the announcement at the EC headquarters here at 11.40am.

The announcement was carried live by RTM dan TV3.

BTW, today I received a piece of slip Maklumat Pengundi Pilihanraya 2008 - compliments from the Barisan Nasional - with my IC number, name, address, names of the State and Parliamentary constituencies, my voting centre, and photos of the BN Chairman (Pak Lah) and Selangor MB Dr Khir Toyo, a marked cross next to the Dacing symbol and the words "Undilah Barisan Nasional" below it.

So efficient. No?