Ruling BN yet to announce candidate but there is no shortage of willing applicants to challenge ex-DPM for Penang seat vacated by his wife By Hazlin Hassan, The Straits Times PHOTO: AFP
THE battle lines, as expected, were clearly drawn yesterday, judging from the reaction to Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's decision to return to Parliament after 10 years on the sidelines. Government leaders denounced it as an attempt to distract the public from the sodomy allegation made against him, while Datuk Seri Anwar's colleagues in the opposition hailed the move. Yesterday, the Election Commission (EC) was notified by the Speaker of Parliament of the vacancy in Permatang Pauh, Mr Anwar's old ward in Penang that has been held by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail since his 1998 arrest. The former deputy prime minister, who was MP for Permatang Pauh from 1982, was later convicted of corruption and hence disqualified from entering Parliament for five years, a period which lapsed in April. Under the law, a by-election must be called 60 days from the notification. EC secretary Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said it would hold a meeting next Wednesday to determine the dates for nomination and polling, adding that there was no provision that disallowed campaigning or election to be held during the fasting month, which starts on Sept 1. Reacting to Mr Anwar's announcement, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said nobody would stop him from contesting, but added that the government would try hard to wrest the seat back. Deputy Premier Najib Razak, echoing the Prime Minister's stand, acknowledged that the seat was a safe one for Mr Anwar. 'We have to be realistic. It will be tough. We will do our best,' he told reporters. 'We accept his decision. We will face him.' Many Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians also described Mr Anwar's move as a tactic to deflect attention from the allegation of sodomy lodged against him by a former aide, and some accused Dr Wan Azizah of being irresponsible. 'Wan Azizah's action greatly disappoint the voters. It is as if the position is hers and can be handed over to her husband,' said Mr Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysian Chinese Association youth chief. Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein asked: 'Is this a ploy to distract public attention from the sodomy report lodged by his former aide?' He was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia: 'He (Anwar) may well tell the foreign media after this that he was punished for announcing he will contest in the by-election.' Police have completed their investigations in the sodomy allegation, and it is now up to the Attorney-General's Chambers to decide whether to prosecute Mr Anwar. Nevertheless, the opposition leader clearly has the upper hand - at least in the eyes of the public. In a survey of more than 1,000 Malaysians conducted by independent poll firm Merdeka Centre, only 11 per cent believed in the sodomy allegation, while 66 per cent thought it was 'politically motivated'. Mr Anwar may even have gained more ground since his arrest on July 16, as the survey was conducted from July 4 to 14, noted pollster Ibrahim Suffian. 'His arrest could have earned him more sympathy points,' Mr Ibrahim told The Straits Times. The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has not formally announced any candidate for the seat as yet but there is no shortage of willing applicants. One-time blue-eyed boy of Mr Anwar and former youth chief of his Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Mr Ezam Nor, who made headlines when he joined Umno this year, said he was ready to be pitted against the 61-year old opposition leader. Former national mosque imam Pirdaus Ismail, who was Permatang Pauh's defeated Umno candidate in the last two elections, has also put himself forward as a candidate, while pouring scorn on Dr Wan Azizah. 'She was only a sympathy icon because Anwar was behind her all along. It was okay for her not to do her job as she was not judged by her political capacity,' he was quoted as saying by the Malaysiakini online news portal. PKR's opposition partner, Parti Islam SeMalaysia, said it would mobilise its election machinery to support Mr Anwar during the campaigning period. Democratic Action Party adviser Lim Kit Siang said: 'We will support Anwar all the way.' Meanwhile, the candidate himself is not wasting any time. Mr Anwar will kick off his campaign tomorrow in Permatang Pauh. 'We will mobilise all our support to show unity among all the (opposition) coalition members,' said Mr Tian Chua, PKR's information chief. 'It's quite an important, decisive battle,' he told Reuters. DISTRACTION TACTIC 'Is this a ploy to distract public attention from the sodomy report lodged by his former aide? He (Anwar) may well tell the foreign media after this that he was punished for announcing he will contest in the by-election.' UMNO YOUTH CHIEF HISHAMMUDDIN HUSSEIN FULL OPPOSITION BACKING 'We will mobilise all our support to show unity among all the (opposition) coalition member. It's quite an important, decisive battle.' PKR INFORMATION CHIEF TIEN CHUA
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