moment in time

SEBERANG PERAI (Aug 26, 2008): PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has won the Permatang Pauh by-election with a 15,671 vote majority.

Anwar polled 31,195 votes to trounce rival Datuk Arif Shah of the Barisan Nasional (BN) 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.

The by-election campaign drew global attention as Anwar had called it his first step in helping the Pakatan Rakyat coalition to work towards gaining majority seats in Parliament in order to eventually take over the federal government.

The victory sparked celebrations in the streets of mainland Penang.

Speaking to reporters after he was declared winner at the counting centre in Institut Perguruan Tuanku Bainun here, Anwar said he hoped to be sworn in by Thursday for him to be present as the parliamentary opposition head on Friday when the 2009 Budget is tabled.

He also said he will now work on plans to take over the federal government by Sept 16.

“The people of Permatang Pauh have spoken not only for themselves, but on behalf of all Malaysians that they want change,” he said.

“Now we can work towards building a free press, an independent judiciary, an economy that benefits the vast majority and not a few sons and sons-in-laws.”

He also promised to fight towards an administration that would benefit all races.

The victory, exactly 10 years after he was sacked from Umno and the BN, was dogged by allegations of sodomy against him.

The tone of the campaign was set when just a day before nomination on Aug 16, his accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan swore on the Quran at the Federal Territory mosque that Anwar had engaged in sodomy acts with him.

The key factor in drawing the Malay vote may well have been a confession by an imam who witnessed the swearing that he had been directed to do so. Imam Ramlang Porigi also said he did not believe act of swearing in such a case was legitimate.

Anwar acknowledged that the visible support of PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang in the campaign were critical in his victory.

He also thanked DAP leaders Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng and Karpal Singh for their support.

Kit Siang said the victory was proof that the people were disappointed with prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’ failure to crystallise the reform promises he had made in 2004.

Anwar’s wife and PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had contested and held the seat from 1999 to 2008 when she resigned to make way for him to contest.

Azizah had won the seat by 13,398 votes in the last general elections on March 8.

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