KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Why Permatang Pauh?
Why not Lembah Pantai? Or Bandar Tun Razak? Or Gombak?
These are parliamentary seats whose MPs had mentioned vacating their post to make way for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
And the opposition leader himself had announced earlier this week that he would contest the Kulim by-election in Kedah.
So why the change?
Especially since picking such a safe choice would seem to display the opposition's lack of confidence?
But at the heart of it, Anwar's decision to contest in the Permatang Pauh by-election was deliberate, believes Malaysian political analyst James Wong.
He told The New Paper that by taking over a seat from his own wife, Anwar might be trying to prevent the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional from politicising the move.
“If Anwar had taken any other opposition seat, the BN would say he is not giving his own party members face. He is just walking in and taking what they have already fought to win in the last elections,” he said.
“But if it's Dr Wan Azizah giving up her seat... that, people can accept. It's a wife, a family member, offering up her own seat to her husband.”
Besides, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail has always made it clear that she was an accidental politician who was forced to step up to Parti Keadilan Rakyat's top job after her husband's 1998 downfall.
But if the plan is to keep it within the family, why not aim for daughter Nurul Izzah's Lembah Pantai seat?
When the 27-year-old budding politician decided to contest in this year's elections, word within the party was that she would eventually vacate her seat to pave the way for her father's return to politics.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's head of political science, Dr Ahmad Nidzammuddin, feels that Anwar did not want to jeopardise his daughter's political career.
“She beat an Umno veteran (Wanita Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil) for her seat. She has demonstrated that she can perform and has potential to be a politician on her own,” he explained.
But even though winning the by-election will end up being a sure thing for Anwar, picking Permatang Pauh has its problems as well.
Ahmad believes that BN might view Anwar's choice as a sign of “desperation”.
“They will say he's going back there because, of course, he'll win it.”
Already, Umno leaders have scoffed at the move.
Some have said Anwar is trying to distract voters from the sodomy allegations against him.
Tourism Minister Datuk Azalina Othman told the New Straits Times: “They (Anwar and wife) are treating Permatang Pauh as a family playground where they can simply pass the baton as and how they like.”
After all, Permatang Pauh is Anwar's comfort zone — a seat that he held onto for almost four terms before his 1998 jail sentence.
His wife swept into power in 1999 and managed to keep a firm grip on it, even during the “blue wave” of the 2004 elections when BN won more than 90 per cent of the parliamentary seats.
Wong said: “Permatang Pauh is Anwar's home ground. No matter what, there will always be a core of people who will support the hometown boy.”
Added Ahmad: “Barring any technical controversies, he will definitely win, with an even bigger margin than his wife's.”
But Anwar has downplayed Permatang Pauh's significance.
He told the Malaysian media on Friday: “Actually (Selangor Menteri Besar) Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had offered Bandar Tun Razak, so did Azmin Ali with his Gombak seat.
“They are all safe seats, including the one in Kulim.”
Wong has another theory why Anwar has decided to return to his Penang roots — the timing now is just right.
He said: “In 1998, the opposition was dominated by fiery characters like Lim Kit Siang, Hadi Awang and Anwar himself. What was needed was someone to integrate the different parties together.
“Wan Azizah filling the seat was suitable because that role suited her gentle personality.
“Now the winds of change are different. The opposition supporters are feeling the pinch of the fuel hikes and inflation. They are a lot angrier.
“Permatang Pauh voters need someone with a more aggressive stance, someone who is vocal and fiery, and Anwar fits the bill now.”
-TMI
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