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Doa Tok Guru iringi kempen Anwar di Permatang Pauh

Mursyidul Am PAS, Tuan Guru Dato' Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat berdoa agar Ketua Umum KeADILan, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim diberikan kemenangan oleh Allah pada Pilihan Raya Kecil Parlimen Permatang Pauh 26 Ogos depan.

Di sebalik keuzuran dan kesibukan beliau menghadiri Muktamar Tahunan PAS ke 54 di Ipoh, Tok Guru bergegas ke Permatang Pauh seusai menunaikan solat subuh, untuk menyatakan sokongan yang tidak berbelah bahagi kepada Anwar.

Menteri Besar Kelantan itu tiba di Pusat Penamaan Calon di Institut Perguruan Tuanku Bainun yang terletak di sisi Lebuhraya Butterworth-Kulim Express (BKE) kira-kira jam 9.30 pagi, disambut pemimpin-pemimpin utama Pakatan Rakyat.

Akibat kesesakan lalu lintas, kenderaan rasmi yang membawa Tok Guru terpaksa diletakkan berjauhan daripada pusat penamaan dan beliau dibawa masuk dengan menaiki proton wira milik seorang penyokong PAS.

"Ambo (saya) terlekat dalam jam (kesesakan lalulintas) lama, dari pukul berapa tadi tak boleh masuk," ujarnya yang datang bertongkat ketika disambut penulis.

"Ya Tok Guru, sejak subuh tadi, jam 6.30 pagi orang dah mula berkumpul," kata penulis.

"Pelik ni, ramai sungguh ore (orang)," kata Tok Guru merujuk kepada sambutan yang diberikan kepada calon Pakatan Rakyat.

Menurut Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz, dengan jadual beliau yang begitu padat, beliau berasa amat letih untuk berjalan jauh.

Namun katanya di sebalik kekangan jadual dan kesihatan, beliau tetap berkunjung ke Permatang Pauh kerana amat komited dengan agenda Pakatan Rakyat.

Selain Tok Guru, pemimpin PAS yang hadir memberikan sokongan ialah Naib-naib Presiden, Dato' Husam Musa dan Mohamad Sabu; Bendahari PAS Pusat, Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli; AJK PAS Pusat, Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi, Dr Dzulkefli Ahmad, Dr Lo'lo Mohd Ghazali, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmood dan Dr Mujahid Yusof yang juga Pengarah PAS untuk pilihan raya kecil tersebut.

Mereka disertai oleh Pesuruhjaya PAS Pulau Pinang, Ustaz Salleh Man dan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (PAS) Permatang Pasir, Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman.

Bagi pihak KeADILan, Anwar diiringi isteri Dato' Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail yang juga Presiden KeADILan serta keluarga, Timbalan Presiden Dr Syed Husin Ali, Naib Presiden, Mohamed Azmin Ali, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim serta lain-lain pemimpin utama mereka.

Turut sama ialah veteran DAP, Dr Chen Man Hin; Penasihat DAP, Lim Kit Siang, Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh, Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng serta lain-lain.

Solidariti rakyat

Permatang Pauh menyaksikan lebih 50,000 penyokong Pakatan Rakyat yang terdiri daripada pelbagai kaum dan agama berhimpun menyatakan sokongan padu kepada Anwar.

Jumlah ini jauh mengatasi kumpulan penyokong Barisan Nasional yang diketuai Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, yang dianggarkan kira-kira 5000 orang sahaja.

Penyokong Pakatan Rakyat, berhimpun dan mengibarkan bendera ketiga-tiga parti komponen Pakatan Rakyat sejak jam 6.30 pagi, menyebabkan kesesakan di sepanjang jalan lebuhraya BKE, dari arah Penanti dan Berapit, sepanjang beberapa km menuju ke pusat penamaan calon.

Sehingga pemimpin dan penyokong BN terpaksa berarak melintasi kiri kanan jalan yang telah dipenuhi penyokong Pakatan Rakyat.

Situasi ini menyebabkan ramai kalangan pemimpin BN yang diteriak dengan pelbagai sorakan terpaksa menerima hakikat yang getir hingga 'merah padam muka'.

Sorakan 'Altantuya', 'Hutang 200 juta (saman terhadap BN) poster tak bayar, 'Rasuah', 'Correct, correct, correct' (ditujukan kepada Dato' Seri Adnan Mansor, 'Pengkhianat (kepada Ezam Mohd Nor), bergema berulang-ulang kali.

Kegusaran pemimpin-pemimpin BN jelas kelihatan. Wajah-wajah cemas mereka melihat segerombolan besar penyokong Anwar tidak dapat disembunyikan lagi.

"Rakyat sudah bosan dengan BN, penuh dengan fitnah dan penipuan," kata David Leong yang datang bersama beberapa orang rakan dari Alor Star dengan sebuah bas.

"Makin dia bawa budak tu (saiful) sumpah, makin kami tak percaya," ujar seorang imam surau yang ditemui berhampiran Pusat Khidmat Dun Permatang Pasir.

Sekumpulan anak muda berbangsa India juga turut berarak dengan memukul gendang sambil melaungkan 'Makkal Sakhti' sambil mengibarkan bendera KeADILan.

Perhimpunan rakyat di Permatang Pauh merupakan perhimpunan terbesar yang mencatatkan paling ramai penyokong berhimpun dalam satu-satu pilihan raya.

"Perhimpunan ini amat besar, walaupun orang boleh kata penyokong yang ramai ini belum tentu memberikan undi (kepada Anwar) tetapi round pertama ini kita sudah menang," kata Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng.

Katanya, beliau turut berbangga dengan rakyat Pulau Pinang daripada PAS, DAP dan KeADILan yang hadir beramai-ramai di pusat penamaan calon tersebut.

"Hari ini rakyat berbilang kaum menunjukkan solidariti yang amat luar biasa, saya harap ia terus kekal," kata Setiausaha Agung DAP itu.

Guan Eng turut mengambil kesempatan berbual mesra dengan Tok Guru bersama Tan Sri Khalid dan berkongsi pandangan bagi mempererat dan memperkukuhkan Pakatan Rakyat.

Kegusaran BN

Kepulangan Anwar ke Permatang Pauh diibaratkan sebagai 'bagaikan sirih pulang ke gagang'. Kawasan Parlimen yang 'terpaksa dilepaskan' sejak sepuluh tahun lalu akibat kezaliman BN masih segar di kalangan rakyat.

BN amat gusar kerana bilangan penyokong Anwar, yang pernah mengetuai Umno Bahagian Permatang Pauh begitu besar. Penyokong bekas TPM itu selepas krisis pemecatannya pada tahun 1998 masih ramai dalam Umno.

Hakikat sokongan mereka diterjemahkan dengan sokongan terhadap Dato' Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail yang mewakili Permatang Pauh selepas pemecatan Anwar.

Pada pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lepas, Wan Azizah meraih 30,338 undi menewaskan calon BN, Dato' Pirdaus Ismail yang mendapat hanya 16950 undi. Majoriti 13,398.

Manakala di ketiga-tiga DUN, Seberang Jaya, calon BN Dato' Arif Shah Omar Shah mendapat 9395 undi menewaskan calon KeADILan yang mendapat 8862 undi, kelebihan majoriti 533 sahaja.

Di Dun Permatang Pasir, calon PAS, Mohd Hamdan meraih 11004 undi menewaskan BN, Ahmad Sahar Shuib yang memperolehi 5571 undi. Majoriti 5433 undi.

Di Dun Penanti, calon KeADILan, Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin meraih 7346 undi menewaskan calon BN Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid yang mendapat 5127 undi. Majoriti 2216 undi.

Jika dihimpunkan undi yang diperolehi calon Pakatan Rakyat iaitu 27,745, memperlihatkan Wan Azizah mendapat lebih 2575 undi.

Kelebihan undi ini dipercayai datangnya dari kalangan ahli Umno yang menyokong Wan Azizah serta Anwar secara tersembunyi.

Kalangan mereka dikatakan secara zahirnya menentang pembangkang (KeADILan) tetapi dijangka memberikan undi secara diam-diam kepada Anwar.

Jika sokongan media arus perdana terhadap calon BN dijadikan ukuran, ia akan menjadi pertaruhan sia-sia BN. Arif Shah dan calon Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim), Hanafi Hamat bukan tandingan sebenar Anwar.

Hanafi yang ditemui penulis memberitahu, beliau adalah Presiden Akim yang menggantikan Allahyarham Cikgu Musa Salleh.

Katanya, Akim adalah sekumpulan serpihan ahli PAS yang berasal dari Pasir Putih, Kelantan.

"Perjuangan kami tidak ada kena mengena dengan PAS atau mana-mana parti pembangkang, kami berdiri sendiri memperjuangkan ideologi kami," ujarnya, yang datang bersama seorang pencadang dan seorang penyokong.

"Apa yang tuan harapkan daripada penyertaan dalam pilihan raya ini," soal penulis.

"Kami mahu supaya rakyat Malaysia sejahtera," jawab Hanafi, ringkas.

Penentu masa depan politik negara

Siapa pun yang menyertai pilihan raya kecil ini bukan menjadi persoalan. Malaysia negara demokrasi, sesiapa sahaja boleh mencalonkan diri bertanding kata Presiden PAS, Dato' Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang ketika menjawab soalan wartawan di Ipoh, Ahad lepas.

Sudah tentu rakyat yang menjadi pengundi di Permatang Pauh sudah membuat keputusan untuk memilih siapa bakal Ahli Parlimen mereka.

Pilihan raya kecil ini sebenarnya amat penting bagi negara. Ia bakal menentukan masa depan politik negara dan menjadi pertaruhan sama ada pembentukan Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat berjaya atau pun tidak.

Harus diingat bahawa, Anwar menyertai pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh bukan semata-mata hendak menggantikan Dr Wan Azizah sebagai Ketua Pembangkang.

Beliau mempunyai agenda yang amat besar. Agenda sebagai calon PM dari Pakatan Rakyat.

Pilihan raya kecil ini juga menjadi titik tolak atau asas yang boleh membawa tumbangnya kerajaan BN setelah berkuasa selama lebih 50 tahun.

Undi rakyat di Permatang Pauh sebenarnya adalah mewakili 27 juta rakyat Malaysia bagi menentukan masa depan negara.

Tekanan BN di kepada rakyat Permatang Pauh amat hebat. Mereka terpaksa all out untuk menyelamatkan bahtera yang hampir karam. Mereka terpaksa melakukan apa sahaja untuk menyekat kemasukan Anwar ke Parlimen.

Kemasukan Anwar ke Parlimen bakal mengundang bahaya yang amat besar yang bakal menguburkan masa depan politik BN.

Jika rakyat memberikan kemenangan kepada Anwar, impian majoriti rakyat untuk meletakkan Umno dan BN ke dalam muzium semakin hampir.

Hakikatnya ramai berpendapat bahawa kerusi Parlimen Permatang Pauh tetap menjadi milik Anwar. Cumanya besar mana majoriti untuk membawa beliau ke Parlimen sedang menjadi congakan.

Cukuplah...sudah 50 tahun Umno/BN berkuasa, kali ini berilah kepada Pakatan Rakyat pula.

Anwar sambut baik turun harga minyak, dakwa kerana desakan rakyat

PERMATANG PAUH: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang menggunakan kenaikan harga minyak sebagai antara isu utama kempennya dalam pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh sejak Sabtu lalu menyambut baik pendirian kerajaan untuk menurunkan harga minyak dalam sehari dua ini.

Anwar yang bertanding untuk mendapatkan semula kerusi Permatang Pauh berkata, langkah itu adalah ekoran desakan pihaknya bahawa harga minyak mampu diturunkan.

Bagaimanapun kata bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri itu, pihaknya mahu melihat ia dilaksanakan secara rasmi.

"Kita kena tunggu Umno punya janji, kita kena tengok dulu. Kita tak boleh pegang sehingga dia (kerajaan) tunaikan janji.

"Selama ini dia (kerajaan) kata tidak boleh, kita bagi bukti boleh. Kalau dia turunkan baik, bermakna kerana desakan rakyat," kata beliau ketika bercakap kepada pemberita selepas menemui pengundi di kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri Penanti di sini pagi ini.

Ketika berkempen di sini malam tadi dan kelmarin, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, kerajaan boleh menurunkan harga minyak dalam tempoh terdekat jika harga bahan bakar itu kekal pada AS$113 setong.

"Sehari dua ini, mungkin ada berita baik. Harga minyak boleh dikaji semula," kata Najib.

Najib yang juga Timbalan Pengerusi BN berkata, tidak perlu menunggu Anwar untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri bagi menurunkan harga minyak, sebaliknya kerajaan juga boleh berbuat demikian jika harga minyak kekal pada paras itu.

Dalam kempennya, Anwar berkata, pihaknya akan menurunkan harga minyak daripada RM2.70 kepada RM2 seliter jika memerintah.

Ia menjadi modal kempen beliau dalam setiap ceramah umum dan perdananya di sini.

Kata Anwar, kerajaan pimpinan Barisan Nasional (BN) mengatakan bahawa pihaknya tidak perlu menunggu sehingga Pakatan Rakyat membentuk kerajaan.

"Kalau begitu bagus... mereka memahami penderitaan dan kekecewaan yang dialami orang ramai disebabkan kenaikan harga minyak," katanya.

-mSTAR Online

Malaysia asks Avril Lavigne to postpone concert

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's government has told promoters of a concert by Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne to postpone the show because it could mar the country's independence day celebrations, an official said on Wednesday.

The decision came after the opposition Islamic party, Parti se-Islam Malaysia, objected to the August 29 concert in Kuala Lumpur, saying that mainly Muslim Malaysia should not ape Western values and cultures.

Although Malaysia is a moderate Muslim country with sizeable non-Muslim minorities, conservative groups often frown upon departures from strict interpretations of the Koran.

A culture ministry official said the show's promoters now have to find another slot for Lavigne.

"We did not reject the concert. We asked them to find another date as the original date is so close to the independence day," the official said. "That's the only reason."

A spokesman for the organizers said more than half of the tickets had already been sold. "As far as we are concerned, the show is still on," he said. Malaysia marks its 51st year of independence from Britain on August 31.

Last October, U.S. R&B star Beyonce Knowles axed her debut concert in Malaysia in protest against the country's ultra-strict dress code and over fears of a Muslim outcry over her show.

But a year ago, U.S. singer Gwen Stefani performed in Malaysia despite calls from Muslim students to cancel the concert because they deemed it too obscene.

Pirates seize Malaysian tanker off Somalia's coast

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A global maritime watchdog says pirates have seized a Malaysian tanker and its crew of more than 20 off Somalia's coast in the Gulf of Eden.

Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, says the center picked up a distress signal late Tuesday. He says the center immediately notified Western naval ships patrolling the area.

Choong said Wednesday that a warship has been sent to intercept the tanker, which is heading toward Somalia territorial waters.

He says that this is the fourth hijacking in Somalia within a month.

He says the tanker is carrying palm oil and was headed from Indonesia to Europe when it was attacked. It was unclear when the raid took place.

Malaysian government intensifies harassment of political bloggers

The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns the recent harassment of popular bloggers Raja Petra Kamarudin and Abdul Rashid Bakar.

On August 15, Raja Petra, editor of the Malaysia Today news Web site, was ordered by a Malaysian Court to reveal the sources for three of his posted articles, which accused prominent local lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah of conspiring with police in relation to sodomy charges recently filed against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, according to news reports. Shafee has strenuously denied the allegations.

The court also asked Raja Petra to reveal the identities of visitors who had posted comments on his blog in connection with the articles. Malaysian media reports said Raja Petra was ordered by the court to remove the articles from Malaysia Today. As of Tuesday, all three were still defiantly posted on the Web site, which garners an audience of around 1.5 million unique readers per day, according to Raja Petra.

In a separate case, on August 7, blogger Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar, founder of the blog Penarik Beca, or Rickshaw Peddler, was arrested by police for publishing a digitally altered image of the national police insignia, according to local and international news reports. In that image, a tiger on the symbol was replaced with a dog and the words “Allah” and “Mohammad” on the symbol were replaced with “C4,” an explosive that was used in the murder of the Mongolian interpreter that has been linked to Najib.

The blogger also replaced the word “Malaysia” with “Israel” in the doctored image, according to local press freedom group the Center for Independent Journalism. (Malaysia does not have formal diplomatic ties with Israel.) Abdul Rashid was held in police custody overnight and was released the following day on bail. The authorities have not yet formally charged him, the group said.

“These cases are only the latest incidents in an intensifying government campaign to undermine Malaysia’s vibrant and growing community of online commentators,” said Robert Mahoney, CPJ’s deputy director. “We call on the Malaysian authorities to stop harassing bloggers and uphold the spirit of the government’s 1996 policy pledge not to censor the Internet.”

Raja Petra now faces a wide array of legal charges for his critical political writings. On May 6 he was charged and detained for three days under Malaysia’s draconian Sedition Act over postings he made that linked Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Najib Abdul Razak to the murder of a Mongolian interpreter. That trial is set to begin in October. The blogger faces up to three years in prison.

He was also arrested and charged on July 17 in relation to three separate criminal defamation charges that stem from assertions he made in a mid-June sworn statement that Najib’s wife was near the scene of the murder. Two military officials and the government have filed the charges, each of which carries a possible two years in prison. The trial began on August 15 and will resume after the court decides whether to grant the prosecution’s request to move the case to a higher criminal court.

-malaysia today

Kempen di Permatang Pauh, antara fitnah liwat dan sayang kepada Anwar

Sejak Sabtu, 16 Ogos 2008 perang bendera di Permatang Pauh telah bermula dan hari penamaan calon pada tarikh tersebut juga sebagai penanda kepada bermulanya kempen bagi pilihan raya kecil Parlimen Permatang Pauh.

Pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh menjadi cukup singnifikan kepada Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KeADILan), Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim tatkala 'hayat politiknya' tersambung semula selepas April lalu sekatan ke atasnya tamat secara rasminya.

Walaupun sekatan telah tamat, namun kerajaan Umno-BN terus menerus menggunakan pelbagai ruang terutamanya akhbar dan televisyen untuk memburuk-burukkan Anwar, dan tidak cukup dengan itu 28 Jun lalu, Anwar dihidangkan sekali lagi dengan tuduhan meliwat bekas pembantunya, Saiful Azlan Bukhari.

Gempar dan gegak gempita seluruh negara hingga ke hari ini dengan media-media cuba memomokkan kepada rakyat bahawa benar sekali Anwar meliwat Saiful, sedangkan ketika ini mahkamah pun belum memulakan perbicaraan kes tersebut.

Tidak cukup dengan itu Anwar cuba dilagakan dengan Presiden PAS, Tuan Guru Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dengan segaja tulisan yang diterbitkan media arus perdana hanya semata untuk meyakinkan Pakatan Rakyat kini berpecah.

Walaupun hakikatnya Anwar mengakui ada salah faham, tetapi salah faham tersebut tidak serius dan tidak boleh menggoncang keutuhan Pakatan Rakyat.

Walhal kata Anwar, yang berpecah kini adalah Barisan Nasional dan dalaman Umno itu sendiri yang tertempias dari pergeseran dalaman yang menyebabkan kini parti nasionalis itu mula 'meroyan' mencari mangsa untuk 'dikambing hitamkan'.

Selepas sekian lama terpenjara dalam tahanan kerajaan BN, tahun 2004, Anwar bebas dengan bersyarat namun syarat itu terlerai pada April 2008 yang menyebabkan kini Anwar kembali ke persada politik menyertai pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh.

Tarikh 26 Ogos 2008 sangat dinantikan penduduk Permatang Pauh apabila bekas ahli Parlimen mereka kini kembali menaruh harapan untuk berjuang mewakili rakyat sejak terpaksa meninggalkan posisi empuk dalam BN kerana fitnah 1998.

Kembalinya Anwar kali ini bagaimanapun masih dibayangi dengan tuduhan-tuduhan ke atasnya, dan skrip paling mencabar kematangan politik Anwar ialah pengakuan sumpah laknat Saiful Bukhari sehari sebelum penamaan calon pada 16 Ogos lalu.

Tatkala itu Anwar sudah mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa beliau akan menyertai pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh walaupun beberapa hari sebelum itu dibayangi dengan tindakan kerajaan mengheret beliau ke mahkamah atas tuduhan liwat.

Dalam tinjauan di Permatang Pauh, sejak kempen bermula suasana masyarakat di sini tiada bezanya cuma sebelah malam lebih sibuk memandangkan adanya ceramah-ceramah kelompok, mesyuarat di sana-sini, program turun padang bakal wakil rakyat baru, program makan-makan memujuk hati pengundi dan program hiburan tajaan Umno-BN.

Seorang kenalan penulis, Azman Haron yang juga seorang peguam di Permatang Pauh menceritakan perihal kempen Umno-BN kali ini termasuk kempen Timbalan Presiden Umno, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Dengan yakin Azman memberitahu, kempen Najib sedikitpun tidak menjejaskan tanggapan masyarakat Permatang Pauh terhadap Anwar, malah pengundi rata-rata menolak isu fitnah yang dimainkan Umno dalam kempen di sini.

Kempen-kempen menggunakan jentera Puteri Umno dengan wajah dan pakaian seksi sekalipun tidak mampu membuka 'nafsu' pengundi di Permatang Pauh untuk menoleh pandangan kepada Umno, kata rakan penulis itu.

Kenyataan yang sama juga diberikan Adun Permatang Pasir, Hamdan Abdul Rahman kepada penulis tatkala menziarahi beliau di pejabatnya semalam bahawa kehadiran jentera Umno di Permatang Pauh tidak mendapat sambutan penduduk.

Sebaliknya ujar Hamdan, sambutan hangat hanya berlaku dalam program-program kempen Anwar hingga jalan sesak dibuatnya.

Di kawasan Permatang Pasir sendiri, Hamdan menjelaskan kepada penulis bahawa cukup sukar bagi Umno untuk menembusi kesetiaan pengundi kepada Anwar yang pernah menjadi wira mereka sewaktu memimpin Parlimen tersebut sejak 1982 hingga 1998.

Terpelantingnya Anwar dari Umno tidak memberi kesan kepada penyokongnya dari parti asalnya itu, sebaliknya kini penyokong setianya terus menurut langkah Anwar termasuk menunjukkan taat setia dengan memilih isteri Anwar, Dato' Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail mewakili Parlimen tersebut selepas Anwar terpenjara hingga eddah politiknya tamat.

Walaupun didada-dadah akhbar serta dikaca-kaca televsyen, Anwar digambarkan sebagai pengkhianat, pemimpin yang rosak moralnya, dan pemimpin yang kononnya mengkhianati Melayu, namun di hati pengundi Permatang Pauh, nama Anwar dinanti sebagai mewakili hasrat mereka.

Biar pun Najib dan konco-konco Abdullah Ahmad Badawi membawa segala macam emas berlian dan permata di Permatang Pauh selain janji yang disifatkan penduduk sebagai 'janji kosong' calon BN, Dato' Arif Shah Omar Shah, hati pengundi tidak berganjak mahukan perubahan dilakukan Anwar.

Jalan menuju ke Putrajaya kini menjadi ayat keramat kepada penduduk Permatang Pauh yang mahukan perubahan setelah melihat 10 tahun mereka dipinggirkan arus pembangunan kerana dendam Umno-BN di parlimen ini yang diumpamakan sebagai 'ladang bakti' Anwar kepada rakyat.

Pesan Anwar kepada penduduk Permatang Pauh semasa kunjungan penulis menemubual beliau di Yayasan Aman Selasa 19 Ogos, bahawa merekalah agen kepada perubahan yang mereka impikan selama ini, dan di tangan merekalah terletak kehendak perubahan itu.

-malaysia today

In God we trust, the courts can go to hell

Malaysia Today

There are those who can’t imagine why Anwar Ibrahim ignores the call for him to swear on the Quran in a mosque that he is innocent of the allegation of sodomy and also why Raja Petra Kamarudin ignores Malaysian courts.

On the Anwar issue, first of all, there is no such thing as swearing on the Quran in Islam and many religious scholars and leaders have said so quite explicitly. Why these people still insist that Anwar do so is perplexing. Read our lips: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SWEARING ON THE QURAN IN ISLAM. Let’s hope these sorry excuses for Muslims hear us loud and clear this time.

Secondly, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Bin Azlan, IC No: 850706-01-5687, of No. 29, Jalan BU 7/6, Selangor, swore on the Quran at 6.00pm on 15 August in the Federal Territory Mosque in front of Ramlang Bin Porigi, UMNO Member No. 03405853 of Cawangan Seri Macang, Bahagian Bukit Mertajam, Parlimen Permatang Pauh.

Can you now see the comedy of the whole thing? Ramlang Porigi, the so-called ‘Imam’ who conducted Saiful’s swearing on the Quran, other than possessing a name that sounds like an illegal Indonesian immigrant who has just been given a ‘blue’ IC, is an UMNO member from Permatang Pauh. Any wonder why Anwar ‘tak layan’ this whole matter? It was all a circus show for the benefit of the Permatang Pauh voters.

Now, with regards to the Raja Petra issue, today’s story from Bloomberg says it all. Before that, however, let us reveal what happened to Raja Petra in April 2001 and why he no longer ‘layan’ Malaysian courts.

Raja Petra was detained under the Internal Security Act on 11 April 2001. The Special Branch then demanded that he hand over his international passport. But Raja Petra did not have his passport with him. It was lodged at the British High Commission and there was no way the Special Branch could get its hands on it.

The Special Branch demanded to know why his passport was not in his possession but was instead with the British High Commission. Raja Petra refused to reveal the reason. “Never mind,” the Special Branch told him. “We have other ways of blocking your passport.”

Three days later, on 14 April 2001, the day of Raja Petra’s wedding anniversary, a letter was dropped into the letterbox of his house giving him 14 days to contest a bankruptcy order. Since he was under 60 days ISA detention he certainly could not make an appearance in court within the stipulated 14 days to contest the bankruptcy order. Anyway, the bankruptcy order was not served on him but was dropped into the letterbox.

Raja Petra was released from ISA detention on 6 June 2001. A few weeks later, he went to meet Manjeet Singh of Sri Ram & Co. to try to get them to set aside the bankruptcy order. Sri Ram & Co. checked with the courts and discovered that the whole file had disappeared. There was no way they could contest the order, Manjeet told Raja Petra, since the file had disappeared. Anyway, Manjeet told him, once bankruptcy has been obtained you can’t apply to set it aside. You are supposed to contest the order within the 14 days given to you. The fact that one is under 60 days detention and there was no way one could appear in court to contest the order does not change the decision of the court.

Since then Raja Petra ‘tak layan’ Malaysian courts. Malaysian courts do not dispense justice. They serve their political masters.

Anwar’s rallying cry — Merdeka!

PERMATANG PAUH, Aug 20 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday launched his main campaign theme of Merdeka (independence), as his party moves to steer voter attention away from issues that have put him on the defensive since campaigning began.

Standing atop the flatbed of a truck at an open-air carpark, Anwar said voting for him meant voting to be independent of joblessness, crime and corruption.

“Merdeka means whether rich or poor, factory worker or ministers, all are the same,” he bellowed through the microphone to the crowd of about 100 people.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat workers, meanwhile, passed car stickers, pamphlets and schedules for his campaign stops to onlookers.

An aide to the former deputy prime minister said the campaign needed to move away from issues that have him on the ropes and which are being gleefully played up in the mainstream media.

The Merdeka theme is apt, he added, because Malaysia will celebrate its independence on Aug 31, five days after the Permatang Pauh by-election.

Anwar has been bombarded in local newspapers and on TV for selling out Malays by promoting multiracialism and for refusing to take an oath on the Quran, as was done by his former aide, who has accused the opposition leader of sodomising him.

Asked these questions again yesterday, he denied the sodomy charges. There was no need for him to take an oath, he added, as many clerics said it was unnecessary, and he had already reported his case to the Islamic court.

On the issue of selling out Malays, he accused Umno of poisoning minds, saying that all races could be helped together.

After speaking for 20 minutes, he held a quick press conference, sitting on a small table beside his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail.

Anwar has at least five engagements a day. Yesterday alone, he visited a business centre and a night market, said prayers at a villager's house, ate dinner with Chinese residents and spoke at three rallies in the evening.

Usually arriving in a convoy of cars and four-wheel drive vehicles, he left for another ceramah, or rally, as soon as he finished at one.

The real worry for Anwar is not that he will lose, but that he will win by a thinner margin than his wife did.

Dr Wan Azizah polled a 13,388-vote majority from more than 58,000 voters in March. Now, her husband wants to win by a bigger margin to show that people really want him in Parliament, and as the country's next prime minister.

What is also worrying is that because polling day is on a Tuesday, many voters working in factories in the district or outside the constituency might not turn up.

Such challenges form a reminder to the 2,000 PKR campaign workers not to be complacent.

“We want to show that even one vote is important, otherwise people will feel that he has won and might not come out to vote,” said PKR Penang assemblyman Law Choo Kiang.

-TMI

Bigger majority target a headache for PKR workers

SEBERANG JAYA, Aug 20 — Behind Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s colourful and glamorous campaign in the Permatang Pauh by-election, his Parti Keadilan Rakyat election machinery is still struggling to canvass for votes.

It’s not that it can’t get through to voters; rather its target is quite high.

Many party campaigners hope to get a 20,000-plus majority votes for their de facto leader. And that’s a tall order even though Anwar is already expected to win the by-election.

Despite being tagged as Goliath against the Barisan Nasional’s David, PKR election coordinators admit that their rivals have been campaigning aggressively in the Penanti state constituency, going on house-to-house visits and organising mini rallies.

The semi-rural Penanti is one of three state constituencies within the parliamentary seat, and its state assemblyman is Penang Deputy Chief Minister Mohd Fairuz Khairuddin. The other two are Pas stronghold Permatang Pasir and BN's Seberang Jaya whose assemblyman is the ruling coalition’s candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah.

According to PKR campaigners, Umno Youth and Puteri Umno campaigners are seen mostly at BN camps, providing photo opportunity for the media but they are not really doing the bulk of the campaigning.

"I notice that it is the Wanita Umno members who are actively canvassing for votes," said PKR national election strategy director Saifuddin Nasution, who also visits all the 28 polling districts in the parliamentary constituency daily.

It is known that during the recent general election that PKR lacked in manpower for its nationwide campaign except for Permatang Pauh which gave former MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail a 13,000-plus majority votes to retain her seat for the third time.

Now that she has vacated her seat to make way for her husband Anwar, the same machinery has been reactivated.

To add to its strength, ally Pas too has kept its promise to campaign for Anwar. The pledge made at the Pas annual general assembly in Ipoh last weekend has boosted the campaign as Pas national leaders descend to campaign and ensure a big win.

Saifuddin, who is also Kelantan's Machang MP, said that the party machinery is coordinating well with Pas. "We have daily discussions and, for example, decided that Pas muslimat (women) campaigners will focus on the Permatang Pasir constituency. They will also distribute our campaign materials," he told The Malaysian Insider.

While Pas is concentrating in its stronghold, PKR is covering both the Penanti and Seberang Jaya areas. Its problem is the Seberang Jaya campaign. PKR Youth deputy chief Fariz Musa is still unhappy with the progress, saying that the March 8 general election result did not give the party much support.

"In one polling district, Taman Tun Hussein Onn, we only managed to get 26 per cent of the votes from the youth while the highest was Kampung Pertama with about 54 per cent," he said when met here.

About 30 per cent of the 58,449 voters are below 40 of age, and Seberang Jaya has the highest number of young voters. "That's why our Youth wing is concentrating on Seberang Jaya and we even opened our service centre here," he added.

Fariz is also worried with the lack of enthusiasm from the BN side in Seberang Jaya, cautious with fear that the federal ruling coalition might be up to no good. Already PKR is facing a propaganda battle against the mainstream media which has been highlighting the campaign of BN leaders while attacking and ridiculing Anwar.

"The enemy's silence is very dangerous. I have been to other by-elections including the Ijok by-election (in Selangor last year) where you could see Puteri, Wanita and Umno Youth members were everywhere canvassing and distributing flyers.

"But at the moment, at least in Seberang Jaya where I am stationed, I don't see them at all. That is why we have to work harder, in case they come out with a last-minute strategy," he said, claiming that the usual BN tactics would be handing our goodies as well as intimidating voters known to vote against the ruling coalition.

BN candidate Arif Shah has admitted that he would be going from house to house rather than organising ceramah. He's known in his constituency as a hardworking wakil rakyat but even he suffered in the recent elections when his majority was reduced from 4,464 votes in 2004 to 533.

PKR Youth has mobilised more than 1,000 members nationwide with about 100 election workers from each state. Their aim is to increase the previous majority to 20,000 votes.

"Sometimes when we go out distributing flyers, we go with Pas workers. DAP leaders are also working hard. Everyone in Pakatan Rakyat wants Anwar to be in Parliament and to take over the federal government," said Fariz.

As part of his strategy, Anwar yesterday launched his campaign platform Memerdekakan Rakyat (Liberating the People), with the high ideals of freeing the people from oppression, corruption, unemployment and high crime rates.

While Arif Shah never touched on the sodomy allegation against Anwar, other BN leaders led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak have been harping on the issue to question Anwar's credibility.

This was further accelerated immediately after Anwar's accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan swore on the Quran on the eve of nomination day to claim that the former deputy prime minister had sodomised him.

PKR is mitigating that move by printing and distributing handbills quoting a number of leaders including prominent ulamas (religious scholars) such as former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur and senior Pas leaders Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, as well as former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on the Quranic oath issue.

The title of the handout is "You decide the truth", turning the by-election into a referendum of sorts.

Another widely distributed flyer is copies of the issue of the fuel price hike and Anwar's promise to bring down the price if he becomes prime minister.

-TMI