Friday August 1, 2008 MYT 12:48:11 PM
EC notified of Permatang Pauh vacancy
PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission has confirmed it received a letter from the Dewan Rakyat Speaker at noon Friday informing of a vacancy for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.
The seat became vacant Thursday after PKR president and Opposition leader Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail resigned from her Permatang Pauh MP’s post.
On Thursday, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said a by-election should be held within 60 days after a seat has been declared vacant, adding it was the commission’s responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the election.
“We will consider all aspects to ensure the by-election is held smoothly, including the fact that it is soon going to be the fasting month,” he said.
The month of Ramadan will start on Sept 1.
Friday August 1, 2008 MYT 12:48:53 PM
Nobody will stop Anwar from contesting: PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says nobody will stop PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from contesting in the Permatang Pauh by-election.
Abdullah also said that due process of the law will continue in Anwar’s sodomy case.
At a separate press conference Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that Anwar’s decision to contest is only a step for him to bring his problems (sodomy allegation) to the people instead of solving it “the proper way”.
On Thursday, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail resigned from her Permatang Pauh MP’s post to make way for her husband Anwar’s return to Parliament.
At a packed press conference at the PKR headquarters Thursday, Dr Wan Azizah said the decision was made after deliberating with her family, the PKR leadership and partners in Pakatan Rakyat.
"I have officially submitted my resignation as MP to Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia’s office, to make way for my husband Anwar Ibrahim to contest as a candidate for Pakatan Rakyat in a by-election as soon as possible."
At the press conference, Anwar said he was unperturbed over the possibility of being arrested or charged in the run-up to the impending by-election.
He said the Government had gone on a one-month fishing expedition and had not caught anything.
When it was mentioned that the Permatang Pauh seat looked very safe, Anwar said he felt most seats were safe for him.
Friday August 1, 2008 MYT 1:18:11 PM
Tough fight ahead, says Najib
By ROYCE CHEAH
KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional will have to be realistic in the coming by-election as it is going to be a tough fight in Permatang Pauh, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
Saying that there was no way Barisan could predict the outcome, Najib added that PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had obviously made his calculations by standing in his previous constituency.
"This is a place that would afford him the best chance to win, so we will leave it to the Permatang Pauh voters to decide. We will try our best."
Najib said the Government did not feel threatened by Anwar as there was enough majority.
"However, this move by Anwar is his way of bringing his own problems to the people. The allegation against him was made by his own staff, not the Government."
Najib said there were ways to solve the problem without having to bring it to the people, specifically the Permatang Pauh voters.
"But we accept his decision and we will face it," he said to reporters Friday at a press conference.
On Thursday, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail announced she had resigned from her Permatang Pauh MP’s post to make way for Anwar to contest in a by-election there.
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