Selamat Menyambut Hari Merdeka!

I wish all Malaysians a very happy Independence Day!

And to our beloved country -- "A happy 51st Merdeka"

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

Bapak's Turn For The Worse....

"We're making him as comfortable as possible....just pray (for him)...." Dr Ridzwan said when I asked about Bapak's condition since he he took a turn for the worse this morning.

"Should we be prepared for the worst?," I asked.
Dr Ridzwan hesitated momentarily. Then, almost whispering, said: "We're doing our best....just pray for him.."

Bapak's lung infection has made a comeback and has spread to his other organs.

He was ok up until 7am today. Then he had trouble breathing and his blood pressure went low.
He can breathe on his own but is on respiratory support.

Bapak has been at the ICU (Pantai Medical Centre) for almost a week now.

He showed some improvement earlier, but today his condition worsened.

But we remain hopeful...

Big Mistake, MCMC..

..for blocking the the popular news portal, Malaysia Today.

“Because we found that some of the comments on the website were insensitive bordering on incitement," -- Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chief operating officer Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi.

Big bad mistake, Sharil.

And you know why!!

Now, meanwhile, check out Rocky's Google, Go Away!

Anwar Sworn In As MP..

Comeback kid Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in this morning at the Dewan Rakyat.

The Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser and de facto leader is now officially parliamentary Opposition leader.

Read Tok Mommy HERE.

If Bapak Had The Strength.....

..he'd get himself discharged from hospital this very minute.

The minute he regained consciousness and was able to open his eyes, he showed his displeasure at being bed-ridden at the ICU (Pantai Medical Centre).

Still weak, but that message he managed to get across to us yesterday.

Dr Ridzwan told us that he's made further progress today. He is still too weak to eat on his own. So, he's still fed nutrition using a stomache tube.

Although his lung and blood infection is under control, it is not cleared yet.

Well, any improvement, no matter how little, is good news.

Dr Ridzwan is still not allowing visitors because Bapak is still weak and sometimes, confused.

When he is not (confused), Bapak shows his absolute exasperation with all the tubes in his arms and neck, and the mask that is helping him with his breathing.
He is still unable to talk but tries very hard to.

So, he uses his hands to express himself.
He is weak but is able to move his hands, though quite slowly. And we can see him mustering all his strength to use his hands to communicate with us. Like telling us that he doesn't like to be in hospital.

"Bapak nak balik rumah?", Kak Olin gently asked him.

He nodded, his eyes glazed. Teary almost.

"So, you must get better...the tubes and the breathing mask will help get you better and Bapak boleh balik...ok?"

He nodded. This time, he smiled, his weak hand firmly gripping Kak Olin's.

PKR's Win In Permatang Pauh Won't Be Repeated Elsewhere...

So, if you people think that the victory of Parti Keadilan Rakyat in Permatang Pauh will set a trend nationwide, you sure have another think coming.

That would pretty much sum up the view of our Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He said:

The result of the Permatang Pauh by-election, which was won by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, cannot be interpreted as a trend that can happen in other constituencies.

“What happened in Permatang Pauh was not something so big as to change the situation that exists after the last general election."

The prime minister, who is also BN chairman, told this to reporters after sending off Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at the Senai Airport in Johor Bahru yesterday.

Here's the rest of his remarks in NST:
"Barisan Nasional (BN) which won 140 parliamentary seats in the March 8 general election still commanded strong support from the people.

“The Permatang Pauh by-election is one by-election that cannot be interpreted as something that can happen in other constituencies. I believe we can still continue the government.”

So looks like you people have to simply banish any illusions of grandeur for PKR's future.

That sweet victory in Permatang Pauh?
Well, it will remain in Permatang Pauh....

Indeed, indeed. Of course, the PM has a point.

But you know, the "impossible" happened in the March 8 GE. FOUR states fell to the Opposition. And, oh dear, the BN failed to capture Kelantan.

Looks like nothing has changed. Or perhaps, all these remarks are just for the record.

Now, if that's (actually) the BN thinking down the line, I think that's delusional that can be so suicidal.

*In the Aug 26 by-election, Anwar, who is PKR de facto leader, won the parliamentary seat with a 15,671-vote majority, garnering 31,195 votes against the BN’s Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, 51, who obtained 15,524 votes.
The other candidate, Hanafi Mamat, 61, of Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim) lost his deposit as he only received 92 votes.

Anwar's Return To Parliament..

Anwar Ibrahim will take his place in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow after a 10-year hiatus.

According to Malaysiakini, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has announced that Anwar will be sworn in as the new Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh tomorrow.

He made the announcement this morning.

Anwar won the Permatang Pauh seat in the by-election yesterday with a majority of 15,671.

The de facto Parti Keadilan Rakyat leader is also expected to be appointed parliamentary opposition leader for the 81 Pakatan Rakyat MPs.

Malaysiakini, quoted PKR information chief Tian Chua as saying that Anwar's presence in the House "is a real morale boost for the Pakatan Rakyat in Parliament."

"It Is Time To Face The Music: It Is We Who Have Been Buried.."

The words of Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, immediately after the results were known.

"Today, five months after we met with the biggest general election loss in our history, Umno has suffered a landslide loss at Permatang Pauh. This despite the mobilization of the entire leadership and resources of a party that has held the machinery of government without pause for 50 years.
This despite a campaign that embarrassed and divided the nation with its ugliness.

"It is time to face the music: it is we who have been buried."

And the rest of his statement:

Our leadership is rejected by the rakyat and, moreover, is rejected by our own members. BN’s vote count was less than the number of Umno members in the constituency.

- Within and among our component parties we ran a poorly coordinated and listless campaign against a motivated Opposition.

- What scraps of credibility the Prime Minister and his Deputy had left after March 8 are gone.

Today’s report card, delivered to a Prime Minister who is accountable also as liaison chief of Umno Penang and chairman of BN, is impossible to hide: he does not have the minimal credibility needed to run the country day by day, let alone to take it in the new directions we need to go in a complex world. He may not have the credibility needed to keep the country together. This dangerous situation cannot continue, and it will not.

I appeal to the members of Umno and of BN’s component parties to stand by Umno in our hour of crisis, and to take a sober historical perspective. The people of Malaysia and along with them, Umno’s ordinary members, have found their democratic voice. They demand leadership that can be trusted to unite our people, to restore confidence in our institutions, and forge a clear national direction. Today is proof that this wave cannot be held back. Umno must change. We must begin by renewing our party leadership. I am confident that by December, we shall."

Now, wasn't this the same kind of message that was sent before the March 8 general election and in the aftermath of Umno's (and Barisan Nasional's) devastating performance?

Also read Rocky's Bru and Another Brick In The Wall.

Landslide Victory For Anwar..

LATEST: from Permatang Pauh at 11.20pm:
Anwar obtained 31,195, winning by a majority of 15,671 votes. Arif Shah obtained 15,524 votes and Hanafi Mamat, 92.
There were447 spoilt votes.

My earlier post:
Still counting, And Anwar is ahead by more than 17, 000 votes. Bigger than the majortiy his wife and Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail obtained. She won by more than 13,000 votes in the March 8 general election.

Tuesdays With Bapak

Will We Hear Your Laugh Again? -- August 26 2008

When we left you late last night, you were trying to open your eyes but you couldn't.

We knew you were trying so hard but the drug was just too strong for you.

Perhaps, you should listen to the nurse --"don't fight it, go with it."

So, Bapak, go with it. Slowly, you'll come around ..

We know you can hear us now, Bapak.

Dr Ridzwan texted me this morning to say that you are now breathing on your own but you are still very weak.

He has ordered that you will not be allowed visitors, except close relatives.

I suppose, we have to abide by your doctor's orders, haven't we?

It is for your own good, Bapak. We know you like to hear familiar voices and a little noise...

Perhaps, later, when you have regained whatever little strength that you have..

And did we detect your lips quivering last night, as though you were attempting to smile when you heard our voices.

And, Bapak. Please try not to pull the tube out of your mouth. It will only cause you pain. And, no, no....don't try to rip the drip from your hand. Besides, you really can't pull these tubes out...your senses are numb, remember?

We watched you. So frail now. So thin. Lying helpless on the hospital bed.

But, you know what....we think you're going to be ok..

Ah....to just hear your laugh again....

Bapak, here's Jalaluddin A-Rumi's poem (your favourite):

I sought a soul in the sea
And found a coral there;
Beneath the foam for me
An ocean was all laid bare.

Into my heart's night
Along a narrow way
I groped; and lo! the light,
An infinite land of day.

*Bapak is in the Intensive Care Unit Of the Pantai Medical Centre.

Anwar Sure Menang In Permatang Pauh...

I'm not a gambler. Taking bets on election results (always for fun) doesn't make me one. Does it???

Anyway, because I'm no gambler, I took a bet of RM50 that Anwar Ibrahim wins the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.
It doesn't take a keen or seasoned political observer or a clairvoyant to make that conclusion.
So clear. A foregone conclusion....

And you're wondering who that loser was who took the bet with me?

But, okay. I'll mouth what everyone will hasten to remark -- "it's a matter of how much majority Anwar will get..."

Can Anwar garner more than the (more than) 13,000 majority as did his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Ismail did in the March 8 general election?

Even the PKR camp has said that it would be tough for Anwar. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

Now...what's the oft-repeated line? A win is a win even by one vote. Or something like that.
(Of course, a very slim majority is another story for another day.)

*The three candidates for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat are Parti Keadilan Rakyat Adviser and de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, 61, Umno's Seberang Jaya state assemblyman Arif Shah Omar Shah, 52 and Mr Kacau Daun from Parti Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim) Hanafi Mamat, 61.

Total number of voters: 58,459
Ordinary voters: 57,969
Postal voters: 490

Malays: 69.4 %
Chinese: 24.5%
Indiana: 6 %
Others: 0.4%

Bapak Is "More Stable...."

I owe my friends in and outside blogosphere an apology for not posting about Bapak having been admitted to Pantai Medical Centre yesterday.

Firstly, because I didn't have time, and secondly, I felt I did not want to alarm people, including our friends ....

I was in Penang yesterday when my sister called me to say that Bapak had breathing difficulty and was rushed to the hospital.

I took the next available flight to KL.

My step-mum was with Bapak when she noticed that he had difficulty breathing.
She alerted my sisters -- Kak Ton, Kak Olin and Nina.

They quickly called an ambulance.

They were all so distraught because by the time the ambulance came, Bapak's eyes were already almost rolling up.

The doctor at Pantai Medical Centre told Kak Olin that any later and Bapak would have not made it.

Bapak had some fluid in his lungs which he could not cough out.

He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where he was given sedation in order to stabilize his condition.

His doctor, Dr Ridzwan Abu Bakar told me today that Bapak's condition is "more stable" and he is slowly being taken off the sedation.

But he is not out of the woods yet. We pray for his recovery, Inshallah.

Thank you, friends, for your concern and well wishes.

And thank you Rocky and Ashraf for publishing a posting on Bapak.

And On A Lighter, I Mean, Heavier Note....

Too much of the serious stuff. Pening kepala.

So, here's something for you. Nothing new and it's certainly not exclusive to New Delhi....it's universal-lah.

Out Of Shape Wives Beware! Married Men Going For Younger Look

NEW DELHI, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Out of shape wives beware! Married men are now spending more on their looks to become trimmer, fitter and more sexy and, at the same time, these men are also attracted to women with similar characteristics.

Health experts in the capital city are of the opinion that there is an increasing concern among married men to look slimmer and smarter, an obsession they attribute to the evolution of MNCs and increasing westernisation of the Indian culture.

On the flip side, there has been ironically a downward shift in the number of beauty-conscious Indian women as they generally get busy with their household affairs, ignoring their physical appearance altogether, resulting in being out of shape.

"Today, the prosperity among Indian men begins at an early age, where they are slightly balding, confident, mature and wealthy. At this prime of their career, they are going for cosmetic surgeries, skin toning, facials and massage, which we have never heard them doing before," says eminent Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr Devansh, Max Healthcare hospital.

"It's natural to be attracted by a young secretary or a female employee in your office who works closely with you, taking care of your business and projects," the Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted another plastic surgeon Dr R Khajanchi, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

However, experts say there are many cosmetic therapies and procedures available through which a woman can regain her looks and shape, which includes botox, fillers, tummy tucks and liposuction.- BERNAMA

So, can wives also get tired of their out-of-shape husbands?

Are Police Investigating Blogger Sheih For Sedition?

According to Bernama, police are reported to be investigating the blogger who, on Aug 4, suggested in his blog that the people fly the national flag upside down to show that the country was in a state of "emergency".

It seems he is being investigated under the Sedition Act.

I believe Bernama is referring to blogger Sheih who posted his "Nation In Distress" in his blog Kickdefella on Aug 4

Bernama's mention of the police action was in the last paragraph of its report below:

Laws Needed To Protect Country's Symbol

BUKIT MERTAJAM, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia should have laws to protect the country's symbols to ensure that they are not toyed with, Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said.

"Prior to this, the Negaraku had been toyed with and now there are people suggesting that the Jalur Gemilang be flown upside down. We must take action to teach those intending to fool around with the country's symbols a lesson," he told reporters after launching the "Fly the Jalur Gemilang" campaign at the Butterworth-Kulim highway toll plaza here Thursday.

He said that although it was not the best solution, action must be taken against those who disrespected the country's symbols, like the flag and anthem.

On Aug 4, a blogger suggested in his blog that the people fly the national flag upside down to show that the country was in a state of "emergency".

Prime minister had described the blogger as ill-mannered.

Police are reported to be investigating the blogger under the Sedition Act.

The Sedition Act?

Was it because the PM actually referred to Sheih's posting as "evil"?

In Memory : Nurin Jazlin Jazimin

Exactly a year ago, eight year-old Nurin Jazlin was abducted near her home in Section One, Wangsa Maju, after visiting a night market with her sister.

Twenty-eight days later, her sexually ravaged body was found in a sports bag outside a shoplot in PJS 1, Petaling Jaya.

Her killer was never found.

The beast is out there. Free to strike again.

For dear Nurin - Al-Fatihah.

(Tomorrow, Nurin's parents, Jazimin Abdul Jalil and Norazian Bistaman, they will be filing a suit at the Kuala Lumpur High court against the police and the government.

They will be seeking damages, a public apology and retraction of the newspaper article linking the family with loan sharks. They are seeking an apology and damages for lack of security which led to the circulation of Nurin's post-mortem photographs.

Read the NST report HERE.)

Tuesdays With Bapak

Going To The Movies -- August 19 2008

I know I enjoyed going to the cinema when I was young. It was always with Bapak or my older siblings. In later years, I'd go to the cinema with my siblings or a couple of good friends.

It was always a great outing for us, kids.

If it was with Bapak, we'd go by car. If Kak Ton or Kak Piah wanted to take us, we'd take the bus from PJ to Foch Avenue in KL.

It would either be a long car or bus trip to KL, or short one to the PJ cinemas.
When we were in Section five (PJ), we'd walk to Majestic or State cinemas in Old and New PJ town respectively. After we moved to Section 16 (PJ), we'd take the Sri Jaya number 43 or 36 bus to PJ.

The earliest movie that I remember Bapak taking me to was a thriller about a man who had powers to go through a wall. I must have been about five or six years old. I'm not sure of the title but it could be "The Fourth Man". It was at Majestic cinema at Jalan Othman, Old PJ.

I don't have much memory of it, except that I was dozing off all the time. I remember Bapak was reluctant to take me because it was an evening show and he was going there with a friend. But I would not take "no" for an answer so Bapak had to relent. Poor Bapak.

Mak warned Bapak to watch out for me because of my habit of falling asleep in the cinema.

I also remember Mak's youngest sister, Latifah whom we call Mak Busu, taking the lot of us to see a Malay movie, "Tanggang" at Coliseum.

I could later connect the rationale behind mothers often telling their children "jangan jadi macam Si-Tanggang". In other words, "jangan derhaka kepada ibu". More or less like THIS.

Among the most memorable films I watched as a kid were "The Sound Of Music" and "How The West Was Won" and a little later, "James Bond - From Russia With Love" and "Dr Zhivago".

And how can I ever forget Hindi classics "Sangam" and "Bobby" at the Coliseum, on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, then known as Batu Road?

As a teenager, you'd catch me at the State cinema with Kak Eda, going for the latest Mandarin sword-fighting movie.

We used to be fluent in Mandarin and until today, Mandarin period movies remain my all-time favourite.

In my teens, Kak Ton never missed any of Christopher Lee's "Dracula" films. So, she'd drag us all along with her to where Count Dracula was -- which was either the Odeon or the Federal.

Every time after a Dracula movie, we'd get into this unexplained "takut" mode.

Once at home, we'd all be doing things together. Sleep together on a mattress at night, go together to the kitchen if we felt like that late-night glass of Milo, and we would have someone wait outside the bathroom for any one of us.

Yes, I'd get nightmares all the time. And I'd still want to go for the next Dracula film.

Reflecting, I can laugh about how tame they really were compared to the horror movies of today.

Kids today think nothing of going to the Cineplex, Golden Screen Cinema or Tanjong Golden Village theatres to watch any one of the 10 movies showing. In fact, they can choose to see one movie after another.

In those days, only one movie would usually be screened for the 1pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm and midnight shows. And then they'd have a Sunday matinee.

I stand corrected, but those days, normal seats would each cost between 80 cents and maybe $1.15 and the reserve seats upstairs would each cost between $1.80 and $2.

And there would always be a massive congestion at the parking areas because, once you got in, you'd have to wait for the show to be over to get out. So if you were going in for a show, you'd have difficulty entering the parking area.

But I suppose, that was how things were so people accepted it as a norm.

I remember that we would always be reminded to go to the toilet at home before going to the movies because the toilets at the cinemas were horrendous.

Aah... the downside of our movie outings.

As I got older, and the city began changing and got more congested, I didn't relish the thought of going to the movies because of a variety of reasons such as traffic jam and/or parking problem.

A couple of cinemas were built near Bapak's place (Sentosa cinema) and later my own home (Ria cinema). They were not too bad, a little more modern than the "archaic" cinemas. I'd catch shows there whenever good ones were screened.

I remember going to Ria to catch the evening show of "Gandhi" with my old friend, Zainah Anwar.

But, most of the time, I'd rent video tapes.

My first introduction to sack theatres and an upgraded and sophisticated kind of movie-going was as a student in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980.

It was a totally new and enjoyable experience. And I was born-again movie-goer.

I think sack theatres came to KL and were popularised in the late 80s. Awesome, I thought. Revolutionized movie-going for movie buffs.

One Sunday last year, I took Adel and Shaira for lunch at the old Coliseum Restaurant on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Oh, just to relive some glorious past.

Indeed, it was nothing like the contemporary-styled restaurants that kids these days are so used to.

After lunch, on our way to the car park near the EPF building, we passed by the Coliseum cinema.

I gave my kids a running commentary of its history and reminisced my movie-going days.

I could see them trying to form pictures in their mind of their mother queuing up for tickets in a place so far removed from the kind of cinema with which they are so familiar.

They could not imagine the "hardship" I would have to go through just to watch a movie.

"Didn't they have the same shows being screened near where you lived?", Shaira asked.

Yes...indeed. How our lives and lifestyle so differ. And even in this era of cineplexes, Adel is thankful for DVDs.

Whose Penyangak Are They?

You know the ones wearing Parti Keadilan Rakyat t-shirts who were reported to have attacked two photographers - Mohd Sairien Nafis, 26 of NST and Halim Berbar (foreign media).

This is not the first time we've got reports that supporters purportedly from PKR had roughed up Press photographers as well as Barisan Nasional campaigners.

I say purportedly until it has been proven that these guys are PKR supporters.

It's good to know that PKR is taking a serious view of the matter. If these guys are PKR's members, then Anwar, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and the party's leaders should get tough on them.

PKR de facto leader and a Permatang Pauh by-election contender, Anwar Ibrahim said that the party will launch an investigation into this latest attack on the two photographers outside the nomination centre in Permatang Pauh Friday.

Malaysiakini quoted him in in Penang yesterday, saying that no one should jump to the conclusion that the perpetrators are PKR members.

Here's the report:

“The mainstream media, (such as state-owned) RTM, will immediately apportion the blame to us. I say, let us investigate and punish those perpetrators, irrespective they are from Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional,” he said when asked to comment on the incident.

Anwar, who is PKR candidate for the Aug 26 by-election, held a 45-minute press conference at the Yayasan Aman building in Permatang Pauh this morning.

The building is the party’s main election operation room for the by-election, where Anwar is seeking to make a comeback to Parliament after an absence of 10 years.

Referring to a similar incident earlier this month where a female photographer was assaulted by alleged PKR members, Anwar said an investigation later found the perpetrators were not linked to the party. (See photo by TheSun)

He said despite the culprits were not PKR members, his wife and party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had apologised to the victim in recognition of the importance of the media.

“My point is that the mainstream media is at fault for presenting a biased case, not only that, but malicious attack (against PKR),” said Anwar, before he spoke at length on how the media had been unfair to him and the opposition.

Photographer injured, lost his camera

He took a journalist from Berita Harian, an Umno-linked Malay daily, to task when he asked Anwar whether the ‘samseng’ (gangster) culture was now prevalent in PKR.

“Berita Harian said this ‘samseng’ culture is now prevalent in PKR (but) when (Umno Youth deputy chief) Khairy Jamaluddin and gang threw bottles, they were not at fault,” the PKR leader shot back.

“This is the Berita Harian culture which must be corrected because it is slanderous and treacherous to defend corruption and cruelty,” he added.

Anwar was apparently referring to the incident of throwing mineral water bottles, sticks and flag poles during the nomination of the hotly contested Ijok by-election in Selangor in April last year.

In the latest assault yesterday, a New Straits Times (NST) photographer and a French photo-journalist were attacked by a group of people allegedly to be opposition supporters.

The 26-year-old NST photographer Mohamad Sairien Mohamad Nafiz, who suffered bodily injuries, also lost his RM15,000 Canon digital camera, according to a NST report today.

The French journalist meanwhile were said to have sustained head and leg injuries.

The incident took place when the duo were leaving the nomination centre at around 1.30pm and was attempting to take photos of a rowdy group harassing several BN workers in a pick-up truck.

The attack continued until a PKR member came to their rescue, said Mohamad Sairien.

Police: We’ve five witnesses

State PKR secretary Abdul Malik Abdul Kasim was quoted in the NST report as saying that he regretted the incident but added that the party could not ascertain who the assailants were.

He however added that they have reasons to believe that there could be groups which wanted to implicate the party in the attack.

In a related development, a police spokesperson said that they were still in the midst of identifying the assailants of the two photographers but no arrest had been made.

Penang police’s public relation officer Shaharon Anuar Abdul Latif told a press conference at the Central Seberang Perai district police headquarters today that the police have received two complaints in relation to yesterday’s incident.

He said there were five witnesses of the attack.

You can also read the NST reports here and here.

And Hanafi Makes Three...

It is now a three-cornered fight in the Aug 26 Permatang Pauh by-election.

The third candidate is Hanafi Hamat, the president of PAS splinter party Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim).

He faces Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and Umno's Arif Shah Omar Shah (Seberang Prai state assemblyman).

Here's the Malaysiakini story:

It is not going to be a straight fight between PKR and Barisan Nasional for the Permatang Pauh by-election on Aug 26. In fact it will be a three-cornered fight.

MCPX

It could have been a four-cornered fight but PKR 'spare tyre' Dr Mansor Othman pulled out of the race during the objection period.
His candidacy was part of a PKR contingency plan in the event of Anwar's nomination being rejected. As it stands now, PKR's Anwar looks a sure bet to win this seat which was vacated by his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on July 31. It was a move to get Anwar back into Parliament after an absence of 10 years.

His most potent challenger is still BN's Arif Shah Omar Shah, a local man just like Anwar, as well as the incumbent Seberang Jaya state representative.
The third candidate is Hanafi Hamat (right), the president of PAS splinter party Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim). Arif Shah, 51, was the first to submit his nomination form.

Dressed in a yellow baju Melayu, he was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to the nomination centre at Dewan Aminuddin Baki of the Tuanku Bainun Teaching Institute.

He submitted his nomination papers to returning officer Roslan Yahaya as soon as the centre opened at 9am.

‘I feel good'

He was followed by Anwar who wore a light blue baju Melayu. The opposition icon once again exuded confidence in winning the seat as he entered the nomination centre at about 9.05am.
"I feel good", Anwar replied when asked by Malaysiakini how he felt about contesting again after 10 years in hiatus.

Senior to Arif Shah by 10 years, Anwar was the Permatang Pauh division chief at the time the former was its youth chief.

Anwar was sacked from Umno and government in 1998 and was subsequently charged and convicted on corruption and sodomy charges. He was released in 2004 and his political ban expired last April.

At the nomination centre today, the former deputy premier looked cheerful in the presence of his wfe, children, Pakatan leaders and thousands of his supporters.

Also present was PAS' spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who despite being unwell still insisted on being there.

BN also had a strong presence. Seen lending their support today were Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon, who is also Penang BN chairperson, MIC president S Samy Vellu, MCA vice-president Ong Tee Keat, BN Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein, Wanita Umno vice-head Shahrizat Jalil and Umno information head Muhammad Muhamad Taib.

And if you like, you can click on NST HERE.

It IS A Conspiracy But, So What...

It is nomination day today in Permatang Pauh.
And the accuser of Anwar Ibrahim yesterday "bersumpah" on the Quran that the de facto Parti Keadilan Rakyat leader had sodomised him without his consent.

Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan said, no, the timing (eve of nomination day) of his "sumpah muhabalah" was not political.

Bollocks, Saiful.
I don't believe this boy. He ought to be smacked, I tell you.

(Anwar Ibrahim is contesting Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency. He faces Umno's Seberang Jaya State Assemblyman Arif Shah Omar Shah.)

See. Everyone knows it IS a conspiracy to stop Anwar from getting anywhere near Putra Jaya. Anwar cannot be Prime Minister, period!

Anwar, since resuming his political activities, has been accused of being an agent of a foreign government.

But, the sodomy charge is something else, although this is not the first time Anwar faces such an accusation.
The spectre of 1998 is revisiting us.

But do you know whether or not he is a sodomite/sodomist.

I DON"T but some people are convinced he is.

Anwar's political foes may or may not believe that he is. He has enough enemies to make sure some things don't happen for him. Besides, Anwar has blazed the trail since "coming out", hurting certain political leaders along the way....

So, Anwar's enemies --whoever they maybe -- and those who believe that he is not fit to be PM want to prove that he is. They have to.

The line between who Anwar's enemies are, and those concerned about the fate of the country under a convicted sodomite/sodomist is a little blurred.

Without a conviction, Anwar has a future in Putrajaya because he is a popular figure. And at this point, a lot of unhappy, dissatisfied, disillusioned and disenchanted Malaysians are ready for A NEW DAWN.

Sodomy, as you know, my friends, is a crime. We cannot have a Prime Minister who is a convicted sodomite/sodomist. No, no. no.

So, it does not matter whether this whole circus is part of THE conspiracy to kill Anwar's career.
The court does not care about conspiracies. Just whether Anwar is a sodomite/sodomist or not.
Did he or did he not sodomise Saiful?

And because it IS a conspiracy, I imagine Anwar's lawyers are good and ready to fight the case.

But....if Anwar is FINALLY convicted of the charges framed against him, it really does not matter whether or not you believe that he is.
The important thing is that, he'll be finished. And unless Anwar has got nine lives, he'll be like the proverbial Phoenix....he'll rise from the ashes.

That said.....if I were Anwar, I'd stop all this babble that Saiful was forced to do this and that by the police and that it IS a conspiracy. We all know that it is a conspiracy. It cannot be anything else.

What I'd do -- and I am not Anwar, is I'd take that oath.

But I suppose, Anwar knows that even if he did, it would not matter to his conspirators.

So, yeah..it is a conspiracy, but.... so what?

For a detailed account of Saiful's "sumpah" and his Q&A with reporters, read it HERE at Tok Mommy.

Anwar's "Merdeka"...

That's his campaign theme.

It's now or never, says Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, to FREE the country of all the kezaliman, tyranny et al.

"We want to save our nation from all wrongdoings, mischief and oppressive governance," said Anwar at a rally in Kampung Kota, one of the many small villages that dot the Permatang Pauh constituency.

He faces Arif Shah Omar Shah, the Seberang Jaya state assemblyman, in the Aug 26 by-election.

Anwar wants the voters to help put him on the road to Putrajaya to save the country from all that's wrong .

Can Anwar save us all? Is he the one?

(source:Malaysiankini)