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What’s at stake in Permatang Pauh

Anil Netto
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The folks at Aliran have been busy putting together the latest issue of Aliran Monthly in time for the by-election. And it has just been mailed out to subscribers. If you are not a subscriber, what are you waiting for? 🙂 To subscribe, just click here. Or you can get a copy from leading book-shops and selected news vendors.

This month, because of the forthcoming Permatang Pauh by-election, the cover story is immediately available online! Khoo Boo Teik discusses the significance of three recent elections involving small towns and goes on to the suggest that Permatang Pauh will be a major political battleground whose outcome will have national significance. For many Malaysians, Permatang Pauh’s mission, come 26 August, is more than about returning Anwar to Parliament. This town has a national choice to make.

Anwar addressing a large crowd in Permatang Pauh

Barring massive electoral fraud, Anwar is one by-election and two weeks short of returning to Parliament. When he does, he’d be the Opposition Leader of a second coalition. After that people would want to know if he’d really form a new Federal government in mid-September as he has declared, promised, or threatened. Full story in Aliran Monthly

Lim vs Koh: Did they really address PGCC/Batu Kawan?

Anil Netto
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Live at 9.00pm over ntv7

Share your impressions of the debate on questionable land deals in Penang in the comments below and vote in the poll:

This debate also allowed Koh Tsu Koon an opportunity to provide a public rebuttal to Guan Eng’s accusations.

Open letter to Guan Eng, Tsu Koon ahead of ‘live’ debate

Anil Netto
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300 acres in Batu Kawan unpaid: Why hasn’t PDC taken back the land?

Address the controversial PGCC/Batu Kawan land deals in your debate

We hope you will address the issues arising from the “mother and father of all questionable land deals” in your debate.

We note with interest your ‘live’ debate tomorrow which will probably touch on several questionable and controversial land deals in the state over the last few years.

There are no other deals that are more controversial and questionable than those involving the sale (and conversion) of 260 acres of land belonging to the Penang Turf Club and as well as the sale of 1,000 acres of Batu Kawan land belonging to the PDC. Both deals were entered into in 2004.

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Something remarkable happened near the UiTM campus

Anil Netto
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Umno supporters unfurl a banner supporting the Malays-only status quo of the UiTM college on Nomination Day (Photo credit: Abang Benet)

At around 9.45 last night, Anwar bravely addressed a crowd of close to a thousand people on a service road outside the UiTM Permatang Pauh campus. Nearby apartment dwellers and students from the hostel, mainly Malay, poured out to listen to him. Some of these students must have been among the reported crowd of  5,000 who had demonstrated here against Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim’s suggestion that the university open its doors to non-bumiputeras (see below).

Anwar stressed to the crowd the importance of multiracialism. He would be a prime minister that would be fair to all Malaysians and it would be his responsibility to make sure he took care of all ethnic groups.

“Orang Melayu anak saya… (pause) …  orang Cina anak saya … (pause) …. orang India … anak saya,” he said in poetic and dramatic fashion.

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Helicopter beams searchlight on 30,000-crowd

Anil Netto
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This police chopper was one of a pair that circled continuously above the large crowd on Nomination Day (Photo credit: Abang Benet)

BUKIT JELUTONG, Permatang Pasir – A helicopter, believed to be a police chopper, beamed its searchlight over a crowd of about 30,000 listening to Anwar at a Pakatan ceramah just before he brought the curtain down at midnight yesterday.

“It’s okay, let them disturb us for a bit. I will complete my speech,” said Anwar earlier, as the helicopter clattered overhead. “It’s not always we get a helicopter in Permatang Pauh!”

Permatang Pasir, a state seat held by Pas, lies in the Malay heartland of Permatang Pauh. Thousands had gathered in a large open area in Bukit Jelutong, which was also filled by the huge travelling bazaar that follows Anwar’s ceramah everywhere. I saw stalls selling everything from nasi biriani, fried jackfruit and what looked like aphrodisiacs!

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Kin Woon quits Gerakan and BN

Anil Netto
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Where is Kin Woon?: Gerakan leaders and reps stand in front of what looks like a pile of food on Nomination Day (Photo credit: Abang Benet)

Gerakan central committee member Toh Kin Woon has quit the party and, by extension, the BN.

He will probably focus more on civil society work. He is a long-time member and supporter of the social reform group Aliran and chairman of the Penang-based Socio-economic and Environmental Research Institute (Seri).

This is what Kin Woon said over the phone:

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My experience at a BN ceramah

Anil Netto
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A Puteri Umno supporter in high spirits on Nomination Day (Photo credit: Abang Benet)

PERMATANG PAUH – While many people were trying to get to one of Anwar’s ceramahs last night, I stumbled upon a BN/Umno ceramah along the main road from the town centre.

It was in full flow with a crowd of 200 women and men – seated in separate sections – in the porch of a wooden double-storey building that houses the local Umno branch. Nearly all of them were Malay/Muslim.

I stood close to the main road, outside the house – I was not sure if I would be welcome – listening to a couple of the speakers: a Dato and an ustaz formerly from Pas.

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Nightmare (for BN) on Penanti Street

Anil Netto
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The rise of the Anwar clones: PKR’s Gobalakrishnan wearing an Anwar face mask at Nomination Day today. Scores of others were seen bearing such masks.

A PKR supporter taunts an Umno man by waving RM10 ringgit notes in front of him

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LIVE: Vast PKR multitude overwhelms BN crowd

Anil Netto
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PKR supporters dance in the middle of a sea of humanity to the beat of Indian drums

1215: And then, the heavens open, drenching the high-spirited crowds. “Hujan keramat (showers of blessings)!,” shouts one PKR supporter, looking up into the sky, as FRU personnel lining the road look on, blankly. I count 13 police trucks on my way out after dashing for shelter under one of the many stalls along the main road. Among those spotted in the crowd by others are Raja Petra, Rais Yatim,  and Ezam.

1145: It’s a three-corned fight, with the third candidate coming from Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim), which is said to be a Pas splinter group, set to play a spoiler’s role. All objections have been rejected. A huge roar erupts when Anwar’s name is announced. The Indian drumming group and dancers are now back in action livening up the atmosphere further. Thunder rolls in the sky as if to accompany the beat. It is threatening to rain.

Earlier, the Pakatan crowd were chanting “Al-tan-tu-ya!” in the open field at the BN supporters.

A PKR Chinese drumming group also performed as an appreciative, largely Malay crowd snapped photos.

Blog reader Muhammad Firdaus Christopher comments:

Syukur Alhamdulillah, Datuk Seri has started his journey towards being our 6th Prime Minister and the show begins tonight. For the record, I was there since 7.00am until about 11.45am and Masya Allah, I have never seen ever the thunderous and huge supporters of Pakatan Rakyat (PKR, DAP, PAS) bestowing in Penanti/ Permatang Pauh. I strongly believe and estimate the crowd of supporters ranging between 90,000 – 110,000. I am speechless…

Love live DSAI and lets us all work extra hard to ensure that his first step into Parliament happens on the 26th August when we cast our votes.

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“Religion”, according to Syed Hamid Albar

Anil Netto
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This is what constitutes “religion”, according to Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar:

“If you are to write on religion, then you are supposed to touch on matters pertaining to:

– questions on rituals,

– adherence to God,

– followers and

– anything related to your divine mission.”

It is interesting that the first thing that comes to his mind when thinking of religion is “rituals” – and not   deeper spiritual values such as justice and concern for the poor.

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