Permatang Pauh By Election Impacts

It would have been better if BN/UMNO did not participate at all in recent by election at Permatang Pauh, as it would have save the tax payers money, as well as the political parties that participated in the by election. It is interesting to note that Datuk Seri Anuar who emerged as the newly elected MP of Permatang Pauh managed to get 31,195 votes, while the BN candidate managed to get only 15,524 votes. This gave DSAI a majority of 15,671 which exceeded what BN candidate got. What had gone wrong with the BN/UMNO, only they know for sure. Judging from the votes received by the BN candidate if this pattern is to continue in the next general election, the BN candidate Arif Shah will lose the State Assembly seat for Seberang Jaya. Arif Shah managed to get only 6,345 votes as compared to 11,084 votes obtained by DSAI in the Sebarang Jaya State Assembly that makes up Permatang Pauh. It is no surprised as during the 12^th. General Election he won by only 500 votes, and judging by his performance in the by election, it is very unlikely that he will not contest in any election again.

Will there be any difference if BN/UMNO had nominated someone else to contest against DSAI. Some of the names mentioned to contest the by election include Ezam, and it was even rumoured that Samy Velu was a willing candidate to contest against DSAI. Had it been a different candidate will BN/UMNO won the by election, or at least reduced the majority, or could it have been worst. During the campaign almost the entire cabinet members and BN top guns were at Permatang Pauh but received little attention from the voters at Permatang Pauh. The Prime Media did all they could to portray DSAI as untrustworthy and dishonest and that the voters would be making a big mistake should they choose DSAI instead of BN candidate.

The BN/UMNO even went to the extent of manipulating the rifts that occurred in Pakatan Rakyat, and that it will be a matter of time the Pakatan Statement Government in Selangor and Perak would be ouster by BN. In its effort to topple the Perak State Government, the BPR arrest two of State Exco for an alleged bribes received by the two state Exco for a project in Seri Iskandar. As the project is non existence the State Government and the two Exco are suing the BPR for the wrongful arrest of two State Exco.

Every attempt was made to cause an upset for DSAI. Weeks before nomination day he was charged for the second time on sodomy and was remanded in the police lock for one night, and when he was later charged in the court, and was most fortunate to been allowed to make a personal bail (DSAI did mentioned should the bail been refused and that he will be sent to prison, he will contest the by election from behind the bars). A day before the nomination, Saiful the person who alleged was sodomised by DSAI held a Swearing Ceremony at Wilayah Mosque at Jalan Duta. Just before the election Datuk Nalla accused DSAI of receiving RM60 million from Magnum. The BPR had requested Datuk Nalla to make a police report and request him to go to BPR headquarters for more information about the alleged bribery. While at Parliament the DNA Act is now been tabled. All these are done to frustrate DSAI, and to destroy any hope of DSAI to head the Federal Government with the expected crossing over of BN MPs to Pakatan Rakyat before September 16 2008.

Now that the by election is over and DSAI had been sworn as MP for Permatang Pauh as well as appointed as Opposition Leader, it is interesting to watch what happen after this. There is no doubt that BN/UMNO will go all out to prevent DSAI from toppling BN/UMNO government with the crossing over of BN MPs from Sabah and Sarawak, and there were talks that some will be coming from Peninsular Malaysia.

Muhiyuddin Yasin, an UMNO Vice President admitted if the support to the opposition become a trend in future by elections, the BN/UMNO will be having a very tough time to win in the next General Election which will be held in 2012. All sorts of excuses had been given for the poor performance of the BN/UMNO during the Permatang Pauh by election.

In order to remain in power and hoping to regain control, the Budget 2009 surprised everyone with all the goodies that were offer to all walks of life. The allocations that were given to Sabah and Sarawak indeed surprised the people in East Malaysia. Abdullah made mistakes by not announcing these before the 12^th. General Election or before the recent by election in Permatang Pauh. The Menteri Besar of Kelantan commented that the Budget 2009 are oriented towards the people needs is mainly because of the presence of strong opposition that exists in today Parliament. Surely there are some truths on what Nik Aziz’s remarks. BN/UMNO could expect to lose more seats if by elections are to be held in future.