Anwar confident
 MALAYSIAN opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Sunday he is confident of winning a by-election that will allow his return to Parliament, but predicted that the ruling coalition may resort to massive vote-buying to block him. Mr Anwar also brushed off concerns of possible arrest for alleged sodomy - the second time in a decade he has faced such accusations. 'God willing, I am confident (of winning) but I am not taking things lightly,' he told reporters. Mr Anwar's wife resigned on Thursday as lawmaker from the Permatang Pauh constituency in his hometown in northern Penang state to allow him to run for her seat. The Election Commission is to announce a date for the by-election Wednesday. The constituency has been Mr Anwar's stronghold for nearly three decades, making it the easiest seat for him to win in his effort to re-enter Parliament after a decade away from politics and become prime minister if the opposition seizes power. But Mr Anwar said he expects Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's National Front coalition will mobilize police and government resources - including spending millions of dollars to bribe voters - in a bid to defeat him. 'We are not taking things for granted primarily because if the (National Front) decides to go rough with massive funding and bribery, we will have to be really prepared,' he said. His campaign got a boost on Sunday after a senior member of the Malaysian Chinese Association party in the National Front coalition led some 2,000 supporters to join the opposition. 'This is a good sign. I am gratified because they are coming at a time when personally I am under siege,' Mr Anwar said. The governing coalition has a 30-seat majority in the 222-member Parliament but Mr Anwar has said he will be able to persuade enough lawmakers to switch sides to bring down the government by Sept 16. His plans hit a snag in June when he was accused by a 23-year-old male aide of sodomy. Mr Anwar insists the accusation was concocted to thwart his political moves. The government has denied any conspiracy. Police have completed their investigation into the case and Mr Anwar's aides say he could be arrested as early as Monday if the attorney general decides to charge him. 'There is no basis, no reason, no grounds for me to be arrested. We will challenge any arrest,' Mr Anwar said. Sodomy, even between consenting adults, is punishable by up to 20 years in jail in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Prime Minister Abdullah has said Mr Anwar is free to contest the by-election, but warned he cannot use it to escape possible prosecution in the sodomy case. Mr Anwar was fired as deputy prime minister in 1998 and subsequently jailed for alleged sodomy and corruption. The Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction and freed him in 2004 after he had served his corruption conviction, which barred him from holding political office until April 2008. -- AP |
posted by Francis Xavier at 6:19 PM
