UMNO TOP POST VIEWS ON ANWAR'S VICTORY

Read three differing views on Anwar's election victory, one from the PM himself, UMNO Vice President and finally from the Info Minister. The same one event with three views coming from the same "heart and brain".
*PM: Don't misinterpret Permatang Pauh election result

*Muhyiddin: Don't view Anwar's victory lightly

*Anwar's win not an 'upset' for BN, says info minister

JOHOR BARU (Aug 27, 2008) : 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, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today.

"What happened in Permatang Pauh was not something so big as to change the situation that exists after the last general election," he said, adding that the Barisan Nasional (BN) which won 140 parliamentary seats in the March 8 general election still commanded strong support from the people.

Anwar's win not an 'upset' for BN, says info minister


KUALA LUMPUR, (Aug 27, 2008) : Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's winning the Permatang Pauh by-election yesterday would not threaten Barisan Nasional's (BN) position as the ruling coalition.

He said there was no reason for BN members to be sad over its loss in the by-election as it was expected, and it was also not an upset for BN as Anwar had contested in his stronghold.

"This by-election is not just life and death for Anwar, but also for PKR and Pakatan Rakyat. But for BN, it's just a seat and which did not belong to it but to PKR before the by-election.


"Anwar's victory also does not affect the current government leadership. Pak Lah (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) is still the Kepala Batas member of parliament and prime minister, while Datuk Seri Najib (Razak) is still Pekan MP and deputy prime minister," he told reporters at the parliament lobby today.

Ahmad Shabery said the majority gained by Anwar was also not as big as bandied about by the opposition before the by-election.

"Judging from the presence of 50,000 of his supporters on nomination day, he should have received about the same number of votes or won by at least a 20,000-vote majority.

"But the difference in Anwar's 15,000-vote majority and his wife's (Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) in the last general election is small," he added.

Ahmad Shabery hoped that Anwar can contribute meaningfully to the coming debates in the Dewan Rakyat.

"I hope with Anwar's re-entry into Parliament, the sitting of which will resume tomorrow, the proceedings will be more decorous. The people want to see the demeanour of someone (Anwar) who aspires to be prime minister and who can set a good example to other parliamentarians, especially his colleagues in the opposition."

The minister said Anwar's swearing-in as MP tomorrow would not be telecast live.


Muhyiddin: Don't view Anwar's victory lightly


SINGAPORE (Aug 27, 2008) : Barisan Nasional (BN) should not take lightly the victory of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election yesterday, said Umno Vice-President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin said he was concerned that the voters' decision to give victory to the opposition would become a trend.

"Although it was just a by-election, it could be an indication of a trend that the voters had already decided that they wanted changes even if they didn't know what the changes were, and refused to accept BN's leadership," he told Malaysian journalists here.

Muhyiddin, who is International Trade and Industry Minister, was here to attend the Asean Economic Ministers Meeting.


He said BN and Umno should conduct a post-mortem and take steps to speed up Umno's re-inventing process as well as measures to re-brand the BN with new approach more acceptable to the people.

According to him, this would require the BN and Umno to re-evaluate whether their approach to campaign was already "stale and no longer acceptable to the people."

"It is clear that we need to make swift changes to the organisation and to the way we do things," he said.

Muhyiddin added that the results also showed that the voters' mindset had shifted and that they now wanted something which "are fairer, not racial-based (politics) but one that is based on the profile of the multiracial and multi-religious Malaysians."

"Umno should be prepared to make the change," he said.

Muhyiddin said, however, that Anwar's victory was something to be expected and accepted as it was the wishes of the people, who made their choice under a democratic process.

"It may be that whatever is said about Anwar, the people and voters just refuse to believe it.

"The explanation given by our leaders was not accepted as though it was already decided from the outset that the BN would lose and PKR would win," he said.