Quotable Quotes from Permatang Pauh By-Election
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is now a Member of Parliament subject to the swearing-in ceremony. With no disrespect to previous opposition leaders, I think he will be the most formidable Opposition Leader yet to be seen in Malaysian politics. Even if he does not get to form the next Federal Government until the next General Election, with his experience, wit and oratory skills, I think he will be able to provide a good check on the government.
Anyway, let us take a trip down memory lane to see what the Big Mouth losers had proclaimed and claimed during the by-election campaign…
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil on the 12th August said:
“The wing views the by-election as a critical election not just for Barisan Nasional but also for the whole country and its people.
“It is a jihad because this individual should not be given the chance to destroy the country’s political stability and prosperity.
“If we allow him to lead the country, he would lead us to destruction,” she said after launching the Barisan Nasional Wanita Permatang Pauh by-election machinery here yesterday.
Now, it appears that the majority of voters prefer the country to go to destruction via Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim than the path of destruction via UMNO-led Barisan Nasional. Isn’t it telling enough how much the majority despises you UMNO-led Barisan Nasional lot?
Najib on the 17th August said:
“God willing, we will emerge the winner this time as Barisan has a proven track record of looking after the people,” he told reporters at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers Training College here.
It looks like God was not willing. Could it be that God felt that Barisan has no proven track record of looking after the people?
Khairy Jamaluddin was quoted on 20th August as saying:
“For all its talk of a new Malaysia and a real alternative against Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat remains a politically expedient arrangement among strange bedfellows bound not by a shared ideology but by a common lust for power.
“The rupture has begun.”
No mate. The rapture for Pakatan Rakyat and their supporters have just begun!
The next day in a ceramah, arrogant Khairy cockily said:
During a fiery 30-minute speech, Khairy said BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah’s true challenge was to end the career of the ‘power crazy’ opposition leader.
“We are here to bury Anwar’s political career. We are here to make history to ensure our nation’s future is free and safe from him!” he thundered to loud cheers from those present.
Now, it would seem that the majority of voters did not think that Anwar was as power crazy as Khairy claimed. On the contrary, the barrage of public opinion over his uncouth “bury” statement shows their displeasure over this power-wannabe young politician. Khairy could have quit Rembau and stood to challenge Anwar if he felt so important that the nation must be rid of Anwar’s politics and influence. If Anwar becomes the PM, I wonder who’s political career is gonna be buried…
Arif Shah on 21st August was quoted to have said:
Speaking Thursday at a press conference at his house in Persiaran Tenggiri here, Arif Shah said he is confident of winning the Permatang Pauh by-election with a slim majority.
He said his target of 28,000 votes is possible due to his track record in the previous election. In the March 8 election, Barisan managed to garner nearly 20,000 votes from Seberang Jaya, Penanti and Permatang Pauh.
“If I manage to maintain this and pull in another 8,000 votes, I should be able to win a slim majority. I am looking at a slim majority of between 500 to 5,000 votes,” he said.
This time around, the majority is greater than the one secured back in March the 8th. Being over confident and arrogant does not bode you well.
Abdullah Badawi was quoted on 22nd August to have said:
“We are confident of victory because Arif Shah is a candidate with a proven track record. He is a hardworking assemblyman.”
We all know that when Badawi says one thing, he means the other. So, what he truly meant to say was “We are not confident of victory because Arif Shah is not a candidate with a proven track record. He is not a hardworking assemblyman”.
Meanwhile, Arif Shah on 22nd August showed his interest in superstitions :
Precisely at 8am on polling day, Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah will be stepping into SK Seberang Jaya 2 to cast his vote.
The jolly candidate said he would like to keep the ‘triple eight’ effect on that day.
“Polling is on the 26th, and the year is 2008,” he pointed out to newsmen at his house in Persiaran Tenggiri yesterday.
“If you add two and six, it equals eight. The ‘two’ in the beginning of 2008 is perceived as going ‘towards’ the number eight, which is at the end. So there are two eights derived from the two dates and I’ll enter the polling station at 8am, the third eight.”
The number ‘8’ is a homonym for prosperity in Cantonese. Arif’s voting slip also has a number ‘8’ in it. His slip is numbered 978.
Arif is printing 58,000 post cards to be sent to the electorate to urge them to vote for him.
I thought your religion teaches you not to believe in such things? Anyway, just to amuse you further, Arif garnered 15,524 votes. Add the numbers together and you will get 17. Add 1 and 7 and you will have 8.
Najib confidently said on the eve of the polls 25th August:
“After nearly two weeks of hard work and prayers, the situation is tilting towards BN,” the Deputy Prime Minister said at a briefing at the BN’s Kampung Kolam operations room here today.
Najib said although political observers had initially forecast a slim chance for the BN, hard work had changed all that and that the coalition could emerge victorious.”
I wonder where he got information that the situation was tilting towards BN and could be smelling victory. Not only did Anwar win, he won bigger. Spend more work dealing with public complaints and I am sure Barisan will stand a better chance next time.
Updated:
News just got in. The Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek had this to say this afternoon post-election results:
Ahmad Shabery claimed that Umno had actually expected for Anwar to win in the by-election with an even bigger majority than the one recorded on Tuesday night.
So, did you mean to say that it was all bravo talk by Najib on the eve of the election? Why didn’t you say this earlier? Well, of course you won’t because you guys were busy with your propagandas.
