Anwar: BN no match for Pakatan, GE-13 is the best opportunity to win

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said Prime Minister Najib Razak's BN was no match for the Pakatan Rakyat coalition and that victory was at hand to finally win the federal government in the upcoming general election widely expected to held within the next few months.

Anwar, who is de-facto head of both the PKR party and Pakatan coalition, said BN only clung on because it cheated and used all forms of unfair means to win. This was why it feared the Bersih 2.0 anti-election fraud rally slated for July 9.

“BN cannot debate us on governance or the economy, but only try to divide us,” said Anwar, adding that despite the obstacles thrown in its way, Pakatan and PKR survived because they had "the programmes".

He was speaking at the PKR election convention held in Shah Alam on Sunday. More than 4,000 delegates thronged the hall and the mood of elation and barely suppressed excited could be felt as election fever gripped the party.

Earlier, secretary general saifuddin Nasution told delegates that the time had come for Malaysia to finally emerge from a dark age of feudalism and corruption dominated by the UMNO elite.

“It’s development time for Malaysia, it’s Anwar time for Malaysia,” Saifuddin said to thunderous applause from the hall.

Best opportunity

Pakatan came to power in 2008, sweeping control of 5 of Malaysia's 13 states and denying BN its long-held two-thirds majority in Parliament.

In the past three years, Najib and his UMNO party have focused on how to wrest back the states which include jewels Selangor and Penang through the use of all ways and means and at "all costs".

To maintain the upperhand, Najib also fully exploited the judiciary, tarnishing its credibility which is now at the lowest ebb following the Perak power grab. None of the other instututions such as the police, the MACC, the media, the civil service and even the government hospitals hold much traction with the people anymore as Najib also bent them to his will in order to show his might over the Pakatan.

But the more the PM applied his strong-arm tactics, the more the people have rejected him and his UMNO party. Even the economy has suffered with few large investors willing to put their money until credibility in the country's system was restored.

Anwar told delegates the 13th General Election was the “best opportunity” to form the federal government as the Pakatan needed just a five per cent swing in votes to win.

“We have come this far from 1999, 12 or 13 years is a very short time. Now we need just five per cent to change the Malaysian landscape. This is our best opportunity, not just for Pakatan but for the people to change the government," Anwar said.

Focus on election, not on whether I am jailed, says Anwar

Among obstacles that BN has thrown in Pakatan's way include manifestly fabricated sodomy charges against Anwar, which he has denied and accused Najib and wife Rosmah of plotting, the Datuk T sex video conspiracy by 3 UMNO members with close links to Najib and ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad, the innumerable attacks against DAP and the Penang state government as well as merger offers to PAS, which the Islamist party has rejected.

However, the most immediate risk is actually from the sodomy trial, where Malaysians generally expect Anwar to be jailed, just as Mahathir had imprisoned him for 6 years in 1998.

Even so, Pakatan top leaders have braced themselves for such an eventuality and PKR itself has strengthened its leadership structure with deputy president Azmin Ali poised to step in to help PKR president Wan Azizah run the party should Anwar be incarcerated once more.

"Forget about whether Anwar is thrown in jail but just focus on the election," said Anwar.

He added that BN actually faced more problems than Pakatan and supporters should be confident their leaders can easily recapture their seats in the coming GE.

“Who doesn’t know about inflation? Independent power producers? The Port Klang Free Zone? Teoh Beng Hock? Don’t underestimate the wisdom of the people,” said Anwar.

“Machang, Permatang Pauh, Merbok and Gombak were all Umno strongholds. But look what happened in 2008. So make sure you work hard because you don’t want to lose by a small margin.”

- Malaysia Chronicle