Anwar confident Pakatan can win Putrajaya

Anwar addresses a crowd during a political rally in Linggi, July 24, 2010. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sounded an early victory horn for the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) last night, with predictions indicating that the coalition was already knocking on Putrajaya’s doors.

The PR de facto leader declared in a political rally at Kampung Linggi, Linggi, Port Dickson that should snap elections be called as early as today, the Barisan Nasional (BN)-led Negeri Sembilan would fall into PR’s hands.

“Look at the last general election. In Negeri Sembilan, we were close to winning. If we push them just a little, that is it.

“I am confident that if elections are called tomorrow, the BN Negeri Sembilan government will fall,” he said to a small crowd gathered at an empty field in the village here.

Negeri Sembilan presently hangs precariously in BN’s hands, with a six-seat gap between the rival coalitions in the state legislative assembly.

In Election 2008, PR scored 15 seats compared to BN’s 21.

BN, however, stemmed the tide when it retained the Bagan Pinang state seat during the by-election last October and broke the opposition’s winning streak.

During the poll, the BN cleverly pitted former mentri besar Tan Sri Isa Samad against PAS’ Zulkefly Mohamad Omar.

Anwar also claimed PR’s only stumbling blocks were the states of Johor, Sabah and Sarawak, implying that the coalition was confident of its chances in the remaining states.

“Where are we weak? In Johor, a little, and in Sabah and Sarawak. But if you look at what is happening in Johor, it is clear that they (BN) are scared. They do not even allow us to have ceramahs there,” he said.

The Permatang Pauh MP pointed out that if the BN was truly confident of its support in Johor, it should not have a problem with allowing PR to hold its regular political rallies.

“If they are truly so powerful, why are they so afraid? Like for me in Permatang Pauh, if they want to hold a ceramah, I tell them go ahead because we are confident,” he said.

He chastised the government for failing to show the true meaning of democracy and independence when it blocked its people from speaking freely during such rallies.

“What is the meaning of Merdeka? Half a century of independence and we still cannot hold ceramahs? Are we back to the colonial days?

“Is Najib called Sir Najib Macmillan and Rosmah called Lady Macmillan?” Anwar asked with a laugh when referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

He accused Najib of being “jealous” of his international popularity and retaliating by accusing him of paying for foreign media coverage.

“CNN interviewed me and they said I paid them to do so. Al-Jazeera featured me and I was accused of paying.

“I do not pay, they invite me so they pay for everything. On the 16th, I have to attend a conference on the Islamic economy in Jeddah... they pay for everything. They even give me an allowance but there is no need to ask how much.

“They are just jealous because I am given international recognition,” he said.

Anwar also insisted that the BN government was afraid of the PR’s growing popularity, despite having the upper hand in terms of financial resources and power.

“They have big money... billions of ringgit to spend. They have held on to power for too long and they are too corrupt so they think now that they can own everything.

“We, on the other hand, are weak in Sabah and Sarawak but yet, we won the Sibu by-election. Umno immediately convened an emergency meeting by its political bureau,” he said.

Anwar acknowledged that before Sibu, PR had suffered a loss during the Hulu Selangor by-election, but pointed out that the voting pattern in the whole of Selangor still indicated the extent of PR’s popularity.

“If you look at it from that point, it is clearly shown that their confidence level in the people of Selangor is terrible.

“They can hold on to Sabah and Sarawak... Najib has been going there over and over again and Rosmah even went there to sing.

“Then again... it is good luck for us when she sings so I say, bring her everywhere, let her sing, it works to our benefit,” he said.

Anwar added that the Sibu win was a strong indication that the PR stood a good chance of winning Putrajaya as planned in the next general election.

“When we can wrest a seat in Sarawak, it is a clear indication that their (BN’s) fortress has begun to crumble,” he said.

Anwar also said that PR did not need to win all seats in Sabah and Sarawak in order to win Putrajaya.

“All we need is less than half the seats in Sarawak and a few in Sabah, and Insyallah (God willing), we will take on Putrajaya,” he said to thunderous applause.

Anwar previously predicted PR would take Putrajaya on September 16 2008 with the defection of some 30 BN MPs but that failed to materialise.

courtesy of Malaysian Insider