Anwar’s victory with an increased majority

Wednesday, 27 August 2008

PKR advisor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim won the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat yesterday which marks his return to parliament after a forced absence of about ten years.In the yesterday’s by-election, Anwar garnered 31,195 votes defeating his opponents, Arif Shah of BN who got 15,524 votes and Hanafi Hamat of AKIM got only 92 votes.

Anwar also won with an increased majority of 15671 votes, while his wife and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had previously won the seat with a majority of 13,338 votes during the 8 March general elections.The significant victory by the Pakatan Rakyat in Permatang Pauh also confirmed that the voices of change are still strong and the people wanted Pakatan Rakyat to continue their role in the parliament as well as in the Penang state.

Meanwhile, DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the win was a huge victory for the whole nation and an impetus for the Penang state government.Guan Eng also said that the victory shows that the people wanted the process of transformation to a new Malaysia to continue under Pakatan Rakyat’s guidance.