V for Anwar?

V for Anwar? By Danny Lim and Ng Boon Hooi 17 Aug 2008 - The Nut Graph “WHERE are we heading to?” asked a puzzled-looking Pakatan Rakyat supporter as he nudged his way through the crowd outside the nomination centre in Permatang Pauh. Supporters of his stripe seemed to be coming and going in every direction. The first question on our minds as we threaded through the masses was “are we a bit late?” — uncertain as we were over such an early march. It was only 8.15am on the Saturday morning of 16 Aug 2008. Nomination would only open at 9am. And yet the crowd was a near-impenetrable throng. Up to 10,000 supporters from both the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat would eventually be present at the beginning of what just might be the most significant by-election in Malaysia’s history, because of the strong likelihood that it will result in the return of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim into Parliament. If it happens, it will pave the way for him to make good on his promises to bring down the BN government and be the next prime minister. Waiting parties As early as 7.30am, the Kulim-Butterworth Expressway that leads to the Institut Perguruan Tuanku Bainon (IPTB), the nomination centre for the by-election, was so jammed that three lanes were turned into de facto car parks. Whenever a BN-marked car went through the Pakatan Rakyat entrance, the crowd would boo. The heat on the ground sizzled so much that Fuziah Salleh, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Wanita chief and MP for Kuantan, had to come out of her car to try and calm the party supporters. By 8.30am, the PKR crowd had mostly filled up the field that had been designated for the party. BN followers only began arriving about 10 minutes later, at a much slower and more organised pace, in support of the BN contingent, which included Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Datuk Seri Rais Yatim and Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu. PKR de facto leader and candidate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived alongside several of the Pakatan Rakyat’s MPs and state assemblypersons, including Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. Anwar, wearing a bright blue baju Melayu, was accompanied by his wife and daughters. ...more http://www.thenutgraph.com/articles/top_features/2008/08/v-for-anwar.php