The Permatang Pauh by-election and Anwar Ibrahim’s victory is a historic milestone in Malaysian nation-building and political development for three reasons.

It is firstly a ringing endorsement of the March 8 “political tsunami” where Malaysians transcended race, religion and political affiliation to vote as one people to demand an end to the decades of Barisan Nasional misrule, abuses of power, corruption and human rights violations.

It demonstrates that the 12th general election results which saw the establishment of five Pakatan Rakyat state governments and the end of the unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority of the Barisan Nasional represented the deep-seated aspirations of Malaysians and not a fluke shot or fleeting phenomenon.

Secondly, it is an unmistakable verdict on behalf of 27 million Malaysians at their disappointment with the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the Cabinet and the Barisan Nasional component parties at their failure in the past six months after the March 8 general election to end the deepening crisis of confidence and restore public trust and faith in the government as well as a censure of Abdullah’s failure to honour his renewed pledges to implement wide-ranging reforms, especially the police, the judiciary and on anti-corruption.

Thirdly, the rise of Permatang Pauh voters as the pioneers of the Bangsa Malaysia generation rejecting and putting to shame Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC Ministers and leaders for their dirty, immoral and racist politics in the 10-day by-election campaign.

Until yesterday, there was nothing for Malaysians to celebrate in the forthcoming 51st National Day on August 31. Read the rest of this entry »