The Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election has five key issues, not only for the voters in the constituency, but for all Malaysians, viz:
1. As a clear and unmistakable vote, not only behalf of the people of Permatang Pauh, but of 30 million Malaysians, against the continued victimisation and persecution of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, with his second jail sentence and disqualification as an elected MP, and an unequivocal and categorical call for Anwar’s immediate release from jail.
2. Rejection of GST imposed on April 1 as imposing hardships on the people at large, demanding that the 6 per cent tax be abolished.
3. Lead the country in demanding immediate transparency and accountability for “mother of mother” of all financial scandals in Malaysia, the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal. When the voters cast their vote in the by-election on May 7, it will be more than two months after the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had ordered the auditor-general to independently verify the accounts of the 1MDB. The voters of Permatang Puah must vote to demand that the Auditor-General should table his report on the 1MDB scandal to Parliament when it reconvenes on May 18 – or at least, an interim report.
4. Vote to censure the growing repression in the country, not only with the passage of undemocratic laws like the Sedition Amendment Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act but also the double standards, the persecution and harassment of Pakatan Rakyat leaders and NGO activists particularly at the instance of the twitter trigger-happy Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
5. To “Save Malaysia” by issuing a clear and unequivocal vote against the failure of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 1Malaysia Policy, with worst racial and religious polarization under his tenure.
(Media Statement at the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election nomination centre in support of the candidature of PKR President Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on Saturday, 25th April 2015)