BN using dirty tricks -Anwar

In the first day of campaigning, opposition leader and home boy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already alleged that his former party Barisan Nasional (BN) will resort to dirty strategies to cut his majority in the Permatang Pauh by-election this Aug 26.

He claimed inside information and told the people to disregard the tricks.

"BN will campaign house-to-house to ask residents in Permatang Pauh not to go out to vote on Aug 26, saying that I have already won the by-election.

"BN will also give RM500 to each voter not to vote for Anwar Ibrahim, but my advice to you is to take the money, but vote for me," he said at a tea reception at Kampung Bagan Serai here yesterady.

The former deputy prime minister also reiterated Pakatan Rakyat tpromises when it formed the government, cutting pump prices by 70 sen and freeing the five Hindraf leaders currently detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Anwar is facing BN candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah and Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim) president Hanafi Mamat in a three-cornered fight for the seat that he had held between 1982 and 1999 when he was convicted of corruption.

Meanwhile, Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib said BN had a stronger chance of wresting the seat from PKR following the entry of Akim into the picture.

The Rural and Regional Development Minister's views,were shared by Penang MCA liaison chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai who said Hanafi would be able to attract a segment of PAS supporters as many of them were unhappy with Anwar, Bernama reported.

BN Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also felt the same but reminded the BN election machinery to work hard to ensure a BN victory.

Penang BN chairman Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon reminded the BN election machinery to double its effort especially at the grassroots level and said he hoped the people of Permatang Pauh would not be taken in by the empty promises the opposition would be making.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the party was making every effort to get at least 2,700 of the 3,390 Indian voters in the constituency to vote for the BN.

PAS vice president Datuk Husam Musa said the by-election would be a tough battle for the PR as it had to contend with the BN's formidable election machinery but was confident the opposition coalition would prevail.

He said that Anwar's former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's action of swearing on the Quran at the Federal Territory Mosque in Kuala Lumpur Friday that Anwar had sodomised him, would not in anyway sway PAS members support for Anwar as it was "obviously timed to derail Anwar's plan of making a comeback".

PKR supreme council member Saifuddin Nasution Ismail described the by-election as mere formality to fill the vacancy as the constituency was a PKR fortress.

As for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, he said that he viewed this by-election as historical one as involved a former political stalwart, referring to Anwar, who is a former deputy prime minister.

Meanwhile, former PKR Youth chief Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor said the BN could win the seat as the mood of the people there had changed since the time he was in PKR.

"I can feel it. It is not the same as in 1999 and 2004 (when the outpouring of support for PKR was very great)," said, Ezam, who rejoined Umno recently.
Excerpt from http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/7801-anwar-claims-bn-using-dirty-tricks-