By Lim Siow Kuan, Malaysian Correspondent
Anwar Ibrahim famously quipped when asked if he is able to form the federal government by 16 September back in August during the by election campaign for Permatang Pauh that “A week is a long time in politics.”
Back then, there was a groundswell of support for Anwar from both the opposition and civil society at large. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng declared the voting day on Tuesday a public holiday to boost voter turnout while PAS leaders Nik Aziz, Hadi Awang and Haron Din toured the villages of Permatang Pauh to drum up support for Anwar.
At the post-victory parade after Anwar’s thumping win over his UMNO adversary Omar Shah, the crowd was jubilant and estatic over Anwar’s bubbling confidence that his victory that night was the beginning of a journey to Putrajaya.
The first dateline 16th September came and passed like any other day. The 2nd dateline 23rd September had passed too with PM Abdullah still in power. The spotlight has now shifted from Pakatan Rakyat to the UMNO Supreme Council meetings where secret backroom dealings to oust Badawi have captured the attention and imagination of the nation. Anwar Ibrahim has been left out cold in limbo.
The sentiments on the ground are beginning to move against Anwar. Many of his supporters are angry and frustrated at his continued reluctance to reveal the list of crossover MPs which lead them to wonder if they had been deliberately misled by Anwar in the first place in his ploy to destabilize the government.
Read rest of article here:
http://wayangparty.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/honeymoon-period-almost-over-for-anwar-ibrahim/
Anwar Ibrahim famously quipped when asked if he is able to form the federal government by 16 September back in August during the by election campaign for Permatang Pauh that “A week is a long time in politics.”
Back then, there was a groundswell of support for Anwar from both the opposition and civil society at large. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng declared the voting day on Tuesday a public holiday to boost voter turnout while PAS leaders Nik Aziz, Hadi Awang and Haron Din toured the villages of Permatang Pauh to drum up support for Anwar.
At the post-victory parade after Anwar’s thumping win over his UMNO adversary Omar Shah, the crowd was jubilant and estatic over Anwar’s bubbling confidence that his victory that night was the beginning of a journey to Putrajaya.
The first dateline 16th September came and passed like any other day. The 2nd dateline 23rd September had passed too with PM Abdullah still in power. The spotlight has now shifted from Pakatan Rakyat to the UMNO Supreme Council meetings where secret backroom dealings to oust Badawi have captured the attention and imagination of the nation. Anwar Ibrahim has been left out cold in limbo.
The sentiments on the ground are beginning to move against Anwar. Many of his supporters are angry and frustrated at his continued reluctance to reveal the list of crossover MPs which lead them to wonder if they had been deliberately misled by Anwar in the first place in his ploy to destabilize the government.
Read rest of article here:
http://wayangparty.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/honeymoon-period-almost-over-for-anwar-ibrahim/
