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PERMATANG PAUH, Penang : Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has formally flagged off his by-election campaign in Permatang Pauh with "Merdeka" or "Independence" as the chosen theme.
This comes as he urged voters to put him on the road to Putrajaya by ensuring his safe return to parliament on August 26.
With one week to go before Polling Day, Permatang Pauh's nearly 59,000 registered voters are warming up to a highly-charged campaign between the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat.
Despite having a clear upper hand, Mr Anwar is leaving no stone unturned - holding public forums till the wee hours of the morning to win the hearts and minds of voters.
He is taking his campaign to every corner of Permatang Pauh - urging voters to send him to parliament, a prerequisite in his bid to become Malaysia's prime minister.
Mr Anwar said: "From Permatang Pauh, we head straight to Putrajaya. Today I seize power, tomorrow I will lower the fuel price to two ringgit."
Opposition strategist Jeff Ooi said there is no room for complacency, as the by-election results will be closely scrutinised as a litmus test of support for both sides.
He said: "Our major concern right now is the swing votes, and we would like to lock in all the Chinese, the non-Malay votes, and I do accept the fact that for the time being, Malay votes are split in the middle... it's disheartening if the majority is anything less than 13,398."
In the March general election, Mr Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, won by a handsome majority.
One person commented: "Polling Day falls on a Tuesday, and it's not a public holiday, so voter turnout will be affected. If the turnout is low, this will inevitably affect the winning margin."
Many Anwar supporters see the former deputy prime minister as their only hope for change.
One supporter said: "We will do our utmost best to support Anwar and make sure that Malaysia will change."
Another supporter commented: "We want (to see) Anwar on August 31 on stage, standing at Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), Dataran Putrajaya (Putrajaya Square)... celebrat(ing) the merdeka days."
While the majority of the Chinese and Indian voters - who make up about 30 per cent of the electorate - are firmly behind Mr Anwar, the Malay votes are split down the middle.
Still many do fancy the idea of perhaps having the first Prime Minister that hailed from Permatang Pauh, by first sending Mr Anwar to parliament, then to Putrajaya. - CNA/ms
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