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PERMATANG PAUH, Penang : Touted as the "mother of all" by-elections, the Permatang Pauh polls in Malaysia is living up to its reputation.
As the daily volley of accusations and mudslinging gathers momentum, police are looking at doubling their manpower towards polling day to keep things under control.
As the keenly watched 10-day by-election campaign in Permatang Pauh enters its half-way mark, both sides of the political divide have intensified their efforts - with house to house visits and public rallies held till the wee hours of the morning.
So far, opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim's "ceramahs" (political talks) have managed to pull in a larger crowd than the ruling Barisan Nasional candidate's.
Still, despite having a clear upper hand, Anwar continues to be dogged by scandals. He has been charged with having unnatural sex with his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari, who had sworn on the Quran that he was sodomised by his boss against his will.
Young mother Ain, who recently invited Anwar to her younger sister's wedding, is tired of all the scurrilous attacks.
"Forget it, I don't want to know about such things, I am more interested to find out what they are going to do to develop our areas. Even if the allegations against Anwar are true, it's his own personal affair," said Ain.
While the Malay-Muslim couple believe that Anwar offers a better future for the country, others have shied away from the former deputy premier.
The opposition Pakatan Rakyat's multi-racial outlook and liberal approach sit rather uneasily with many of Permatang's Malay voters, who represent almost 70 per cent of the electorate.
Che Nah, a housewife, is one of them. She is also put off by how some Anwar supporters behave during rallies.
She said: "We are scared of the opposition members because they are rough... just like what happened in the past few days."
At least two newsmen were reportedly attacked by Anwar's supporters on nomination day.
"Only the police have the right to control traffic and keep public order. Please do not take law into your own hands," said Penang's police chief Ayub Yaakob.
So far, he said the opposition has yet to apply for a permit for any of its public rallies. He added that the police will double their numbers nearer polling day to ensure a smooth by-election. - CNA /ls
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