Costly Affair at Permatang Pauh

If it is going to be a costly affair, my advise to BN is let Anwar have his sit in Parliament. They the BN government can go around and declare that they are a "Kerajaan yang berjiwa Rakyat". Anyway putting anybody there would definitely be a waste of money. Especially so when the government in order to wack Anwar 'habis-habisan' will either employ police and the army to so-called restore order and peace OR will probably pour a lot of money like the By-election in Ijok and Machap where millions of goodies were spend in order to win in the by-elections.
I will be observing three issues in this coming by-election and will probably blog about it after the election. The three are:-

(i) this by-election will be the dirtiest election in the history of Malaysia politics with all sorts dirty linen washed publicly for all to see.

(ii) the unity of the Opposition in fighting under one banner called PAKATAN RAKYAT for the first time and to gauge the popularity of Anwar and whether he is RELEVANT to Malaysia politics.

(iii) whether BN will continue to manipulate the media or rather ALTERNATIVE MEDIA versus MAINSTREAM MEDIA

It will definitely be a battle to watch.

----- taken from the Star

PUTRAJAYA: The by-election in Permatang Pauh, which will see PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim contesting, will be a "costly affair".

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said there were both "direct and indirect" costs involved in ensuring that the whole democratic process was run efficiently and peacefully.

"The by-election is too soon after the general election in March. If (former MP) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had said earlier that she was giving way to Anwar, then the voters may have decided differently then.

"People don't usually see the indirect costs. More policemen will need to be deployed to Permatang Pauh to ensure that the whole process is conducted smoothly and peacefully, and to ensure there is no untoward incident.

"This whole operation costs extra money," he told reporters Tuesday after the ministry's monthly assembly here.

He however declined to give the number of personnel expected to be deployed for the by-election or the cost involved.

"The size of the force will depend on the excitement and emotion on the ground," he said.

On suggestions by various Umno members and PAS for Barisan Nasional not to run against Anwar, Syed Hamid said this was for the coalition leadership to decide.

"Maybe PAS can offer one of their seats instead to Anwar. After all, they are in the Pakatan Rakyat family," he said.