2008 Permatang Pauh by-election

2008 Permatang Pauh by-election
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Seat of Permatang Pauh
Registered58,459
Turnout80.86%
  First party Second party
 
BN
Candidate Anwar Ibrahim Arif Shah Omar Shah
Party PKR BN
Popular vote 31,195 15,524
Percentage 66.64% 33.16%
Swing Increase 2.48% Decrease 2.68%
MP before election

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
PKR

Elected MP

Anwar Ibrahim
PKR

A by-election was held for the Dewan Rakyat parliamentary seat of Permatang Pauh on 26 August 2008 with nomination day on 16 August 2008.[1][2] The seat of Permatang Pauh in the Dewan Rakyat, fell vacant after the resignation of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on 31 July 2008. Wan Azizah was the Leader of the Opposition as well as the President of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), a component party of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition.[3] The by-election was contested by the PR candidate former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This election has been dubbed "the mother of all by-elections" by the media due to the potentially significant implication of the election as well as the high profile of Anwar Ibrahim.[4]

Anwar won the election and was sworn into Parliament on 28 August 2008,[5][6] vowing to topple the government with the help of defectors from Barisan Nasional.[7][8]

  1. ^ M'sia's Anwar says he is to be charged with sodomy on Thursday 6 August 2008, Channel NewsAsia
  2. ^ "Polling for Permatang Pauh on Tuesday, Aug 26". Yong Min Wei. TheEdgeDaily. 6 August 2008. Archived from the original on 8 August 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  3. ^ (31 July 2008). Malaysia's Anwar to contest election for wife's seat. Agence France-Presse via Channel News Asia.
  4. ^ "Big guns from both sides descend on Permatang Pauh". The Star. 4 August 2008. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  5. ^ cnn.com, Anwar sworn in as member of Malaysian parliament Archived 24 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Aziz, Faisal. (28 August 2008) reuters.com, NEWSMAKER – Malaysia Anwar sworn in, ends political exile. In.reuters.com.
  7. ^ afp.google.com/article, Malaysia's Anwar returns to parliament Archived 20 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ theedgedaily.com, 28-08-2008: Anwar sworn in, appointed as Opposition Leader Archived 29 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine