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Anwar says he is confident of victory in crucial by-election
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ebrahim said on Monday he was confident of winning a critical by-election despite claims of a government dirty-tricks campaign to undermine him.
- Agencies
- Published: 20:55 August 25, 2008
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ebrahim said on Monday he was confident of winning a critical by-election despite claims of a government dirty-tricks campaign to undermine him.
The opposition has accused the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition of buying votes and stoking racial tensions in an effort to sideline Anwar, who is bidding to return to parliament in a step towards seizing power.
"It shows the level of desperation and abuse of power by the Barisan Nasional," Anwar said of the bitter campaign for today's vote, and the government's focus on sodomy charges levelled against him by a young male aide.
Tough fight
"I am confident, God willing, we will win, but we are fighting an entire government machinery which has spent millions of dollars in an attempt to deny me a victory," he said.
The charismatic 61-year-old, who was sacked as deputy premier in 1998 and spent six years in jail on sodomy and corruption charges, said he was still on track to unseat the government by mid-September with the help of defectors.
Meanwhile, three state officials in Anwar's party have been charged in court with corruption.
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