Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim wins by-election

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has won a key by-election with a majority of 16,210 votes, official results showed on Tuesday.

The Election Commission said that with counting almost completed, Anwar had won 29,526 votes in the election Tuesday in this semi-rural district in the northern state of Penang.

His rival, Arif Shah Omar Shah of the governing National Front coalition, got 14,444 votes.

The Election Commission also did not say how many votes were cast, but Anwar's vote count was already more than 50 percent of the total electorate of 58,459.
Earlier on Tuesday, Anwar's People's Justice Party said he is expected to win at least 70 per cent of Tuesday's vote for a seat in Parliament.

Tian Chua, an official of the Justice Party, said that there is "firm indication of a landslide victory for Anwar."

Chua says the voters have given "a sound endorsement to Anwar."

Ibrahim was battling a governing coalition candidate in Permatang Pauh for a single seat that will not change the balance of power.

Anwar, who dismissed sodomy allegations against him as "sickening" and a politically motivated attack, has vowed to get enough National Front lawmakers to defect to bring down the government by Sept. 16.

"This vote means Malaysians want the truth," Anwar, 61, said after voting. "It is Anwar versus the entire government. God willing, I am confident of winning."