'Early Merdeka' for 10,000 at counting centre
Malaysiakini.com
Aug 26, 2008 
Chan Kok Leong

Though tense at times as the police had to deal with more than 7,000 Pakatan Rakyat supporters inside the counting centre, things went on rather smoothly.
MCPX

permatang pauh polling day 260808 05Another 3,000 supporters who could not squeeze into the Tuanku Bainun Teachers' Institute had to wait outside while their comrades got the results "live".

Though the last 10 days of campaign saw the highest number of police reports lodged (71), the mother of all by-elections went on smoothly, as police exercised caution and supporters behaved fairly well.

But a shrewd move by the police or the Barisan Nasional coalition to refrain their supporters from going onto the counting centre to await results helped with the situation.

polling day 260808 02As soon as polling ended at the Tengku Bainun station at 5pm, BN supporters closed their "pondok panas" and went home.

While the supporters awaited the results with trepidation, without BN workers as targets they turned their energy onto more positive actions such as singing and cheering.

And with each winning stream announced for their beloved leader Anwar Ibrahim over his Umno rival Arif Shah Omar Shah and Akim's Hanafi Hamat, the decibels went higher.

polling day 260808 03Anwar arrived with his family and other Pakatan leaders such as Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his father, Lim Kit Siang, around 10pm.

Other PKR leaders such as vice-presidents R Sivarasa (photo, left) and Azmin Ali, information chief Tian Chua (photo, right), Selangor state exco Elizabeth Wong, Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar had all arrived earlier.

‘We want change'

By the time the last stream was announced at 10.05pm and the announcer declared Anwar the winner of the Permatang Pauh by-election, fireworks went off.

The crowd went wild.

polling day 260808 01Anwar and other leaders were simultaneously broadcast on the big screen at the teachers' college field for the supporters.

Shortly after that, the former deputy premier flanked by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Guan Eng, took to the stage to thank his supporters and party workers.

Guan Eng thanked the election workers and police for a good job and said that the result showed the Permatang Pauh has chosen good over evil to rapturous applause.

anwar permatang pauh polling day 260808As for Anwar, he said the result proves that not only the Permatang Pauh voters but the whole nation wants true independence.

"Today, we gave a firm statement that we want change. We want independence and the people do not want to be fooled or oppressed anymore," said the soon to be opposition leader in Parliament.

"We want an economic agenda which will help elevate people's burdens. We want the price of oil to go down.

"And this will happen when we get to Putrajaya," said Anwar.

After a string of "Merdeka" chants and a passionate rendition of the national anthem, the supporters dispersed peacefully to the delight of everyone.

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