Wan Azizah vacates Permatang Pauh seat to pave way for Anwar

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has resigned as Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh with immediate effect to make way for her husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to contest the seat in a by-election.

BRACING FOR A BY-ELECTION: The Opposition's first couple, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, fielding questions from the media after the latter announced her resignation as MP for Permatang Pauh to allow Anwar to contest the subsequent by-election to fulfill his intention to make a comeback to the Dewan Rakyat.

Wan Azizah, 55, said she tendered her resignation letter to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia today.She had discussed the matter with the PKR leadership and its partners in Pakatan Rakyat, she told a news conference at the PKR headquarters here, attended by Anwar and their daughter, Nurul Izzah, the MP for Lembah Pantai.Wan Azizah, who is also the opposition leader in the Dewan Rakyat, has been the Permatang Pauh MP since 1999. The seat was previously held by Anwar.Wan Azizah said she would remain the PKR president but her replacement as opposition leader would be discussed by the Pakat Rakyat members.

The news conference which was also attended by several party leaders as well as DAP representative Tan Kok Wai, was held in a calm atmosphere although she was besieged by local and foreign media representatives.Meanwhile, Anwar, 60, said he was moved and indebted to his wife who was willing to vacate the seat although it was not an “easy thing” to do.

He said his decision to contest in Permatang Pauh was because it was a safe seat although he had been offered other parliamentary seats, including Bandar Tun Razak which is held by Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Gombak, whose incumbent is PKR vice-president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Anwar had held the Permatang Pauh seat as a Barisan Nasional representative from 1982 until his expulsion from Umno in September 1998. He then served as an independent MP until his conviction for corruption on April 14, 1999.Because of his conviction and six-year jail term, Anwar, who was released in September 2004, was not eligible to contest in the March 8 general election.Touching on his recent announcement to contest the Kulim Bandar Baru parliamentary seat, Anwar said the disposal of the election petition for that seat would take a long time.“After consulting the family, (DAP MP Tan) Kok Wai, (Ipoh Timur MP Lim) Kit Siang and (Penang Chief Minister Lim) Guan Eng and (PAS president Datuk Seri) Hadi Awang and colleagues in Permatang Pauh, they agreed that I should offer myself,” he said.In KOTA KINABALU, Pandikar Amin told Bernama that he would inform the Election Commission (EC) of the seat vacancy to enable a by-election to be held within 60 days.On Wan Azizah’s replacement as opposition leader, he said it was up to Pakatan Rakyat to decide.

“Pakatan Rakyat can choose to appoint an opposition leader as soon as possible, that is, at the Dewan Rakyat sitting which begins on Aug 18 or wait until after the Permatang Pauh by-election,” he said.


**copy from nst online

p/s:- nanti ada reformasi lagi ke?