Anwar back in the House

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will make his return to Parliament tomorrow after a 10-year absence.

"The result for the Permatang Pauh by-election is already out and the decision favours Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, so he will be sworn in tomorrow," Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia announced before starting today's session of the Dewan Rakyat.

The speaker also confirmed that it had received official notification of Anwar's victory in Permatang Pauh by-election from the Election Commission this morning and has in turn notified Anwar that he will take his oath of office after the morning prayers as provided for in the Standing Orders.

The result is that Anwar will not only be able to speak in Dewan Rakyat tomorrow but he will be present when Finance and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the man Anwar seeks to replace, tables the 2009 Budget on Friday.

Pandikar Amin told the press later that he had not been pressured into making the decision to swear-in the former deputy prime minister but hoped Anwar's presence would result in better decorum among the opposition MPs.

"I expect him to control his members better. If the deputy prime minister of the day can smile when he is hammered, I don't see why the opposition can't do the same," he said.

When quizzed if Anwar's victory would spark another attempt to table a motion of no-confidence on the government, Pandikar Amin said it was up to the opposition as "politics is a game. What is today, is different tomorrow. They may try, they may not."

Pandikar Amin had thrown out an earlier attempt filed with his office by Anwar's wife and predecessor as Permatang Pauh MP, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, during the last session as it was filed under the wrong standing order.

The speaker also said he would notify the House that Anwar Ibrahim was the Opposition leader once the opposition had informed him formally.

At 4pm, PKR vice-president Azmin Ali submitted a letter that was co-written by him, DAP deputy chairman Tan Seng Giaw and Pas president Abdul Hadi Awang to Pandikar Amin.

"I expect the speaker to announce our decision to the House tomorrow," Azmin has said earlier today.

PKR retained Permatang Pauh after Anwar won the seat with a 15,671-vote majority in yesterday's polling.

Anwar, 61, obtained 31,195 votes while BN's Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, 51, garnered 15,524. Hanafi Mamat of Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim), 61, ceded his deposit after polling 92 votes, less even than the number of spoilt votes (447).

PKR president Wan Azizah had vacated the seat on July 31 to enable her husband, Anwar, to make his return to Parliament.