Although Umno is playing a dangerous double-faced racial card to win the Permatang Pauh by-election at all costs, rival Pakatan Rakyat promises to counter it with its own brand of multi-racial politics.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the DAP election operations centre in Permatang Pauh today, PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim said Umno was deploying a racial-based divide and rule tactic to woo both Malay and Chinese voters in this semi-urban constituency in Penang.

anwar ibrahim lim guan eng dap permatang pauh by election walkabout campaign 150808 02 He also accused Umno of playing up the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UiTM) issue and using the ‘Save Penang Malays’ slogan to stir up racial sentiments among the Malays, who make up 69 percent of the 58,459 registered voters in Permatang Pauh.

He said although Umno is fielding Seberang Jaya assemblyperson Ariff Shah Omar Shah - who is fluent in Mandarin and Hokkien - to woo Chinese voters, they are at the same time going all out to convince the Malays that Anwar would ‘sell’ them out.

"Each time Umno and Barisan Nasional are under threat, they resort to racial politics.

"This is a dangerous trend that we will deal effectively and decisively with Pakatan Rakyat’s multi-racial politics and policy," Anwar said today.

On his opponent’s fluency in several Chinese dialects, Anwar said: "It is too bad that my friend Datuk Ariff would be speaking in Chinese representing a party embarking on racist politics."

The opposition icon also acknowledged that he was not only contesting against Ariff but the whole of BN.

Anwar versus BN

"It’s not Anwar versus Ariff, but Anwar versus BN. In next 10 days, millions will be poured to woo the voters and I will be the target of a hate campaign.

"It’s going to be tough and rough, but hopefully Permatang Pauh constituents will use their wisdom to vote me in," he said.

Anwar said he will not emulate BN’s racial politics or resort to making personal attacks on anyone but stick to a clean campaign based on multi-racial politics.

"We will put across the national issues at stake such as the economic issues and political governance for the people to decide. I am sure Permatang Pauh folks would love to see their member of Parliament becoming the prime minister," he said with a grin.

anwar ibrahim lim guan eng dap permatang pauh by election walkabout campaign 150808 03 DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Permatang Pauh voters must seize the chance to change the country’s political landscape, adding that by voting for Anwar, they would get an elected representative who would not only work for them but the whole country.

"BN and Umno only give lip service to the people but talk a lot to serve their own interests.

"But PR talks from the heart for the benefits, rights and interests of all Malaysians," said the chief minister of Penang.

Anwar also took a swipe at the Umno-controlled mainstream media for depicting a split in Pakatan, "when the truth was to the contrary."

He said PAS president Hadi Awang’s keynote address at the party’s Muktamar in Ipoh today clearly showed that PR was a united and cohesive unit determined to work for the people.

"Pakatan practices democracy and openness to allow its partners to check each other, unlike in BN where MCA, MIC and Gerakan have to bow to Umno at all times," said Anwar.