Wan Azizah Resigns As Permatang Pauh MP To Pave Way For Anwar Ibrahim

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has resigned as member of parliament for Permatang Pauh to make way for her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest in a by-election.

She handed her resignation letter to Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia today.

At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, she said she would remain party president.

Anwar Ibrahim had in June announced that he had to put off a contest in an election – which would have given him a chance to enter Parliament – in order to deal with the sodomy accusation against him.

He was then expected to have announced that he was to contest in Bandar Tun Razak where the Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid was to step down to allow Anwar to contest. These plans were then shelved in order to clear his name.

Lately the Kulim-Bandar Baru parliamentary constituency became the centre of speculation. But according to Anwar, the election petition issue there might take too long to settle and thus this decision to contest at Permatang Pauh. Of course this sudden resignation by Wan Azizah must surely take everyone by surprise, especially those from Umno.

Party insiders have for some time publicly said that once his name was cleared and the truth was out on the sodomy issue, Anwar will contest a by-election and also that he is expected to win by a large margin due to the current antipathy and anger against the Barisan National.