ANWAR & THE 3 LITTLE NAPOLEONS - ANOTHER BIG BUNGLE COMING UP? - BUT SO WHAT IF PAS WINS PELANGAI - IT'S ZAHID & UMNO THAT WILL GET THE BLAME, NOT ANWAR'S PKR! - REALLY? BUT WHAT IF JITTERY UMNO WARLORDS START TO DEFECT TO PN-PAS?

KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - Embattled Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution, perceived as among the many underperformers that dot Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Cabinet, has denied accusations his ministry was being unprofessional and using the police to hound the opposition in the Pelangai by-election.

“As long as the relevant parties involved do not raise sensitive sentiments and fuel spirits that may affect unity and public peace, there is no reason for the police to be there,"  Saifuddin told a press conference today.

“There is no need to worry if they are law-abiding citizens.”

MORE MALAY BACKLASH?

However, Saifuddin declined to comment when quizzed by reporters if he would be moved out of his powerful ministry when Anwar announces a widely-expected reshuffle.

Saifuddin was blamed for triggering a Malay backlash against the Anwar regime when he went after Kedah MB Sanusi Md Nor - charging the popular PAS leader with sedition and reviving a corruption probe involving rare earth elements during the runup to the elections held by 6 state government recently.

Saifuddin's efforts failed and instead Sanusi became even more popular for standing up to Anwar and the federal government.

Now in Pelangai, there are concerns the bungling Saifuddin might trigger another tsunami to wipe out his own side. 

“Actually, maintaining security and disrupting movement is different, (for) safety (they) do not need to be too close to us. Right now, they follow us when we are campaigning from home to home, creating unrest among members," Pahang Pas information chief Mohd Tarmizi Yahaya was quoted as saying in Sinar Daily.

“It causes members of the public to be afraid to approach our machinery as police are constantly escorting us, police personnel should not take such actions, they are only required to protect public safety, the concept of safety is broad and does not need to follow the machinery exclusively unless there were reports and such,” Tarmizi added. 

THE 3 LITTLE NAPOLEONS

The Home Minister is one of Anwar's closest stalwarts and together with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Anwar's political secretary Shamsul Iskandar Akin, the trio are seen as the three Little Napoleons who have scored the greatest own goals thus far, and putting the unity government in political ICU.

The trio have been blamed for destroying voter confidence in the Anwar regime by allegedly ignoring scruples and abandoning reforms in a 'power-crazed' bid to ensure the controversial and scandal-tainted Anwar is able to hang onto the PM's post.

Anwar is under fire for backpedaling on anti-corruption reforms after his government freed Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi of massive corruptions. The narcissistic Anwar is also accused of being vindictive, using law enforcement agencies to harass and threaten opposition politicians - such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission suddenly finding 'new evidence' against former senior minister Radzi Jidin, who had called Anwar 'peliwat' or sodomist in Parliament last week.

On the stump in Pelangai, the fast-rising Sanusi who is seen to be a prime minister in waiting, had also mocked Anwar over his lacklustre maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly and for delivering a 'self-serving' Friday prayer sermon while in New York recently.

According to Sanusi, the UN venue where Anwar was speaking was empty as the 'international community knew that Anwar was a liar'. As for Anwar's Friday sermon, Sanusi said it was sheer political opportunism aimed to show off and 'deceive' the people in New York, who are mostly not familiar with Islam. 

NO IMPACT ON ANWAR IF PAS WINS PELANGAI - BUT REALLY?  

Meanwhile, PAS candidate for the Pelangai seat Kasim Samat is increasingly confident voters will shift support to the opposition so as to give Anwar 'a message'.

“The public especially those in the Pelangai state have expressed regret after choosing Umno which had joined forces with DAP," Kasim told the Sinar Daily.

The by-election - a three-corner fight between Kasim, Umno's Amizar Abu Adam and independent candidate Haslihelmy Zulhasli - will be held on October 7. The seat fell vacant after the Umno incumbent died in an unexpected accident.

"Pelangai is an Umno battle. Its impact will be on Zahid and Umno, not so much on Anwar," former MP for Batu Tian Chua told Politics Now!

"Even if PAS won the seat, it might boost PAS morale but it won't affect the federal power formula. It will make PN-Umno cooperation more unlikely."

Politics Now!