The winner takes it all* - Abba

Well, he's back!

See Resounding win for Anwar with 15,671 majority

I wasn't too concerned initially - until i came to work yesterday. Me colleagues started chatting in our staff corridor and inevitably, the topic turned to politics. I then found out that i was in the minority, thinking that the opposition will win the by-election easily.

It was then i started getting a little worried. What if the ruling government wins this by-election? On the one hand, it's just a small thing. Who really cares - or even knows - about Permatang Pauh?

But this was no ordinary by-election. The stakes were much much higher. This was stated in an opinion in the BBC News Online:-

A by-election in the north of Malaysia does not strike you as a headline grabber.

The government is not on the brink of collapse. The economy - one of the strongest in the region - is robust. The people are not killing each other, as they have done in the past.

But millions are being spent, the day-to-day business of government is on hold. The battle for the constituency of Permatang Pauh has become a fight for the future of the country.

Read the entire article here.

Yes, one may say that the winner will take it all. I was afraid that BN - the ruling government - will win this. The implications will be grave. All the good that was achieved in March's General Election will be undone. It would be like taking 2 steps forward then and 3 steps back.

Anwar Ibrahim - whatever yr views about him may be - is personally responsible for uniting the opposition together. If he had lost this by-election, he would not be able to make a come back to the Parliament as a MP. The Opposition Coalition may break apart too.

If he had lost, the BN will become as arrogant as ever. In fact, even more. They had defeated the head of the opposition. After the embarassment of the general elections in March, some still maintained their arrogant stance. If BN had won, they would think that they are untouchable, that they can do anything they want.

So it was with great relief when i read the news last night that Anwar has won - by a landslide.

The stage is set. The actors are in place. We now watch with bated breath.

*Their first single from their album, Super Trouper, this song was originally titled The story of my life.