PERMATANG PAUH (Malaysia), Aug 26: Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim won a landslide victory on Tuesday in a by-election to return him to parliament, and said he was on track to oust a weakened government.

The vote in his home state of Penang cemented a stunning comeback for Anwar, who was sacked as deputy premier a decade ago and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated.

“I thank God who has been with me through this gruelling election process.

I thank the voters,” Anwar said as he arrived at the counting centre where some 30,000 supporters were holding a wild celebration.

“The message is clear... we have made a demand for change, for freedom and for justice,” he said. “The people do not want to be exploited. We want an economic order that protects all the people.” Hundreds of riot police stood guard and a helicopter hovered overhead as the crowd gathered on a field outside the building, chanting “Putrajaya! Putrajaya!” — the name of the administrative capital and the seat of government.

The final tally showed Anwar won 31,195 votes, compared with 15,524 for his opponent from the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has dominated Malaysian politics for half a century.

“Yes of course we have lost... we were the underdogs going into this race,” said Muhammad Muhammad Taib, information chief of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which leads the coalition.

Anwar said he had outgunned the government despite a “sickening” campaign that focused on new sodomy allegations against him, and was marred by allegations of vote-buying and electoral fraud.

The opposition has also accused the coalition of attempting to undermine Anwar by stoking tensions between Muslim Malays who dominate the population, and minority ethnic Chinese and Indian citizens.

“This is a clear indication that people of all races have rejected the communal politics of Barisan Nasional. It is a clear endorsement of our reform agenda. We are on track to take over the government,” Anwar said.

Anwar had been widely expected to win back his old seat of Permatang Pauh, which his wife held during his political exile.

However, he defied expectations that the coalition’s no-holds-barred campaign would suppress his winning margin, which is being seen as an indicator of his ability to shrug off the sodomy charges.

Analysts said that even after he returns to parliament, the charismatic 61-year-old opposition leader faces further daunting hurdles including a looming trial on the new sexual misconduct charges.

The opposition leader has said the accusations, levelled by a 23-year-old male aide, have been concocted by the government to thwart his ambitions of seizing power with the help of defecting lawmakers.

His original sodomy conviction was overturned by the nation’s highest court in 2004, allowing him to go free after spending six years in jail.

He then spent several years behind the scenes, before storming back onto the political stage at the helm of a reinvigorated opposition.

In March general elections, the opposition alliance seized control of five states and a third of parliamentary seats — an unprecedented result that shook the coalition and put Anwar within striking distance of taking power.

He needs to secure the support of at least 30 defectors in order to oust the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has faced calls to quit after the general elections debacle.

The ballot in Permatang Pauh was held under tight security, after both sides traded allegations of abuse and attacks on their supporters. Some 4,500 police were deployed to keep the peace.

Despite the focus on the sodomy allegations, Anwar’s star power was undimmed, and he drew big crowds to nightly rallies during the intense 10-day campaign.—AFP