Anwar Shakes The Ground

(Taken From Malaysiakini)
9.50pm: Official EC tally - Anwar Ibrahim got 31,195 votes, Arif Shah Omar Shah, 15,524, Hanafi Hamat, 92. Anwar won with a majority of 15,671.

Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, won the seat with a 13,398 majority at the March 8 general election.The official voter turnout was 81.01 percent. There were 58,459 registered voters. The final voter turnout figure was much higher than what the EC had stated earlier today.

There were 447 spoilt votes and 98 unreturned ballot papers.

The turnout today is slightly higher than March 8.

Meanwhile, outside the main counting centre Tuanku Bainun Teaching Institute, thousands of jubilant PKR supporters had gathered to embrace their leader's return to Parliament.PKR vice-president Azmin Ali was there to address the crowd numbering some 10,000. Other party leaders like R Sivarasa and Tian Chua were also there.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and PAS' Husam Musa were also there.Anwar also addressed the ecstatic group of supporters, thanking voters for their support.

"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 10,000 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."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," said Anwar.

Tian said that the overwhelming victory showed that "the prime minister's racial politics is bankrupt".
The EC made the official announcement at 10.05pm. Only Anwar and Hanafi were present at the announcement. Also present was Wan Azizah.

Hanafi, who was gracious in his embarrassing defeat, said he was not disheartened by the lack of votes for him as he has succeeded in his aims to promote his little known party. He lost his deposit with the low votes he garnered.