The following was submitted by e-mail to this website

Anwar keeps pulling in the crowd

An eyewitness report by Anonymous

Note from the writer: If you find it hard to believe that thousands of people would sacrifice sleep to hear Anwar Ibrahim, come yourself to his residence to verify the truth.

BUKIT Damansara, Tuesday, September 8 ¾ They keep growing. The crowds appearing at Anwar Ibrahim’s residence at Jalan Setimurni 1 get bigger every day, especially in the late evening.

Since his sacking from the Cabinet and Umno, the former Deputy Prime Minister has had no respite from well-wishers who join him in the evening prayers and thousands of others who have lost faith in the objectivity of the local electronic and print media and want to hear his side of the story.

Last night’s crowd was the largest so far. Most estimates put the number at about 10,000. Within the compound of the house and in the immediate vicinity, the standing-room crowd had barely enough space to breath as they heard speeches and poetry reading by Anwar and his supporters. Most of them stayed well past midnight. But as Anwar himself quipped, "The local media will probably count only 80 people."

Despite the drizzle, the atmosphere was almost festive. There were two stalls selling drinks, one selling satay and one selling tape recordings of the speeches Anwar has made since his double expulsion. These were quickly sold out. A member of the crowd remarked: "This is great for the domestic economy."

The oratory was vintage Anwar Ibrahim. At one point, the crowd chorussed a loud "No!" when he asked: "Did I give you 30 ringgit to come here (as alleged in a rumour originating from the Umno establishment)?" He added: "Even if I wanted to pay you, I couldn’t afford it since I no longer have a job."

END