Anwar: Pakatan to take over by end of the year UPDATED! (ref. malaysiakini)

Seeing that Malaysiakini.com has not broke this news, here is the report from The Star:

KOTA BARU: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has set yet another deadline for Pakatan Rakyat to wrest control of the Federal government.

Now, he says it will happen before the end of the year.

“It is not like something I will allow to linger for one or two years. The momentum will continue when the Parliament goes into session on Monday,” he told a large crowd during a rally at Padang Perdana here on Thursday night.

He repeated his assertion that he had the numbers to form the new government.

Anwar said the “takeover” approach would be peaceful because Malaysia could not afford the Thai or Filipino mob style.

Although his speech fired the crowd into wanting more, Anwar stopped short of detailing his “takeover” modus operandi, saying it would remain a secret until the time was right.

Anwar said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s decision to step down by March and hand over to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would not halt the takeover plan. (malaysiakini report)

Speaking in English for a foreign media in attendance, Anwar said he was addressing the crowd at a critical time in the country’s history with the global economic crisis happening and Najib’s ascension as prime minister.

Anwar also predicted that the global economic crises would be worse than the Asian financial crises of 1998/1999, saying economists believe it would be similar to the Great Depression of the 1930s. (malaysiakini report)

PKR strategic planning director Saifuddin Nasution Ismail later said Anwar had mailed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong a copy of the letter sent to Abdullah on Sept 16.

Seeing that Anwar has made and broke his promise about the 16th September takeover, many people will now be questioning whether he indeed has the numbers to form the federal government, or whether he is just bluffing.

Anwar better announce something fast to prevent the middle class that usually votes for BN to slide back into the government column.

With the nation distracted by news of the BN component parties' AGMs, (malaysiakini's reports: 1 2 ), Anwar has to act swift, or else he will quickly lose support!