AP : Anwar Faces 'giant- killer'

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S ruling coalition has named a little-knownMalay politician fluent in Mandarin to contest a parliamentary by-electionagainst opposition stalwart Anwar Ibrahim, who has pledged to topple thegovernment in a month.

Mr Arif Shah Omar Shah, a two-term state legislator who was named onWednesday as the National Front candidate, said he hoped to become a'giant-killer' and defeat Mr Anwar, who is seen as the favorite to win theelection despite facing a sodomy allegation.

Both will be formally nominated on Saturday to contest the Aug.26 by-election for the Permatang Pauh constituency in the northern Penangstate.Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who announced Arif Shah's name, said theNational Front would 'prefer to be the underdogs and take on (theopposition) like David going against Goliath'.

Mr Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, held the Permatang Pauh seatbetween 1982 and 1999, when he was forced to vacate it after being oustedfrom the government and put on trial for corruption and sodomy.

He wasconvicted and imprisoned on both charges, which he denied, but was freedafter Malaysia's top court quashed the sodomy conviction in 2004.

The corruption conviction barred Mr Anwar from political office until April2008, preventing him from contesting March general elections in which histhree-party opposition alliance secured more than one-third of theparliamentary seats and took control of five states.

Mr Anwar, 61, is seeking a comeback to Parliament despite battling a newcharge of sodomy after a 23-year-old male former aide claimed in June thatMr Anwar had sex with him. Mr Anwar was charged in court last week butremains free on bail pending trial.

Anwar insists the government fabricated the sodomy allegation to prevent theopposition from seizing power through the defection of ruling coalitionlawmakers, with whom Anwar claims to have held negotiations.

Anwar has vowedto announce the crossovers by Sept.16, though many government officials have accused him of bluffing and deniedany conspiracy against Anwar.Choosing Arif to face Anwar may help the government capture more votes fromethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, whom Anwar has wooed with promises ofracial and religious equality.

In a rarity for a Malay Muslim, Arif studied in Chinese-language schools,speaks proficient Mandarin and is an adviser for a Tamil youth club inPenang.

He is popular in the state but an unfamiliar name to mostMalaysians.'

I am not afraid of (Anwar). I will be the giant-killer this time', Mr Arif,a 52-year-old member of Penang's state legislature, was quoted as saying bythe New Straits Times newspaper.

Mr Anwar rejected any significance in Mr Arif's nomination, saying he didnot care who the National Front choses.

Mr Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, held the Permatang Pauh seat since1999 until she surrendered it earlier this month to let Mr Anwar contest aby-election. Ms Wan Azizah retained the seat by a nearly 14,000-votelandslide in March elections. -- AP____