Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is supporting the PAS boycott of the Batu Talam by-election because it would only be deprived of a fair electoral process.

PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim pointed out that Election Commission chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman had himself called for a review of election laws earlier this month.

Asked about the party's stand at a press conference today, Anwar said: "We have lost badly on many occasions, but we have never boycotted (an election).

"The message by (Abdul) Rashid is that the system is not transparent and that the laws need to be changed.... Now that they have admitted this, let's at least give a clear message that we don't want to be cheated. Get your house in order. This is a constitutional provision. A fair election is a constitutional guarantee."

Umno candidate Abdul Aziz Kiram will face Independent candidate Ng Chee Pang, 21, in the by-election on Jan 28.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak claimed today that the DAP is backing Ng, the son of a DAP leader, but this has been denied. Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin has labelled opposition leaders as cowards for staying out of the contest.

To another question, Anwar defended the opposition call to voters not to show up at on polling day as a sign of support of the boycott.

He said the media should not report voter sentiments without going on the ground to find out what people really want, as well as to investigate complaints linked to the unfair election tactics such as the use of 'money politics'.

"(The opposition is) working against a dominant corrupt system and media control...," he said.

Role models

Anwar said that Malaysia should take note of the democratic processes of India, Turkey and Indonesia.

"India has a fantastic system. Be humble. We have the tallest building, but also very competent cheats," he said.

He said reforms were carried out in Hong Kong, which he described as having been one of the most corrupt countries in the region in the 1960s.

"But they took some very radical measures. They set up an anti-corruption commission, created very strong punitive laws, (appointed) very qualified officers and enforced their laws effectively," he said.

Anwar said that the ball is in the court of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi because opposition parties cannot reform the election process without the ruling coalition's support.

"If Abdullah has a nice dream tonight (and says) 'enough of this nonsense, enough of this corruption, enough of this complicity to murder, and I want to clean up the mess', I think many people would support him.

"If at all the prime minister has moral conviction and courage, he would have to take heed."

Click here to watch a two-minute video