Yes, it will be unfair to pre-empt voters in Permatang Pauh and talk about the implications of voting one way or the other. In the view of people who support Anwar Ibrahim, voting him in most probably construes a vote for change, cleaning up the government and a host of good virtues, no doubt.
What would voting for UMNO (and its Barisan lackeys) construe? A supporter of the status quo would no doubt say: good governance, protection of Malay rights, and the continuance of things as they are - in effect, choosing to maintain the status quo.
Me, I view it a little differently. The events of the past 2 years have made things abundantly clear: UMNO engages in pork barrel politics, they make unexplained deals with mysterious companies and spend millions buying things from unnecessary intermediaries, fails to investigate misdemeanors, brushes aside calls for inquiries into matters that affect the daily lives of the rakyat, and, amongst others, pays lip service to rampant corruption allowed to flourish on their watch.
So what’s a vote for UMNO? What’s a vote for the status quo? In my opinion, no less than closing one eye to the wrongs of the past, and collusion with UMNO in the continuance of these wrongs.