After a month-long disappearance from public view, former Penang deputy chief minister 1 Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin made a surprise appearance tonight at the announcement of the PKR candidate for the Penanti by-election.

The ever-smiling Mohammad Fairus arrived at Yayasan Aman together with PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

He was given a rousing welcome by Pakatan Rakyat leaders and supporters when he entered the hall and walked to the stage.

Once on the stage, he shook hands and hugged Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and state executive councillors Chow KonYeow and Phee Boon Poh.

He was immediately given the microphone and he delivered a brief but sharp speech.

"I have gone through hell and have come back. Now I know who are my friends and foes," he told more than 1,000 PKR supporters in the packed hall.

He hit out at his detractors for not only conspiring to bring about his downfall but also for spreading rumours questioning his honesty, sincerity, commitment and loyalty to the struggle of PKR and Pakatan.

"My public appearance tonight has surely proved otherwise. The rumour mongers merely spread lies to tarnish my image and credibility.

"No matter what the rumour mongers spread, here I am to demonstrate my commitment and loyalty to PKR and Pakatan," he said.

Fairus resigned as DCM 1 and relinquished his state portfolios effective April 8 after he was embroiled in a graft investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

People conspire but God decides

Local boy Fairus, who quit his Penanti seat on April 16, was alleged to have accepted bribes to allow illegal quarry operations on Penang mainland.

MACC has since cleared Fairus from all graft allegations.

"This shows no matter how hard the conspirators tried to destroy me, the truth prevailed. People can always conspire and plot, but only God decides," he said.

Anwar later praised Fairus for being a gentleman and for his resilience in facing and overcoming all challenges during this trying times, including attempts by certain quarters to buy him over to the "other side"’

"He gave them a kick and a chop," he said of Fairus, a silat exponent.

He explained that Fairus needed to step down to take a temporary political break "to smoothen a rough situation".

Anwar said he had left it to Fairus’ discretion to decide whether to sue those who had plotted to bring him down.

Fairus has already threatened to file civil suits against his detractors for plotting his ouster from the Pakatan state government.

He plans to help Pakatan campaign for a big win in the Penanti by-election and then leave the country for a while.