Pro-Opposition sentiment rising in Penang
Some 250 people turned up at the Catholic Church in Pulau Tikus in Penang tonight to listen to Dr Francis Loh presenting a talk on election issues that should concern Malaysians.
Though the crowd might seem small, a similar talk at the same church in 1999, at the height of the reformasi period, drew only about 150.
Meanwhile, I spoke to a few working class Muslims in Penang, picked out at random, and asked them their views about the elections. A simple straw poll: a taxi driver (who turned out to be a PKR supporter), a security guard and a petrol pump attendant. They each told me that there was a mood for change, people have opened their eyes, the prices of essential items was too high etc. Umno might still be a formidable force, the taxi driver said, but there is a slight shift in support among the Malays towards the opposition. The petrol pump attendant told me something similar.
A retired police personnel, for his part, informed me he heard some “influential” grapevine people in the Weld Quay area have been telling Chinese Malaysians that even if the Opposition were to put up a monkey as a candidate in their area, vote for the monkey! Such is the sentiment in some circles.
Many Indian Malaysians already appear to have swung to the Opposition, riding on the Makkal Sakthi fervour. Everyday, I receive SMSes from Indian Malaysians urging people to vote for the Opposition. These SMSes come from the most unlikely sources, from people you would not normally think of as being politically concerned or awakened.
Meanwhile, other SMSes have been flying around in Penang informing people that Anwar and Guan Eng are speaking tomorrow (Saturday) night at the Han Chiang indoor stadium in Penang, which apparently can accommodate only 1,000 people. That ceramah should see a huge, overflowing crowd. At this time of the night, I have no way of verifying if the event is actually taking place, so better check before you head out there.
Still, it’s hard to predict the outcome - the illegal bookies seem to know better - so I won’t even try. But I think its safe to say that a string of seats are going to fall into Opposition hands, compared to their present tally of just two out of 40 state assembly seats.
- Heard on the grapevine
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PGCC - did Penangnites play themselves into a trap into believing that they can make a difference by signing postcards and sending it off to CM with the hope he can stop the project? 2 months have passed and we are still wondering what position our dear YB Chia has since Bukit Bendera is under his influence since 2004. I am sure thousands would love to have a similar forum where the candidates of Bukit Bendera, Kebun Bunga or even the party themselves speak at a moderated forum.
Did we fall into the games of the Gerakan and Penang Heritage Trust in pursuing this matter? I put forward my concerns to Liew tonite at a ceramah. I think your blog has huge following and maybe you can add some light into this. I may as well take off the stickers on my car if the forum is not being organized at all when we had the opportunity to corner the Gerakan leadership on this matter. Is there an unseen hand working? If YB Donald Lim can meet with his oponents, I am sure YB Chia should stick to his convictions and speak as one and not distract the media by stating the opposition is like parachutes. So what if they are when YB can’t even have a backbone to back his words and actions?
Why I would vote wisely in the election?
(as Uni students are banned from politics, I choose not to mention any political parties)
1. I am lucky coz I wuz given a place in a local Uni to do my masters degree, but all my other indian brothers & sisters were not as lucky because of our quota system. Last year, there weren’t any non bumi’s in my course. I struggled to get into this Uni as it used to be the top Uni in the region. I wuz horrified when I found out that it wuz no longer the top, and not even in the top 100 list. In fact, non of the local Uni’s made it to the top 100.
2. I am the only indian in my whole faculty who is doing this masters programme. Actually, the only non-bumi.
3.As I come from a poor family background, and the sole bread winner, I have to also work, while my classmates (mostly gov. servant bumi’s) are on paid study leave plus they get study loans from JPJ and MARA.
4. As I am more qualified than any of my other classmates, naturally, I shud be getting better grades as the bumi’s not only had low CGPA’s in their degree’s/diploma’s, they can’t speak proper English, are absent for most lectures and are too lazy to do their assignments.
5. But that’s not the case here as lectures are (allegedly) pressured to give them good grades.
6. Today, they wuz a security block in the campus, and all the cars in front of me were allowed to pass, but I wuz stopped for almost half an hour by a semi deaf, semi blind bumi security guard who accused me of having a fake matrix card (as I looked different in the photo), and refused to listen although I told him that I can also produced an IC to prove who I am. He finally let me go when my classmate, an Indonesian (a whole different issue)supported me.
7. Indonessian students feel so much more at home in the campus, compared to us Indians and Chinese. In the recent Pesta Konvokesyen, there were 3 Indon stalls but no Chinese or Indian stalls. Indon students have more freedom in student organizations and gatherings compared to us.
This list can go on and on….but this is only a small part of my story, every Malaysian Indian has a different story to tell, but it all leads to one problem…you know what I mean…so vote wisely for a better future….
anil,
These are some questions on the opposition and the general election I have lingering in my head which i would like to share with you.
1. what happens if the opposition manages to win in penang but only by a slight margin of say one to three seats?
would the bn try to pull those who won to cross over, foiling the attempt of the opposition to form a government?
there are no laws against party hopping after elections, though the act may not be ethical.
such a situation has happened in east malaysia before.
2. just exactly how far is the opposition willing to go to bring about change? and what exactloy are the changes they want to bring about?
are we talking about reversing the social contract the minorities entered with the malays–ending nep and the rights and privileges of a race.
although parti keadilan criticises the nep, it has never made-i don’t think so-the abolishment of the nep as its official agenda.
just like dap criticises the isa, i don’t think abolishing the isa is among the official agenda of the party’s manifesto for this election or in any of the previous elections.
have the opposition thought through their differences and what to do should they by chance come into power in penang.
i am talking about penang because it is in penang that we may see bn being toppled (at the parliament, the opposition is not going for that many seats, so they won’t be in the position to form the government, whould they win)
3. how many of the people who criticise bn and umno will actually translate their dissatisfaction into voting for the opposition?
how many of the registered voters would go out to vote on that day?
a very senior executive of in high profile group recently remarked that elections are boring, taking no interest in it at all.
how many more are like that? they may show superficial interest in the elections during appropriate moments, but i doubt they are even registered to vote, or won’t even bother to vote although they are registered.
i already know quite number of people who will not be around in the country on march 8, as they have to be away on business trips.
4. if bn loses in penang, it has only itself to blame. there are just too many issues in penang and we are not talking about sensitive topics relating to race or umno’s dominance.
these issues concern public safety and security, environment, and infrastructure, which the head of the state has failed to deliver to the people.
5. yes i am very worried about march 9–what happens the day after polling, should there be a big swing to the opposition in the state or in the nation.
6. malaysia is in my opinion a doomed country.
syed akbar ali’s ‘malaysia and the club of doom’ and ‘to digress a little’ are two of the most important books ever written about malaysia.
in fact i am surprised why the authorities never even ban ‘malaysia and the club of doom’.
the authorities make noise about kua kia soong’s may 13 book, however.
[...] Pro-Opposition sentiment rising in Penang [...]
Oh island as oriental pearl in the sun
Will it still be there for your son (& daughter)
With so much wrong committed as sin
Under the guise of ringgit and sen
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 010308
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
http://msi.Rocky101.com
Sat. 1st March 2008.
A New MALAYSIA , a Dynamic Malaysia … equality for all…a better future…
..Anwar’s strong presence on the field and drawing large crowds.
>Keadilan, which projects itself as a multi-ethnic party, is regarded as the best bet to bring together DAP and PAS.
He has vowed to end race-based discrimination policies in Malaysia, making it one of the major planks of PKR’s manifesto.
Many professionals have joined the DAP,PAS,PKR,PSM,MDP,PASOK throughout Malaysia, Sabah & Sarawak.
It is a multi-ethnic party.
Syabas. Barisan Rakyat.
I am far away from Penang but am keen to know the situation there. Do keep us updated on the expected swing among the three races to the Opposition. A 10% swing from BN to BA can do wonders.
Good to ask these guys whom they voted for in the last elections. If BN, then it is a bonus.
Dear Anil
The sentiment about the BN is not only felt in Penang - one can feel it in
Federal Capital. Most of the personal interview I have had, the people are of the opinion that it is time to change - give the BN dictators a lesson that
their ways and means is not acceptable to the People anymore.
No. 1 is corruption - What abdullah promised - he did not keep the word.
No. A number of temples have been demolished - thus hurting the Indian
peoples. So this is time the Indians Hindus are going to take revenge and
teach them a lesson.
No. 2 Employment: Employment of Indians in the government departments
is practically nil - except that I find mostly, drivers, office boys, runners, and rubber collections. this should change. The position was different when I was in public service from 1955 to 1977. I was Secretary to a Local Authority in Perak. I had a office staff of 60 - we had equal representation 20 Malays
20 Chinese and 10 Indians. The Labour force was three 250 out of which
200 were refuse collecters and the 50 Malays - None chinse.
But what is the position to today. Most of the refuse collection given to contractors who employs Indian Indians. When they come collect to refuse
why you are doing this - they say there is no other job available. They say that they are Uni grads -either B.A. or M.A. It is a shameful state of affairs.
I think the stupid Indian Government should look into this state of affairs
and stop the Educated indians being sent here to do menial jobs.
Anyway, we will wait and see - on the 8th March we shall know the result and lesson for the BN chaps.
People of Penang…pl wake up and send the message of the winds of change taking place today in Malaysia. Pl send the BN goons and gangstas back to the stone age and lets rebuild a new Malaysia. The people of Penang are probably the only true multiracial state that can do this.
We in KL and the Klang Valley are hoping that this radical change will happen and set the bench mark for change for our future generations.
GET UP, STAND UP…STAND UP YOUR RIGHTS
GET UP, STAND UP….DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHTT
Dear Anil
I hope you can tell-all on the current sandiwara playing in Penang this week. It is an attempt by GERAKAN to sway the fence sitters and to fish for sympathetic votes. They are trying very hard to make it a blockbuster and hoping to distract the rakyat’s attention away from the hard hitting true-stories being told at popular ceramahs, held by PKR-DAP, like the one at Hanjiang School last Saturday. I have been told there will be another BIG ceramah again at Hanjiang this Thursday, 6 March 2008. Mark your calendars. All of it!
Since election nomination day, we all know that the mainstream media has been pro-BN in all its coverage and advertisements. The rakyat has been wiser this time around and had not fallen on this trickery propaganda similar to 2004 when BN had favourable winds of change lapping at their faces and to make sure that the opposition did not have a chance, BN had taken up pages and pages of advertisement daily in newspaper for BN propaganda. Hence for the last two days the newspapers are starting to change BN’s stale tactic, like changing T-shirts again, by putting on front pages of the sandiwara played by GERAKAN about who will be the new Chief Minister of Penang. As if they had won Penang. Maybe they are getting some betting tips from Ooi Siew Kim, who is race-horse savvy, that they will win big. Coincidentally, if I want to have a broken family and can’t stand my spouse, I know who is the best divorce lawyer in Penang.
By all means, Koh Tsu Khoon already has the three stooges named in priority order on who will be the next CM. They are already aware of the scenes in the play and are mere actors hoping for a blockbuster ending. Instead of playing with open cards, GERAKAN is hoping to keep in suspense the rakyat, especially the respective constituents in the areas challenged by the CM candidates. They will keep you guessing and looking forward to the follow-up series just like a Astro drama. The play has three objectives: 1) Trying to steal the attraction away from opposition’s popular ceramahs. 2) Trying to drown out the oppositions call. 3) To fool as much sympathetic voters and fence sitters to vote favourably for Teng, Dr Teng and Lee as it will be good if they win having the CM taking care of their constituency.
Please just unveil their ruse for the sake of the rakyat. Forget about the newspapers headlines helping them along in their play. Forget their sandiwara, as I believe true-stories and winds of change are the real blockbusters this season.
What is a banner? A banner is used for outdoor advertising. It is colourful and effective with digitally printed pictures. Banners are hung from lampposts, fences, walls, business premise, just about anywhere to attract attention. Banners which promote an event automatically become redundant after the event date. Banner recycling is very active everywhere. In Penang, they are used as seat covers for trishaw and are replaced when worn out or torn. Just get a replacement banner from the nearest lamppost when no one is watching. Hawker stalls hang them up for protection from the rain and sun. Whilst others use banners as covers for its water proof characteristic.
Banners are costlier that posters and naturally the political parties that have lots of money are the ones putting up the most banners, big and small. Huge banners on wood stilts are put up at strategic locations will be most sought after after March 8.
So I read in The Star newspaper today, BN alliance banners are reported missing in Penang and naturally the party is blaming the opposition. What a lame accusation! The opposition has better things to do then going around removing banners. We did not ask them to spend so much on banners. And why replace the REINVENT banners with KEEP REINVENTING? Since they are banner crazy in wanting to put one at every corner, they should blame themselves if any goes missing. I can only imagine that the banners may have been put to better use.
Hence, a big thank you for the multitude of banners that are waiting to see a better day after the election. Not to mention the many thanks from the banner makers as they laughed their way to the bank.