Never mind the provocative ‘Allah’ banners in several churches in Penang put up overnight by a ‘dirty tricks’ person/group (to divert attention away from the anti-price hikes rally today?), the real issue in the minds of many Malaysians is the slew of price hikes. Some 1500 people marched in a procession around Seberang Jaya on mainland Penang to express their unhappiness after listening to speeches at the back entrance of Sunway Carnival mall this afternoon.
The turnout easily surpassed that of the 18 January rally to support the PM organised by pro-Umno groups at the same venue.
Though initially only a few hundred people gathered today to listen to the speakers, mainly from PKR elected reps and Pas and NGO representatives, the crowd swelled as the afternoon wore on.
A few DAP members were seen in the area, but their elected reps were largely absent, perhaps as a result of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s advice that such a rally could play into the hands of groups out to destabilise the situation.
Kangkung was the theme of the gathering, as you can see from the photos above.
Speakers led the multi-racial crowd in chanting “Hidup Rakyat!”, “Turun harga barang!” and “Turun Najib!” with lots of references to kangkung. Two speakers that stood out were Rafizi Ramli and Cikgu Bard. Deputy Chief Minister Rashid Hasnon and Toh Kin Woon also turned up.
Rafizi criticised the cronies of all ethnic groups who had become rich at the people’s expense. He also compared Rosmah’s lifestyle with the lifestyle of the ordinary people and asked how her son could afford such expensive housing.
The youthful looking Cikgu Bard, for his part, said the unease over price hikes had nothing to do with ethnicity or religion. He assured minority groups they had nothing to fear and there would be no repeat of May 13. The powerful orator said he was sure the Malays at the rally would defend minority ethnic groups if at all they were targeted. When he asked if the crowd agreed, they roared back their approval.
Monthly rallies against price hikes and GST would be held with a large one on 1 May, he added.
Uniformed police, though out in numbers, kept in the background with a mobile police station parked not far away, though lots of plainclothes police must have been swarming around the place. No riot police trucks or personnel were spotted.
When the speakers had concluded their speeches, the crowd marched around the two main streets of the Seberang Jaya commercial centre as traffic police facilitated their procession by halting traffic. The marchers took over the entire four-lane one-way streets. By then the crowd had swelled to over a thousand.
The protesters in high spirits were accompanied by honking motorbikes. Noticeable in the crowd largely attired in yellow or black was a contigent from Solidarity Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) carrying black flags bearing the group’s emblem and a group from the ‘Jingga 13’ NGO.
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A clear focus on price hikes definitely units all Malaysians – this is a welcome change from racially charged rallies and protests. You know always thought that if Najib himself had put on a yellow shirt and attended the Bersih rally – he could have made a powerful statement. This could be an opportunity for him to get on the ground. He should attend the next rally and hear the people and address them on the ground. Or at the very least meet the leaders of the rally for a face-to-face discussion.
Kee, Nothing is for fun when it is being done to emotionalize the people and the leaders. Wake up, why do the Machang Bubok adun have to do something childish or idiotic by stuffing kangkong into the PM. This is no play play when it concern the country PM and a President of one of the major party of the coalition. What if I do the same thing to your leader or your parent, sister or otherwise and then said its only a joke. Come on wake up, I am not demonized. I have just woke up to the lies… Read more »
Yang, i really do not know what to say about you. You know if one day i were to be very disappointed with pakatan, the most i will do is i will refrain from voting. But i will never do as what u did, fall back on BN and sing their evil deeds… never never never will i do that. Pakatan may not be perfect but BN is very much worse…it has been more than half a century we are under Bn, and see our state of affairs in this country, how stupid can we be ??? If my family… Read more »
You hit the nail on the head. This is an attempt at distraction. This is the real role of the “extremists.” Even the Cowgate scandal was relatively small change that kept us distacted for months. As in the Empire, there is a lack of credible enemies. So, some are manufactured. Geniuses want to raise taxes, prices, etc and take away all subsidies. But no one wants to explain or address wages that have been stagnant for decades. It is the same all over the world, regardless of the glowing propaganda about the West. No one wants to mention the elephant… Read more »
Kangkung now has evolved to something more. Clearly its because of the racism and bigotry that this protest is now about. LGE is old enough to remember how these things get manipulated in 1969 to end up in the bad situation we have today. However, I do believe that its just no longer possible for the utlras who are now full-disclosed as Supremacist to manipulate such things to the same degree as in 1969, its still possible to create a mess. If you are going to do these things, then its paramount to take one step ahead of the Supremacist… Read more »
Anil, thanks for posting up the pictures.
Pakatan Rakyat PKR Anwar, DAP LGE & PAS are just deceiving and creating trouble and illusion about the price increase. Even if they come to power there will also be an increase in most goods. Will not PR Anwar DAP election promise of RM1,500 minimum wages bring about an increase in prices. Has not the swapping of land and properties by LGE to RM 1,300 when current land prices is only RM200-500 per sq ft spiral the effect of prices houses and rental that will again spill over to other goods. Does the Tokong Cheap Minister care when he is… Read more »
Yang, i cant help but the way i see it you are like being demonised ??? At least Gelak Kangkong did it for the sake of fun. You are spewing venom, you are killing yourself off… You dont realise how cynical you are now and irrational. Food increase is on supply and demand and also depends on the weather, same goes with housing, supply and demand, etc etc etc. Now everything is Lim Guan Eng’s fault !!! You even apologise to Gerak k for your past comments, what is this? You are really making a fool of yourself, what is… Read more »
tension mounting on Yang as 1 Feb 2014 property dateline approaching ?
Yang should just relax. Go for Char Hor Fun with ice Chendol. That’s how tunglang can maintain his equilibrium of Belum Natural therapy !
Incik Anil, where is my comment?
Sorry, I don’t see it on here. Could you re-submit it?
Awang, it happens to me also, few times. It gone elsewhere.
go eat cake, huh.
learn to save when you are a baby so as to be able to buy prime apartments and bungalows in US.
The ordinary people of all races speak the same language. It is the BN’s leadership wants us to hate one another for the betterment of themselves.