Update (10.22pm): The free food at Pulau Tikus market has been cleaned out. One of my blog readers who dropped by there is thus unable to ‘ta pau’ food home! (Others had done that previously, I hear.) Diners are now queuing up to receive angpow packets. Inside each packet are three lottery tickets. Cans of free beer are being opened and served. Welcome to 1Malaysia. More photos to follow.
It is the bizarre makan-makan election season with large crowds flocking to free 1Malaysia dinners.
The scene at Pulau Tikus market tonight:
And this is an earlier dinner:
Tan Keng Liang didn’t say in his tweet if this was free.
But last night at the 1Malaysia free dinner near the Mount Erskine market in Penang, one resident living nearby who could hear what was happening reported that people’s names were being called out in a lucky draw. But to be eligible for a prize, apparently you had to be wearing a 1Malaysia T-shirt!
The area around Mt Erskine market was jammed last night. One blog reader phoned to report that the area around Pulau Tikus market is similarly congested tonight as another free dinner is in progress. The caller jokingly expressed disappointment at missing two big dinners already and asked me if I knew where the next big dinner is supposed to take place! Heard from another source there could be even beer, fireworks and vouchers being handed out….
Others consider these dinners an insult to their intelligence and are staying away.
Most people I know – whether or not they attend these dinners – would consider them to be inducements to influence people to vote in a certain way – i.e. vote buying. And yet the Election Commission says nothing.
Then again, are these dinners the BN’s grand farewell treat to Malaysians after 55 years in power? Certainly many Malaysians are thronging these dinners and tucking in like there’s no tomorrow! Well, there may not be a tomorrow for the BN government in Putrajaya come 5 May.
Eat, drink and be happy – for next month, we may have a new federal government!
Have you been to a 1Malaysia dinner? Share with us your personal impressions.
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If you are not from Penang, please keep your comment to yourself.
Free from someone or nothing from another person,
is all up to us Penang people to decide.
Please, outsider smoke cigar and don’t insult our intelligent,
otherwise your next trip to Penang, we will let swim across
instead of taking the bridge of ferry….
Not all penang lang are greedy.what the BN give we take, but most important we must vote for PKR to be the next goverment to rule our country.Let’s change together for the shake of our children.
Go and enjoy the free stuff…., they rip you off everyday for past 5 years, these few days of free parties are mean to pay you off.
Penangites are smart people, still they did’t know, if they voted for PR, free food, free money, free everything are easier to come by, untill now, it confirmed the votes they casted 5yrs back are absolutely right!….
This making the Johoreans jealous la…but, Johorean have chance now, if Johorean need these type of free party, just vote PR.
Basically Penang-lang are just greedy. Eat with no conscience. Hate BN but eat BN. This makes me wanna vote for PAS. Penang people are like the Israelites after escaping Eygpt. Partying around in drunked fashion after the Golden Cow. Drink and party with girls, pray to the “Tokong”. In fact Penang people are so cheap
This is how BN acting like the Devil- Satan fishing for votes to tempt Adam & Eve to eat the fruit in the middle of the Garden. Why BN gives free dinner when election is around?
ANWAR FRENZY at Malay heartland rally:
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=85482:anwar-frenzy-at-malay-heartland-rally-pkr-adviser-unveils-star-studded-lineup-to-defend-sgor&Itemid=2
You don`t need food, angpow and shows to draw the crowd. What the people want is good governance, no corruptions and fairness whether Malay, Chinese or Indian.
The wind of CHANGE is now moving into the Malay heartland. UMNO will be finished and now with Taib to join PAS, more will follows. The momentum of change is now sweeping the whole nation.
I am not upset but hope this open the eyes of the Penangites who attended the farewell dinner for BN. Have fun but vote Pakatan.
By the way, free flowing of beer….what is there to complain…
Farewell Dinner For BN !!
So long Be End !!
I am very upset with this sort of campaigning tactics, money and dinners. In my opinion its disrespect to the voters. Does BN Gerakan seriously think the voters will vote BN because of free dinners? If so then Penangites deserve BN.
This is an extension of BN MONEY-festo, buying votes with freebies?
Jom bangkit on 505!
I was invited and given 1 table for me to invite my friends or business partners, to Hotel EQ on Thurs night, April 11th. I did not attend, monies spend on such dinners should be spend on the poor or handicapped homes or orphanages. Irrespective of where the monies come from, it should not be spend in this way. In the past years long long ago, before election, we never heard of such give away dinners, now suddenly free for all dinners sprung up here and there.
Can this way win the hearts of all ??
Election every 5 years is for the party to present their plans for rakyat’s future. We want to know what the future Government is going to do? Far enough is Gerakan K going to have free makan every weekend for the 5 years? How is Gerakan Government to fund all those free food and extra payment? It shows Gerakan/UMNO is pokai of plans.
the dinners were (allegedly) put up by few triads in penang. plus all the 1 malaysia flags.
each triad was (allegedly) given rm 2.7++ million to promote the dinners and triad’s vote too.
if gerakan and mca won. each triad will be given … million to share among their triad members. so far 4 triads were involved.stupid teng chang yeow….
Antara tawaran Manifesto Rakyat Johor dari Pakatan Rakyat meliputi pemberian kontrak secara terbuka, menghadkan pemerintahan Menteri Besar kepada dua penggal, membasmi rasuah dan ketirisan, mengkaji semula polisi penswastaan yang merugikan rakyat, 10 meter padu air percuma, pengurangan kadar cukai tanah dan kadar cukai harta.
Turut ditawarkan, bantuan RM1,000 untuk kelahiran anak, gaji minimum RM1,100 dan mewujudkan 40,000 peluang pekerjaan kepada rakyat Johor.
just a thought – not directly related to this topic. Why is the 1 Malaysia LOGO the property of BN? I see it on their flags and everywhere on their campaign posters, billboards, T-shirts, etc
Way I look at it – everything in the 1Malaysia project (and those many others [eg NFC etc] which conveniently they do not seem to want to claim as a 1 Malaysia project) was funded by our hard earned money. The !Malaysia logo belongs to the people … and should not be used by any party during the election. My 2 sen.
ella2, you are right. BN UMNO is hijacking almost everything to their whim and fancy. That is why we must kick them out
If there are free items or food of course you have to take it. It is not vote buying. I doubt Penangites are so stupid. In fact they will likely continue voting PR so that the trend of giving free food and prizes continue to the next GE. If PR is in the opposition, they do not give the people free buffets and prizes. It doesn’t do us any benefit.
Basically Penangites are just as stupid like you. You call it not a vote buying??????????Only the hardcore will vote for pr. i met a chinese guy in China town who seem like a dap hardcore, cursed bn and sung praise to LKS, I asked him why? He said he didn’t get the BR1M rm500 handout. i asked him if he received the handout, which side he would like to vote. He told me it is definitely BN lah! You think that the poor and uneducated after receiving handout and free dinner will not vote for bn, then tell me why… Read more »
Hope everybody enjoy the free stuffs & will still cast the vote for PR. Few days ago, I went to KLIA to pick up my company new foreign workers. Something unusual happened. My malay friend found that there was a female Rela worker who spoke Indonesian language to him inside KLIA and he didn’t quite bother about it. After the clearence, when we walked out to the front exit from the arriving hall, there were another 3 male Rela workers with untidy Rela uniform walked in front of us also speak Indonesia language, more strange was they straight walk into… Read more »
Jealous.. We in KL nothing, MCA/UMNO given up. Here is the thing about this. These money are spent by people who supposedly know business, right? Do you know what they return is on such direct marketing technique? The number of hits is very very low – you make it up with margins. The thing is a vote is a vote, you can’t mark up the margin.. For every thousand you buy the dinner, if you do a top notch sales job, less than 10 will bite – among the most ignorant. The more educated the lower the hit rate. The… Read more »
take what is given but votes goes to Pakatan
I have not been but I know people who have. I was told they come with free flowing beer. My friend’s argument is that these dinners are not exactly free. Being taxpayers, we have all paid our share. Comes voting day, it will be lain cerita, he said.
Apparently, GK has not heard about the dictum
there is no free lunch?
You will pay fot it later in terms of accelerating inflation and gst (goods and services tax) as the regime tries to avoid bankruptcy
He knows what a freeloader is. Ask him before his next mouthful. You don’t want bits of food landing on you.
To many they say thanks for the free food but I am not listening to your crap.
Don’t insult my intelligence unlike like one wannabe here
Apparently those #1Malaysia t-shirts comes in handy for car wash!
Anil, heard tomorrow night at Jelutong. Go lah free what, don’t waste good food, then get 3 lottery ticket each costing RM9. The grand prizes will be motor-cycle and ipads. 😀
“Have you been to a 1Malaysia dinner? Share with us your personal impressions.”
Dinner ??? Not exactly like a dinner but who cares as long as it is 1Malaysia community event.
My top favorite: Fresh grilled satays with river of sos kacang, OMG !!! The most important thing is It’s FREE !!! La la la, I’m so happy now.
I have to restrain from eating too much everyday before May 5th !!! What a wonderful 1Malaysia carnival during election time !!! Many thanks to BN. My vote for you.
GK, Eat your final meal before the grand farewell on 5th May
… They know (we) can’t be trusted, eat for free + take away + beer + lottery + cash handout + cast the vote to PR.
Remember: FOC stuff always dangerous.
UBAH !! Let’s the Rocket fly.
Heard something added in the foc food & those taken won’t be able to live til 5/5/2013. Beware & kidding.
Reject the foc stuff & UBAH !!
Eat! Jangan tak makan pulak. But its disappointing that BN has fed the those of your ilk so much crap that you can not discern an inducement to vote for the organisers from a genuine community event.
Eat, eat till you drop. Do not let us stop you. After all, you have already paid for the feast in advance.
I have heard about these dinners from my PEN friends. He says that they are free with lucky draws. He has no qualms in attending these dinners but will vote PR coz the dinners are being paid for by the people’s money.
I hope Penangites will eat but still keep Pakatan in the office.
The next free dinners from these BeeEnders will come with Koh Tai dancing girls!
Or Ostrich Boh Hoot dance too!
Tis the makan-makan season for living Tham Chiak Kuis not too different from the Hungry Ghost Month.
I could imagine a King of Hades look-alike dressed in Blue preaching a future as bright as hell’s fire!
Cheers Hell’s Angels in Blue Beer.