News reports have mentioned Penang Umno Liaison Committee chairman Zainal Abidin Osman as saying 50000 people are expected to throng USM tomorrow morning to attend a programme themed “People’s Housing” as part of Najib’s Promises Fulfilled Tour.
Rosmah and Najib are both expected to be at the Padang Kawad near the mini-USM stadium tomorrow morning from 9.30am onwards.
How are they so optimistic about drawing a large crowd though:
- It is reliably learned that at least some academic staff have been notified about the event and administration staff have been encouraged to attend.
- USM students are claiming the university allegedly has sent a notice to the students’ clubs of USM requesting them to send 50 members each to the Jelajah function.
- Some of those who plan to attend this hope to receive a goodie bag, a T-shirt and maybe more.
- One resident living near USM told me she received a phone call earlier this week from someone who said he was calling from Telekom Malaysia. He told her she had been selected as one of the lucky recipients of a gift for being a loyal customer (even though several times she has been slow in settling her bills). She was told only 10 people from each area had been selected and she would be receiving a letter by post to confirm this. True enough, she found a letter today bearing a Telekom masthead saying she could claim her gift at the Telekom booth at the Jelajah Carnival at USM from 11.00am to 2.00pm. (The envelope unusually bore a stamp and not a prepaid serial number.)
- Word has it that buses will be picking up people from around the area and even on the mainland early tomorrow morning. A contact, Steven, reports that BN component party members on the mainland have been going around telling people to be ready by 7.30am and there could be a T-shirt or maybe more for them. Apart from Butterworth, people are expected to come from as far as Tasek Gelugor, Kepala Batas and Kuala Muda, he adds.
- Blog reader tan tangjung bungah reports: “I have received first hand info that tomorrow morning at around 7.00am to 7.30am, an Umno Baru division is sending many, many buses to pick up residents from Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah, Batu Ferringhi and Telok Bahang and ferry them to USM grounds. Breakfast and lunch will be provided!”
One USM admin staff remarked of the event: “Terdesaklah (They are under pressure).” Asked whether he would be attending, he replied, “No way.”
Meanwhile, Media Prima companies have also set up booths, presumably because Najib’s address could be telecast live.
Oh incidentally, Wikipedia reveals that Zainal Abidin Osman is the brother of USM Vice-Chancellor Omar Osman. Neat, huh? (And incidentally, I understand the USM annual budget is more than the Penang state government’s. Another reason why we should have decentralisation of federal powers and budgets.)
Now, tell me that this Jelajah carnival thingy has nothing to do with election campaigning using government-owned facilities.
If you work or study in USM, do share with us what you have seen and heard.
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Any ground will do. Desparado Najib may even use graveyards to canvass for phantom voters!
I saw some buses from Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPSI, Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia, Polis Diraja Malaysia, UTM, Hasil. I got to know each school in Penang has to send 3 teachers to attend the function. This ‘Janji Ditepati’ program actually is UMNO/BN vote support campaign. In his speech, Najib is urging the people to vote for BN for coming GE13. USM is suppose to be a place to study. Using it for political agenda is just not right.
If not for the waze app in my smart phone, I might have missed my flight this morning.
Never in our history we have the government spending so much of our money to buy our votes.
Good riddance, BN.
Spent, Baby, Spent. But why can’t UMNO/BN pay for affordable housing in Penang if they don’t wind? Penang govt not willing to work with Prima1?
On way back to Sunway Bkt Gambier, the road was jammed as school, college and outstation buses were parked along the road. Noticed that all the attendees were not only carrying one but several goodies bags! I wonder whose money is being utilized to fund all these.
Najib entourage at Bayan Baru market this morning.
Yesterday market folks are given orange “Janji Ditepati” T shirt with a RM5 coupon as incentive to wear it.
I was there this morning to witness such “staged” event.
Also noticed victime of Genneva scam carried big banners requesting Najib to help them.
Anil
Your readers who are hoping for affordable homes will be happy that naj1b will build Pr1ma housing in prime Penang island sites that have housing costing RM600 psf. This could be a better deal than the original Taman Manggis plan!
so will people like Yang be voting for BN now for solving their housing woes?
Hmm … Look East (and learn from North Korea) ?
my response is; I AIN’T GOING
lol
Ehhh go lah… No word about YELLOW or GREEN T-shirts no being allowed mah.
Must go and see if Najib “People First” Najib eally abides by “Kami Mendengar”.
Or has the “strategic ambiguity” turned those mottos into “vague by design” rubbish also?
I UNDERSTAND THAT ATTENDING THE FUNCTION WOULD BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE STUDENTS’ CO CURRICULAR ACTIVITY & MARKS WILL BE GIVEN.
I heard something along those lines too – credit points or something like that – but was unable to verify.
university VCs are umno b…..
Hi everyone, I have received first hand info that tomorrow morning at around 7 am to 7.30 am, UMNO Baru Bkt Bendera division is sending many, many buses to pick-up residents from Tg Tokong, Tg Bungah, Batu Ferringi and Telok Bahang and ferry them to USM grounds. Breakfast and lunch would be provided! All these done to show and ‘bodek’ Najib that the division leaders are winnable candidates!! Last night the same UMNO division also used buses to pick residents from the same areas for a ceramah in Telok Bahang, where they appealed to the residents for a second chance… Read more »
gelakan
Najib Boleh