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.
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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,… Read more »
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… Read more »
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 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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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.
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.
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.
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… Read more »