GET CRACKING, PAKATAN RAKYAT!

Posted by Unknown On Wednesday, May 26, 2010 26 comments
Last night, I attended the Forum Perdana Kemenangan Sibu that was organized by Pakatan Rakyat. It was held at the Penang Chinese Town Hall and about 80% full. I was quite surprised to see that it was attended by mainly those above 40 years of age. What happened to the youth? I should have been happy after listening to the speeches and presentations of the various speakers but I left the hall with a heavy heart. Whilst I am very happy that DAP won the Sibu election, I am a tad worried that they are a bit carried away in their euphoria and jumping to conclusions that they can march to Putrajaya so easily. I hope more concrete plans can be put into action instead of just relishing the Sibu victory. There is a lot of work that must be done!

The evening began with the opening speech by Chow Kon Yeow (MP for Tanjung) @ 8p.m. Following that, MP Chong Eng shared her experiences at the Sibu by-election campaign trail. She opined that the Sibu by-election is akin to a mid-term review for Pakatan Rakyat. She also shared about how if PR can win Sibu, they can win PR and that PR wants to show that they are different from other leadership because PR is for everyone. She said that BN is like the setting sun whilst PR is the rising sun and that the rakyat should choose PR for a good future.

The next speaker was Tunku Aziz, Senator for Penang and also VP in DAP. He began his speech by telling the audience that Sibu made history for DAP and DAP made history for DAP by breaking the stronghold of BN there. Even though the win was with a small majority of 398 votes, he argued that it was a very important victory because DAP went into battle without much $$$ but with hopes and dreams for the people of Sibu. He said Sibuans believed in our message despite the fact that the PM went to Sibu like Santa Claus with all kinds of gifts and promises.

Tunku Aziz said that the victory was very significant because it has given PR a lot of encouragement that in spite of all the difficulties, PR can take on the government of BN and head towards victory because the people there want fair play and justice and to govern the country together.

Tunk Aziz reiterated that the government that PR wants to establish is one that has never been seen in the last 53 years of the nation's existence. It will be the beginning of a new Malaysia. After that, he spoke about the offers to help the Sibuans in terms of the millions offered. Tunku Aziz said that it would have been a different scenario if it had been PR which had made those offers. He emphasized that we cannot have two sets of laws but only one law for EVERYONE and that this same low must apply to the highest and the lowest with no special concessions for anyone and that was a promise. He also said that PR will not tolerate any form of discrimination whatsoever.

Tunku Aziz said that the next government of Malaysia will be a PR government and that this is no longer a dream. He said that it might have been a dream some years ago but the Sibu win shows that nothing is impossible if we try our level best. He ended his speech by saying, "Give us a few more wins like Sibu and we will be governing the country together."

Following that, MP Liew Chin Tong gave his speech in two parts - a ppt presentation of the events at the Sibu by-election trail and also an analysis of the win. First of all, he said that it is wrong to think that Sibu would be an easy win just because 67% of the electorate are Chinese. This is due to the nature of Sarawakian politics. The first obstacle is that most of the employers are conglomerates who are affiliated to the status quo. The second obstacle was the stark poverty of Ibans. MP Liew explained how even one Astro staff came out from a longhouse in tears at the horror of the living conditions of the people in the interior. Then he explained how the headman of each longhouse (who is given a monthly allowance of 450rm by BN) has the power to exert social control over the others so it was quite difficult to penetrate the people there. Thereafter, he highlighted the various problems faced by different communities in Sibu including the Malays and Melanaus.

MP Liew emphasized that all we need in the next election is a 10% swing in favor of PR to win. In 1999, BN won 57% of votes while in 2004, BN won 64% of votes and in 2008, BN only won 51% of votes. This means that there was a 13% swing of votes in favor or PR in the last elections. MP Liew concluded that the Sibu victory opens up the very real possibility of PR in Putrajaya.

Then, MP Liew shared the five key issues that were the campaign messages of DAP.

1. CM Taib has been in power for too long.
2. Without CAT, transparency, accountability and open tenders, problems in Sibu such as floods can never be solved.
3. Opportunities are in the hands of CMS (Cahaya Mata Sarawak) which is controlled by obvious characters.
4.Without a two-party system, there can be no possibility of change.
5. DAP could not deliver in the past because it was not in government but when in government such as in Penang, they can deliver so Sibuans must give DAP a chance.

MP Liew shared two major turning points in the campaign:

1. PM's visit to Sibu whereby he was supposed to lead the Tua Peh Kong procession but instead, appeared for three minutes and lifted one finger in the air and then disappeared with the convoy of 100 cars. Thereafter, PR supporters marched with the procession and shook hands all the way with the 15 000 people gathered there that night.

2. The fireworks that were released that night by a conglomerate celebrating a dinner gave those present a symbol of hope that things would take a turn for the better.

MP Liew then shared the advertisement strategy for the Sibu campaign, emphasizing that they were only allowed to advertise in the Chinese press.

After that, MP for Kuching Chong Chieng Jen gave his speech and explained how after the PM's famous offer speech, there was a swing of 7% in support of DAP . He explained that the Iban support for PR dropped from 26% to 23%.

The next speakers were Dr. Dzulkefly, MP for Kuala Selangor who explained that the Sibu win was the sweetest victory that represented a miracle because of the rakyat and the Almighty. He said that the Sibu by-election saw the perfect execution of the strategy of PR working together. Next was Prof. Dr. Ramachandran (CM II of Penang) who gave a very spirited speech. Finally, CM of Penang Lim Guan Eng spoke at length for thirty minutes about various topics including the 30-point achievement in Penang.

The event ended very late at past 11pm.

I left the hall feeling very concerned. Whilst it is good to ride on the wave of victory, I believe PR must get real and realize that they have to win the Iban support and that of other communities if they want to make the Putrajaya dream come true. I sincerely hope that they will quickly draw up their blueprint for the next state elections in Sarawak and GE too and to see how they can harness the support of ALL Malaysians in both West Malaysia and East Malaysia. They also need to be prepared for more attacks from the enemy.

Please do not look to the past and do not rest on past glories. Build the foundation for the future, PR. We want to see you offering men and women of honor for elections. We want to see you telling us what you can do for all of us - concrete plans - which have to be communicated to the people of Sarawak and Sabah too, especially those in the interior. Lots of work to be done, lots of resources are needed and lots of foot soldiers too.

Malaysians, let us make that dream a reality. Whoever you are, whatever your skill or availability, avail yourself to a PR component party and volunteer to help. They really need to walk with the people...All have to get cracking - the rakyat and Pakatan Rakyat.

Hand in hand, we can make it!!!

26 comments to GET CRACKING, PAKATAN RAKYAT!

  1. says:

    Anonymous Good reading. It is time to work even harder and bunker in for the long haul. dUMNO will not be taking this Sibu loss lying down but definitely plotting how to cheat even more deviously.
    Pakatan needs to muster all its supporters, organise each of them to recruite, 'turn over' the fence sitters and the indifferent to become knowledgeable citizen voters.

  1. says:

    Unknown Yes Pakatan must wake up and work harder.Not just celebrate the winnings.One have to be wary of Barisan's dirty tactics.

  1. says:

    Anonymous Is there such a great compulsive necessity to ape the persistent BN/Bumno type hubris?

    Propaganda is for the lesser thinkers and, for most people, grow stale fast.

    ~wits0~

  1. says:

    Shawn Tan Exactly! The PR need to think long-term and not just focus on the short-term gains (the very thing that they accuse our existing government of doing).

  1. says:

    nick Sis,

    One thing that keeps worrying me is the fact that all the parties in PR have yet to genuinely gel and move cohesively. We can see that during the HS election and maybe perhaps Sibu with the "head" PKR of Sarawak and Sabah staying away.

    PR have yet to show Malaysian that they are a "government in waiting" (but sadly it is evident that they are still stuck with the "opposition - since we are not the gomen we can't do much or we can never match the BN in term of money and outreach" attitude even though they control several states. Those kind of mentalities must cease to exist within PR psyche.

    Come PR, WAKE UP! Show us what is your plan, how do you want to do it, who will be given the task to implement it and provide us Malaysian a tangible objective you are aiming for (economically, socially, freedom of information, human right etc.) Tell us What, When, Where and HOW? Start NOW! Or we the rakyat will crack your A$$ with our vote!

    I pray for GOD's guidance for our PR politician and hopefully they see and understand (the signs of guidance from GOD).

    Nick.

  1. says:

    Anonymous Was your boy there, too?

  1. says:

    Ting CM Taib has been in power for too long.

    His term of office has 'expired' and he should be 'retired'!

    Please, Taib! Don't cling to the seat any longer.

    Come the next state election, you will be 'fired'.

  1. says:

    Ex-MCA Man Anwar will have to win over Malay voters without sacrificing his party's Chinese support. Can he perform this miracle?

    ~~ Malaysiakini

    Yes, that's the question we need to answer boldly, frankly and fearlessly!

  1. says:

    Village Boy Don't want in front of me,
    I may not follow...
    Don't walk behind me,
    I may not lead...
    Walk beside me,
    And be my friend...

    Yes, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, we can make it!!!

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Rahman

    I do agree with you. In the face of victory, the enemy will surely work overtime in unseen and unexpected ways so they had better wake up and really press on even more diligently! Thanks for sharing. Take care and have a lovely evening.

    Salam

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Anon @ 2.55pm (is it you Angela???)

    Yes, Pakatan has to rally LOTS of supporters and ensure that they have enough foot soldiers, $$, resources, know-how and all that they need to complete that journey to Putrajaya. May more step forward to offer their expertise.

    Together we can!

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear ~wits0~

    Well spoken! They cannot rest on their laurels and make a lot of fuss over a molehill. Greater battles are before us!

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Shawn Tan

    Thanks for visiting and for jiving with the post. I sincerely hope that more concrete plans are in the pipeline and that we will see PR at the helm of government soon. Take care and do keep in touch.

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Nick

    You have made a very sharp and perceptive observation. PR must really prove itself and go beyond propaganda, rhetoric and fancy plans. They must be more organized, united, have more ground support, be ready for more intricate and long-term strategies and not to make empty statements to the press that will only dig their grave deeper. They have so much potential and they owe it to us to make it work. They have to really rise again and work their plan once they have covered the nitty gritty details of their blue-print.

    May God help them to help us!

    Take care and thanks for sharing, Nick. Always appreciate your lucid comments. Have a great evening.

    Salam

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Anon @ 5.29pm

    No way! Kids must not go for all these meetings...not even students. He was at home reading Sue Townsend's "From Major to Minor" - after exams ler...

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Ting

    Agree!!! I seriously believe that if he had made his appearance at Sibu, DAP would have won with a bigger margin!

    May Sarawak be free from the likes of him and his buddies.

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Ex-MCA Man

    For him to succeed, he needs a formidable plan and good men of honor and integrity to make that plan work!

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Village Boy

    Hear ye, hear ye! Let's stand together in solidarity!

    Cheers

  1. says:

    democracy4now Halo friend,
    If you want to get a multi-perspective view on the Sibu election come to this forum below:
    Date: May 30th (THIS Sunday)
    Time: 7.30pm
    venue : D' Space(62 Weld Quay, near Ferry terminal)
    Speakers:
    1. Liew Chin Tong(DAP)
    2. Kapten (R) Zamri (PAS)
    3. Joseph Sipali (Malaysiakini)
    4. Ong Boon Keong(Sibu Election Watchers)
    5. Cheah Kah Seng(MALVU's electoral roll analyst)

    They will present party, observers, media and legal perspectives on the Sibu election.

    All welcome! FREE entrance.
    Enq.013-5900339
    Organiser:
    1. Penang Journalist Association
    2. MALVU (Malaysian Voters Union)

  1. says:

    Anonymous It was nothing short of a miracle that the opposition won. There were a few other factors like the BN candidate himself and internal conflict within BN component parties itself which helped DAP to win.

    If the BN candidate had been some other, who knows who would have won.

    Sibu is Sibu and as a Sibuian, permit me to say that many voters themselves were unsure if DAP would actually win. David against Goliath kind of scenario.

    The now well-known offer of money backfired. Some of my immediate circle of friends felt insulted and it influenced some of us to vote opposition to register our protest against this type of campaigning.

    But without reaching out to more remote areas, it would be unwise to assume the same situation would prevail in the other constituencies both in Sabah and Sarawak. PR must show us it would be capable of forming a legit and stable government. Where are the qualified leaders ready to assume power in numbers enough to run the state effectively? It wouldn't be wise for us to jump from the pan into the fire.

    I must say that LGE influenced the voters in a big way especially among the Chinese voters... even more than LKS. PAS leaders didn't look as frightening or were as extremist as I expected... in the past we just hadn't had the chance to meet them. DSAI gave many of us hope of a real IMalaysia.

    Basically my comment is just rubbish: just my personal impression... a voice that carries no weight

    The point about fireworks giving hope etc in my opinion is just wishful thinking or may I call it romantic thinking? We value our votes too much to be influenced in this trivial manner. It is about issues and our rights and expectations.

  1. says:

    Masterwordsmith Dear BK Ong

    Great to hear from you. Thanks for the info. Will try to be there. Take care and have a lovely evening.

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Masterwordsmith Dear Anon @ 8.50pm

    Thank you very much for sharing so honestly and candidly. I do agree with you and am glad to hear from one like you who was in the thick of action during the Sibu by-election.

    I always believe in humility and to be thankful for little things, even this 398 narrow victory. To be presumptuous on this event is very dangerous and could be the beginning of the end if PR is not careful.

    MP Chong also said that there was 7% swing in favor of DAP at the polling station where the PM made his famous offer. Like you, he said many came out to vote in protest against that overture.

    I agree with you that they have to do lots of work in the interior. PR has to be realistic and start work NOW cos time is running out. BN has the edge over PR where penetration of the interior is concerned cos of obvious reasons.

    Also, I mentioned in my post that PR must present their blueprint for East Malaysians and not expect them to vote on the basis of wishful thinking or idealistic ambition to dislodge the status quo. There are very real and serious issues and these must be addressed by PR in tangible and real terms.

    I believe the presence of Karpal Singh in his wheel chair being transported to the stage via lorry touched the hearts of many...likewise LGE also spelled hope for we have seen what he has delivered in Penang although it could be better.

    Thank you so much for your insightful comment which I really appreciate. Please keep in touch. You are welcome to write any post about Sarawakian issues and it will be my pleasure to post it in my humble blog and credit to you.

    Thanks for stopping by to leave your thoughts here. Take care and God bless you!

    Shalom

  1. says:

    rainstorm PR doesn't have much resources, manpower.
    The real challenge for PR in Sabah & Sarawak is to penetrate the interiors to convince the Ibans, Kadazans, Penans, Melanaus, Dusun, Bidayuhs, etc.

    Yes, lots of volunteers needed in these areas & lots of hard work required in order to win the next election. Most importantly, the bloggers in Sabah & Sarawak who believed in PR must find a way to let those Ibans, Kadazans, Melanaus, etc what BN had been taking them for a ride for the past 53 yrs and is about time they should say NO to BN/ PBB/SUPP and other parties that is under BN!!!

    Education is the key.

  1. says:

    Anonymous It isn't morning if we hear the crow of one cock. The war is still not over with the winning of one battle even though it was won at the heartland of the opposing party. Being optimistic is not wrong but the route to Petra Jaya and Putra Jaya are laid with too many obstacles.

    There may still be some trojan horses in Pakatan as the art of politiking belongs to those with war chest. These goons are so slush with funds that they could make it rain on a specific person where even David Copperfield would marvel at them.

    Now is the time for hard work and not to gloat over that victory as the period of feasting is over as soon as the light is off. Show the people that you have what it take to usher in a new paradigm for the new Malaysia. The choice is clear for us and we hope that you people in Pakatan will not let us down.
    ~ahoo~

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear rainstorm

    I agree with you. People have to be 'educated' as to the real state of affairs and how resources are plundered from right under their noses.

    Frankly, whilst I believe East Malaysian bloggers are doing a fantastic job in many exposes, I fear the greatest obstacle would be reaching out to those in the interior and without net penetration. For too long, they have been voting out of habit and obligation.

    Now they have to vote by their conscience.

    May the Almighty save Malaysia and help us all.

    Thanks so much for your passionate response, rainstorm. Lovely to read your thoughts...Take care and have a blessed day!

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear ahoo

    Thank you for your wonderful comment that exudes wisdom and fairness. Thank you also for your timely suggestions and observations. I sincerely hope that the leadership will note sentiments expressed by supporters and those who hope for change. Take care and have a blessed day!

    Shalom

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