Ambiga wows Seremban crowd

Thousands brave the rain to hear the Bersih leader speak of voters’ rights and responsibilities.

SEREMBAN: Thousands of rain-drenched spectators cheered last night as Bersih chief S Ambiga delivered a spirited speech that urged voters to come out in full force to minimise the effect of fraud in the 13th general election.

Making her first public appearance in Negeri Sembilan as leader of the election watchdog group, Ambiga spoke about “one of the most important elections” in Malaysian history and appeared to have the crowd eating out of her hands as she threw them leading questions about the responsibility of voters, their rights as citizens in a democracy and whether they deserved a better government.

It drizzled throughout the night at Taman AST in Seremban, but the large crowd—most estimates put the number at around 10,000—stayed to the end, yelling out the appropriate “Yes” or “No” to every question she asked.

Ambiga was careful not to declare her preference for any party contesting in the election, but she spoke about the necessity for change.

“Saudara, saudari,” she said. “Don’t be afraid of change. Nothing wrong with change. There are people who say, ‘Don’t change. If you change, we don’t know what will happen. There will be unrest and this and that.’

“Don’t believe them. Do you believe them?”

“No,” came the thunderous reply.

In an apparent response to the BN rhetoric about experience in governance, she said voters in the 13th general election were fortunate to have the opportunity to compare how BN and Pakatan Rakyat had performed as state governments in the last five years.

“Some of them say Pakatan Rakyat doesn’t have a track record. I’m telling you, for the first time in our life, we can compare Barisan Nasional with Pakatan Rakyat.

“Both now have track records. You can compare [and decide] which is good governance, clean, transparent and accountable.

“You can make the decision. I’m not telling you who to vote for. That I can’t do.”

The thrust of her speech, however, was to urge for a good voter turnout.

“We want free and peaceful elections. So can I have your promise, saudara saudari, that all of you will go out and vote? Go to the polling station early and vote early. Can you do that?”

The multiracial crowd replied with a deafening “Yes.”