GEORGE TOWN - Thousands thronged the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) mega ceramah at the Han Chiang school hall here last night, just two days before the Bukit Gelugor by-election.
The crowds started turning up as early as 7pm and by 8pm, the school hall was already filled to overflowing with hundreds spilling out into the field outside.
Though the parliamentary constituency is a DAP stronghold, the party's main focus was apparent as each speaker on stage appealed to voters to come out to vote tomorrow.
“I am confident of retaining the seat but we want to win it big to give Barisan Nasional (BN) a strong message of your support for DAP,” the party's candidate Ramkarpal Singh Deo said amid cheers.
He promised voters that he will continue the good work of his father, the late Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh, and called on them to come out tomorrow and give him the mandate to do so.
All speakers in the ceramah expressed their confidence in the voters' support for DAP but continuously reminded them that they must not be complacent.
“We know we can win but we need you to come out to vote so that we can make it an even bigger win for DAP, for PR, to set the momentum for next week's Teluk Intan by-election,” said DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke.
Federal Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also rallied the crowd to turn up on Sunday to vote.
“We don't want to just win but we want to send a strong and clear message to BN and Umno that all Malaysians are standing up against them,” the de facto PKR chief said and was greeted with more cheers from the crowd.
Representing PAS, Parit Buntar MP Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa also spoke, saying his Islamist is fully supportive of the DAP's candidate in the by-election.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng gestures during his speech at the Bukit Gelugor Pakatan Rakyat grand ceramah last night.
“I am here to say that PAS is with DAP, PKR and we, PR, is still staying strong for all,” he said.
All speakers also mentioned the recent intrusion into the Penang state legislative assembly and the violent demonstration at the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and condemned Umno Youth members for such a violent act.
Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told the crowd that even though BN's component, MCA, did not contest, it is still important for them to vote this Sunday.
“We are Penangites! We must remember that Penang lang, pak si beh chau. Wa lang ai piah kah eh iah. Penang bui cho sei kai teh yi teng,” he said in Penang's main Chinese dialect, Hokkien.
[Translation: “We are Penangites! We must remember that as Penang people. We will never run away even if beaten. We must fight to win. Penang will be world number one.”)
The final speaker, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo reminded the crowd that it is the people who can decide who remains in power.
“Remember, we must stand up and show support for Ramkarpal because BN and Umno are expecting a lower turnout and lower majority for DAP so let's show them that they are wrong,” said the DAP federal lawmaker who is also elder brother to the Bukit Gelugor candidate.
Ramkarpal is facing a four-cornered fight with Parti Cinta Malaysia's Huan Cheng Guan and two independent candidates Mohd Nabi Bux Mohd Sathar and Abu Backer Sidek Mohammad Zan.
The seat was vacated after Ramkarpal's father who was the Bukit Gelugor representative, Karpal Singh, was killed in a car crash last month.
Karpal had held the seat since winning it in 2004 and had garnered a massive 42,706 vote majority last general election. -Malaymail
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