Colourful supporters steal the limelight in tunnel debate

Battle cries, potshots order of the day at debate on the contentious Penang undersea tunnel Tuesday night.

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GEORGE TOWN: The debate between Penang Executive Councillor Lim Hock Seng and Gerakan Secretary-General Liang Teck Meng was a boisterous affair, as feuding supporters booed and screamed their lungs out as their leaders spoke on stage.

The 9pm discourse began in a civil manner, with both speakers and their 1,000-odd supporters restraining themselves at the Caring Society Hall along Residency Road.

But the last 30 minutes of the debate was marked by a screaming match between the supporters, including a shift in attention to “personalities” at the back.

A few last-minute entrants made their own speeches out loud, singing battle cries, with a large majority of them from the BN bloc.

A shaggy-haired man from the BN bloc, in his 20s, then stood up and screamed at Lim, offended by the word “stupid” he had used to refer to the previous Penang BN government.

The man stood on a chair and screamed at Lim, asking him to retract the words “bodoh” and “celaka” he had used to describe the imposition of the GST. He was removed by Rela men on standby.

Lim had used the words to hit back at Liang for bringing up Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s bungalow issue. Lim felt Liang had resorted to personal attacks and was going off topic by bringing it up.

The DAP supporters, were no angels too, with screams of “Rosmah”, “2.6” (referring to RM2.6 billion donation) also heard from them.

Moderator and well-known lawyer Lee Khai had a tough time managing the crowd, with his impassioned pleas often going unheard.

The debate lasted an hour and 20 minutes, ending at 10.20pm.

The crowd then dispersed, with Lim and Liang’s camps both declaring themselves the winner.