At DAP dinner, speakers tell of Anwar and Najib trading places

A day after the tabling of Budget 2018 in Parliament, supporters turned their attention from talking heads to DAP's stage for the party's leaders' take on the country's fiscal plan.

They gathered at a DAP dinner in a sleepy village in Sungai Siput, Perak last night, having forked out RM100 per person.

The message was consistent as DAP leaders dissuaded the audience about the merits of the goodies in Budget 2018, about how it contained elements of Pakatan Harapan's policies and about the country's mounting debt.

But what excited the crowd of around 500 people was the political rhetoric as DAP Perak chief Nga Kor Ming declared that Budget 2018 would be Najib's last.

“Next year when we change the government, he (Najib) will be either the opposition leader or having a holiday inside Sungai Buloh,” he told the predominantly Chinese crowd at Kampung Rimba Panjang community hall to loud cheers and applause.

Nga appeared to be referring to Sungai Buloh prison, where de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim is currently serving a jail term until the middle of next year.

Anwar was convicted of sodomy, a charge he claimed was politically motivated.

The opposition had accused Najib of corruption in relation to the 1MDB scandal, a claim which the prime minister denies.

Claiming that BN had copied Harapan's alternative budget and policies in Budget 2018, Nga said it was evident then that Harapan was ready to govern.

“They want to follow everything, what does this prove?

“The opposition is ready to be the government and BN is preparing to be the opposition,” said Nga, who is also Taiping MP.

Echoing a similar message, DAP assistant national publicity secretary Teo Nie Ching predicted Najib would be "trading places" with Anwar after the general election.

She also expressed hope that Nga and Perak DAP adviser Ngeh Koo Ham will become federal ministers if Harapan wins power in the next general election.

“If I have the chance, I would like to replace (MCA’s) Chong Sin Woon and be a (deputy education) minister,” said the Kulai MP.

She urged those present to vote for Harapan to “help make Malaysia a two-party system”.

“Because when we have two parties that are fighting (against each other), the people will be the biggest winners,” she added.

Malaysia has not had a change of federal government since independence.

While many were fired up by the spirited speeches, some appeared disappointed that opposition top guns appearing on the promotional banners for the 54-table dinner did not turn up.

Some headed for the door as soon as Nga concluded his speech, before the emcee could thank him or make other announcements.

The promotional banners had carried the images of DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PKR vice president Rafizi Ramli. Both did not show up.

The dinner last night was the seventh and last of a series of talks by DAP in Perak.

DAP plans to contest the parliamentary seat of Sungai Siput in the next general election, which is presently held by PSM's Dr D Jeyakumar.- Mkini