Supporters take literal centre stage at DAP fundraiser in JB

GE14 | Though it is a norm for tables to be filled at a political party fundraisers, especially weeks away from a general election, the overwhelming response to a Johor Bahru DAP dinner on  Tuesday forced organisers to set up an additional five tables onstage.

According to Sinchew Daily, the fundraising dinner began with 145 tables, the maximum the restaurant could hold.

But Andrew Chen, the DAP candidate for Stulang, said people were still streaming in at the last minute hoping to buy seats at the table, which were priced between RM 100 and RM200.

This forced the organiser to put up another five tables onstage to accommodate the extra supporters, along with seats outside for those who could not make it into the hall.  

It perhaps came as little surprise the fundraiser received such a response, as it featured a host of DAP heavyweights, including parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, Johor chief Liew Chin Tong, national publicity secretary Tony Pua, and international secretary Teo Nie Ching, as well as Johor Jaya and Perling hopefuls Liow Cai Tung and Cheo Yee How.

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and candidate for the Johor Bahru parliamentary seat Akmal Nasir were also in attendance.

With so many speakers, the fundraiser stretched late into the night, but about half of the supporters remained in the hall past midnight.

The dinner managed to raise an additional RM58,462 on top of ticket sales.

Chen will be defending Stulang, located in the parliamentary constituency of Johor Bahru, after winning by a 3,296-vote majority in the 2013 general election.    - Mkini