Both BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak and Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad were on the offensive in Kuala Lumpur tonight.
BN had its rally in the parliamentary seat of Wangsa Maju while Harapan held its rally in the parliamentary seat of Titiwangsa, with both drawing more than 1,000 people.
While BN supporters converged under large tents set up on a tarred road near the Gombak Setia People’s Housing Project (PPR), Harapan supporters gathered on a field in Desa Pandan.
As both events picked up, BN’s rally gathered some 900 people, but Harapan’s only managed to attract some 500 people due to a persistent drizzle.
People were seen with umbrellas while others were drenched in rainwater and mud. One member of the audience had even fainted.
But the Harapan’s crowd quickly swelled to close to 1,500 in anticipation of Mahathir’s arrival.
When Mahathir finally arrived, the crowd went wild, creating an electric atmosphere.
They chanted “We want Tun, We love Tun, Long live Tun”.
Mahathir later thanked the crowd for their determination, and urged them to be equally determined on the May 9 polling day.
“Even if it rains, turn up in force like you have tonight and vote Pakatan Harapan.
“We do not just want to win, we want to win big,” he told the mixed but predominantly Malay crowd.
Over at the BN ceramah, the crowd also grew to over 1,000 people by the time Najib arrived.
They were spared the bad weather under the tents, which were equipped with lights and fans.
Najib couldn’t help but poke fun at PKR’s Wangsa Maju candidate Tan Yee Kew, who had on nomination day forgot to bring her MyKad.
“After one term, their candidate had to run away or else he will lose.
“But then, they chose someone who forgot their identity card, someone who almost failed to qualify to contest,” he said to a responsive multiracial crowd.
Najib also emphasised that the country was on the right track, and rebutted claims that Malaysia was on the verge of bankruptcy.
The BN event was orderly and was over in around an hour.
Everyone was provided with packets of nasi biryani. – M’kini
MEANWHILE, according to The Star:
Two rivals, 12km apart, one aim
KUALA LUMPUR: Two political rivals stood on separate podiums a mere 12km apart as they hit the polls’ punishing pace by attending meet-the-people sessions in neighbouring constituencies in the Klang Valley.
Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak met constituents in Wangsa Maju, while Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad spoke in Desa Pandan.
As both Barisan and the Opposition fought for support from city dwellers, the two leaders went to the ground to canvass for votes and support for their respective coalitions.
Najib made a stop at the Wangsa Maju constituency and met voters at the Gombak Setia People’s Housing Project last night.
In a location about 20 minutes away from where Najib stood, Dr Mahathir led the Opposition pact in a rally in Desa Pandan in the Titiwangsa constituency.
This was the first time that Najib and Dr Mahathir attended events in such close proximity to each other.
Addressing the people: Dr Mahathir giving his speech during a rally in Desa Pandan.
Najib was greeted by a large crowd of Barisan members and supporters dressed in the party’s signature blue colour.
In his speech, he talked about a YouTube video of Penang Deputy Chief Minister Dr P. Ramasamy that he had watched on the way to the function.
“He said Pakatan cannot forget what Dr Mahathir did when he was prime minister, but it had to accept him to split the Malay votes.
“What we have suspected all this while has been proven true. They are just making use of Dr Mahathir. I pity this 93-year-old man.
“How can the Opposition form a stable government when it is clear that they are just using each other for their own agendas?” he said.
Barisan’s Wangsa Maju candidate Datuk Seri Yew Teong Look handed over the manifesto for Wangsa Maju to Najib, which included the relocation of the Wangsa Maju police headquarters and the development of a Chinese school there.
Earlier in the day, Najib met constituents of Lembah Pantai and Bandar Tun Razak in support of Barisan’s candidates Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin and new candidate Adnan Abu Seman in their campaigns.
There are 11 parliamentary seats in Kuala Lumpur, of which Barisan won in Putrajaya and Titiwangsa.
In Desa Pandan, Dr Mahathir called on the people not to vote for PAS, whom he accused of accepting money from Umno.
“The money given to PAS is not a donation, but sogokan (bribery). So, we must not support PAS because they are here just to disturb the elections,” he said.
He said supporting Najib to be the Prime Minister “was a mistake” and urged the voters to give him the chance to “correct the mistake”. – ann
MKINI / ANN
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