‘WE ARE ALL FAMILY’ – ANWAR SAYS IN MANDARIN IN PLEA FOR UNITY: ‘IF YOU SAY I HAVE FORGOTTEN THE MALAYS, LET ME ASK YOU, WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHINESE’

 Lukut – Anwar Ibrahim impresses the crowd by speaking simple Mandarin.

He assures the crowd that the new government will take care of the benefits of the people regardless of races or religion. Then, in Mandarin he says “We are all family”.

Speaking about corruption in the previous government, he used the word “xiao ren” (nasty people) to describe an individual who stole the money from the people.

He tells the crowd of about 400 mainly Chinese locals that he is touched by how people of all races have welcomed him.

“When I went to the Indian area, I danced. I don’t know how many votes I can get, but I found that I am so happy and I like this place so much after I have been here for one week.

“I believe that I have made a right choice to be here and Danyal is my great alliance”.

Zaid Ibrahim shows up at Anwar’s ceramah

9.15pm: Harapan’s operations room, Lukut – Former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim, who had previously been critical of Pakatan Harapan’s candidate Anwar Ibrahim, is spotted at the ceramah here.

He tells Malaysiakini that he is here to support Anwar, though he may have disagreed with the prime minister-in-waiting previously.

“I disagreed with certain things, that’s normal. I mean I disagreed with a lot of people.

“I have a lot of disagreements with (Prime Minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad too. It doesn’t stop me from helping him,” he said.

It is more important, he said, for Pakatan Harapan to present a united front right now, be it through fulfilling their succession plan or their policies and actions as the new government.

Otherwise, he said, Umno-BN and even PAS is waiting in the wings for their chance to exploit Harapan’s weaknesses so that they can come into power.

Anwar: I haven’t forgotten the Malays but we are one big family

PORT DICKSON: Anwar Ibrahim tonight told the people of Port Dickson that he has not forgotten the Malays.

The PKR Port Dickson by-election candidate said since he had been seen campaigning alongside DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, people had been questioning if he had been distancing himself from the Malays.

“If you say I have forgotten the Malays, let me ask you what has been given to the Chinese?

“Let me say this, whether you are Malay, Chinese or Indian, we are all one big family.

“Only by working together in unity will we be able to advance as a country,” he told about 500 people outside the Lukut PKR operations centre.

Anwar also reminded voters that not all Malays were “good” people.

“We do not want Malays who are corrupt and steal from the state.

“In the 1MDB case, we have Malays and Chinese.

“We want good Malays. People of Port Dickson, do not forget Felda. They (Barisan Nasional) have stolen from Felda. Even Tabung Haji, those funds were stolen,” he claimed.

Independent candidate in the Port Dickson by-election, Mohd Isa Samad, was Felda chairman from 2011 until January 2017.

“Former prime minister Tun Abdul Razak asked villagers to help clear the forests but when they (Umno) became rich, they stole from the people.

“But our ministers today, they are not like the former ministers. They don’t steal like those ministers before.

“They also don’t announce any projects when they come here. They follow the law,” he said.

Pledging that he will do his best if elected Port Dickson MP, Anwar said he was touched to be welcomed by Malays, who were once Umno supporters, on his campaign trail.

“I have never seen such support given by the Malays.

“Similarly, in Chinese areas, they too have treated me as a friend and did not look at me as merely a Malay.

“Even in the Indian areas, I enjoyed dancing with them.

“Whether they will vote for me or not, let’s put that aside. But the happiness I felt assured me that I did the right thing in choosing Port Dickson to contest,” he said. – FMT

MKINI / FMT