By Regina Lee and Kuek Ser Kuang Keng | Malaysiakini
The welcome given to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at two back-to-back functions in this small constituency of Tenang last night were poles apart.
While Lim was given a rousing welcome when he arrived for his first ceramah in Bandar Labis Tengah, it was a totally different scene in the night, in Felda Chemplak Barat.
As early as 5pm, reporters were told that Umno supporters would “demonstrate” against Pakatan Rakyat at the settlement around 8pm, when Lim was expected to arrive.
It was only around 9pm when about 30 youths wearing BN T-shirts gathered some 20 metres from the PAS ceramah venue.
Shouting traditional PAS slogans such as ‘takbir’ and ‘Allah-u-akbar’, they also yelled that Pakatan people were liars and cheats.
As the PAS ceramah took off with several speakers, including ulama wing information chief Nik Zawawi Nik Salleh and Mazlan Aliman of Persatuan Anak Felda (Anak), the BN youths were began heckling, telling them to baliklah (go back).
About 20 uniformed policemen, and just as many in plainclothes, kept a close watch on the group. There were about 150 people present, most of them journalists and party workers, at the session, during which it rained lightly, on and off.
But it was only when Lim arrived that the group went wild, intensifying in their jeering.
While DAP secretary-general spoke, largely dismissing the perception that the party is anti-Islamic, the group sang Inilah Barisan Kita and several Islamic religious songs.
Lim, who has been to other Felda settlements before, said it was his first visit to Felda Chemplak Barat and that “this won’t be my last”.
At the same time, he also teased the group, saying he was open to freedom of expression, and then went on to recite a pantun for “the betterment of the group back there”.
As he left after about 15 minutes there, a group of Chinese press photographers who were also leaving the venue were heckled by the youths.
‘Hecklers manufactured’
Lim later joked that he never expected such a warm welcome to the ceramah.
“But we were not shocked. We learnt that they would gather, but we still came. How can we be intimidated by such tactics and ruffians?” he told Malaysiakini.
He also fired salvos at BN, calling the heckling “manufactured” and “a desperate tactic”.
“These are the desperate tactics of BN and Umno. There is no need for such tactics if they are so sure they will win by a 5,000-vote majority,” he said.
“(The youths) are definitely not locals. If we go into a Felda scheme, even if they (the settlers) don’t want to hear us speak, they will definitely not behave in this manner.
“This is a by-election and we too have the right to come here to campaign,” he said.
Celebrity status in town centre
Earlier, at a ceramah held in front of DAP’s operations centre at Bandar Labis Tengah, Lim was received like a superstar by the 300-strong Chinese crowd, giving him cheers and thunderous applause.
As he waited for his turn to take the stage, residents crowded to take photographs with him.
It started raining after Lim began his 10-minute speech, but the crowd soldiered, with umbrellas and taking shelter in the surrounding shoplot corridors.
After the Penang chief minister finished speaking, those who bought copies of his biography queued up for his signature. More than 80 books were sold during the ceramah.
Lim in his speech highlighted the achievements of Pakatan-ruled states such as Penang and Selangor, which have topped the other states in drawing foreign direct investments.
He compared this with BN’s scandals, including the MIC’s investment arm Maika Holdings, Umno’s RM52 billion bumiputra shares and MCA’s RM13 billion Port Klang Free Zone debacle.
Hoi! you geng BN!
You ingat lu manyak besar ke..!
Nak berlagak macam samseng.
Dulu orang tua kita takut sama lu.
Sekarang kita kawan sama Pas!
Macam brather lah!
Nak tumbuk, mari lah!!!
those monkeys are not hecklers, but hired bangsat negara mat rempits. well, not bad for a 50rm-day job. enjoy your ganja or their friends’ girlfriends with 50rm.
helloooo bn, is LGE so much a threat to you that u hv to resort to such tactics? Why, u hv CSL what ??? CSL is able to talk about mannerism and good cultures but fails miserably to respect others’ religion and belief and but tak tahu tim… Now quickly mend the mistakes by getting people to jump boat with all the exaggerations in the media. Tayangan wayang for the Tenang folks?
This time surely he’ll earn a pat on the shoulder from the big brother no. 2.
/// As early as 5pm, reporters were told that Umno supporters would “demonstrate” against Pakatan Rakyat at the settlement around 8pm, when Lim was expected to arrive.
It was only around 9pm when about 30 youths wearing BN T-shirts gathered some 20 metres from the PAS ceramah venue.
Shouting traditional PAS slogans such as ‘takbir’ and ‘Allah-u-akbar’, they also yelled that Pakatan people were liars and cheats. ///
Is this Mahathir meant when he said Malaysia is more democratic than Singapore?
There is an American joke that goes like this:
Q: Why do dogs l!ck their b@lls ?
A: BECAUSE THEY CAN
Q: Why does BN condone corruption, illicit outflow of funds, murder while in custody, irresponsible behaviour, cheating, intimidation, etc etc ?
A: BECAUSE THEY CAN !
do they need to do this ?- such behaviour only paints a picture they are running scared – on a level playing field – Pakatan Rakyat will win hands down – No doubt about this !
What has CSL demonstrated in his VCD? He could, and he could not.
Celebrity status in town centre
“Earlier, at a ceramah held in front of DAP’s operations centre at Bandar Labis Tengah, Lim was received like a superstar by the 300-strong Chinese crowd, giving him cheers and thunderous applause.”
What are you trying to imply? As far as we are aware, our beloved statesman, TDM had never used his blog to excessively promote his own son…
///But it was only when Lim arrived that the group went wild, intensifying in their jeering.///
They went wild because their leaders could not achieve what Lim Guan Eng could. For example, after Lim Guan Eng took over Penang, the state became the first to have hardcore poverty eliminated. Penang is now the least corrupt state in Malaysia and is also the country’s top FDI destination state.
Within a short space of 3 years, Lim Guan Eng has successfully transformed Penang from “no state” to “some state”. This has roused jealousy among BN leaders and hence they sent their goons to disrupt his ceramah.
Inilah Barisan Kita, inilah democracy UmnoB/BN
We can speak lies, U cannot speak d truth
Y MMK, NR, HH, MY, CSL, KTK n other great freedom fighters DIAM2 abt dis no class act
Why are we surprised with the behavior of these
UMNO/BN samsengs!…obviously, these were the type of creeps that reflect on the failed BN education system and the shame to the nation. How could they possibly understand what democracy is all about.
In BTN , maybe they have this courses, where you need not have ‘As’ in examinations, but can jeer, can ‘kurang ajar’, or they say “Bi-a-Dap”.
However, I am surprise that the Felda settlers, did not react to these group of monkey business. They should know better, if these are locals or not.
Knowing very well the police will just stand back and watch,PAS should have gathered double the number of bigger sized youth and shoo them, without a commotion.
Question to PAS: How are Felda settlers responding to your manifesto?
Please don’t promote religion only, talk more on economy, why Malaysia is rich, but rakyat are poor.
Talk about Perak, Penang and Selangor.
Hai cintanegara,who are you to talk like sour fruit when you know your sour fruit no longer sweet like several thousand years ago as recorded by dagen.LKS is not promoting LGE but is really stand tall and proud of his achievement.CAT stands for accountability,competency and transparency that makes LGE the winner than any half past ministers.At the end,the result speaks the high volume of one’s achievement.So nobody promoting nobody,you see,don;t you?Anyway if rewrite history,i will rename all of you. corrupter
Typo silap cintanegara,
should be really standing tall..
any half past six minister.
Sour rambutans?
Bitter rambutans by right la but because of history climate changes of several thousand years before us by oxide,monoxide,side kick nep toxic,its kind became sour.You know?
Cintanegara’s rambutans, I suspect, actually taste better in the past. Something to do with the petroleum soaked soil we have, I suppose.
Oh dear. I hear our petroleum is drying up soon.
No wonder our rambutan owner and lover, cintanegara, is fretting and is rather gibberishy in his expression.
So boys. Pls. Understand. Man with lousy tasting rambutans behaves funny and does not make sense.
Sorry pal. Wanna hv some peaches?
Sweet ass.Thanks for the peaches though.I sound sweeter now and feeling to praise a deserving CM.LGE,everybody who reads well and could see Penang’sdevelopment clearly and know of the first time ever surplus generated income by you,nobody is right in their sound mind will condemn you except hold you up highly in the air and shout “WE ARE REALLY PROUD OF YOU””YOU BEAT THOSE OTHER LEADERS INTO SMITHEREENS”
Cintanegara, this is a free world. If a father found it fit to protect his son, that is perfectly his right and rightly so….especially, when the son was confronted by the nation [deleted]!…ooooi, cherry picker, enjoy your sour rambutans!
Monsterball must have forgotten to piss on your rambutan trees to sweeten the fruits.
#17 missed typo
should be ..for the first time ever,Penang state surplus income generated by you,…
for a CM that is praised by the auditor general of malaysia for 2 years running, recognised by transparency international as example of good governance and showing solid proof of surplus of RM77 million for a state whose income tax revenue is robbed by the federal occupants, what the cicak dropping do those paid noise makers know?
if BN think this is the way to make people hate a performing CM, then it is an ultimate insult to the thinking voters
and by golly, those hired crows is a fundamental statement of the education system and degree of civility achieved in M’sia under more than half a century of false leadership
A father is proud of his son’s achievements and hence praise accordingly, it’s fatherly love, it’s perfectly ok – this is part of family values. Everything begins at home. If u dont hv family values, u will end up having no moral values.
the so-called celebrity status is the view of reporters from Malaysiakini, not from LKS. Anyway, what has TDM’s son achieved to warrant any “celebrity” status? None. Hence, there is nothing to “promote”
Stupid and over zealous confident moo jihad..deen’s 5000 majority votes expectation is not met by umno’s kampung mentality and barbaric action as shown in Tenang
http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/umno-hooligans-in-tenang.html
UMNO has to pay these people for them to participate in their demonstrations. UMNO does this all the time as they have no real supporters. With UMNO, it’s all about money politics. Bur what’s sad is that some rakyat are willing to sacrifice their morality and dignity for a mere RM50 or 100. Wake up!
need to be patient – it was still not so serious. But please look at the other part of the scene: With PAS platforms around, DAP can easily penetrate all over the places to talk freely! A good opportunity for DAP to be welcomed Rakyat – and you must really appreciate it, eventhough bombs are being sent by BN… Keep moving and change the government now… together!