Karaoke or ‘hot’ ceramah, there’s something for everyone

Less than 100m away, PKR and DAP leaders — led by Tian Chua, Teresa Kok and Nurul Izzah Anwar — spoke at ceramah into the night. But unlike their more organised counterparts, the PR ceramah have no free food nor even chairs for listeners. 

Chan Kok Leong, The Edge

The war zone-like feel of Permatang Pauh, which marked the return of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is conspicuously absent here.

Apart from the buzz of nomination day for the parliamentary by-election, the mood in Kuala Terengganu during the day has been serene.

Last Tuesday, some 20,000 PAS followers from all over the country turned out to usher in their candidate while Barisan Nasional (BN) only had around 4,000 in tow.

It has been quiet since.

Daytime typically is marked by cool blustery conditions interrupted by bouts of warm sunshine. There seems little interest in the battle that’s brewing between BN’s Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, PAS’ Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut and independent Azaharudin Mamat.

A gentleman’s agreement between the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and BN leaderships not to touch on the integrity and personalities of the candidates has helped diffuse tensions before they could build up.

The absence of pressing local issues, too, has lowered the temperature somewhat.

During the day, traffic flow here is a cinch compared to cities like Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Ipoh or Johor Bahru. Other than hardworking Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu officers going about ensuring parking meters are filled, KT seems no different from any other sleepy coastal town.

The only interruption to life in the city during the day are the almost non-stop stream of politicians who file into Kg Cina and Ladang (in the city) to shake hands and hand out mandarin oranges.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Anwar, Teresa Kok, Raja Petra Kamarudin and Lim Kit Siang are among the many who have come to woo voters here.

For BN, which rules the state, the campaign has an added dimension.

Using official functions at Wisma Darul Iman and other government establishments, BN woos voters with development messages and various government programmes.

During the awarding of local government projects last Saturday, BN by-election director Datuk Seri Najib Razak reminded voters and Class F contractors of the ability of the BN government to take care of their needs. The candidate Wan Farid also made a brief appearance. Some RM16 million worth of infrastructure jobs were handed out to 583 contractors.

Extra efforts are also being made to target certain segments of society. Other than meeting local businesses, Najib had closed-door meetings with local non-government organisation leaders and church groups. Similarly, the Terengganu MB stopped by a church here.

Similarly, using Risda, Felda and other quasi-government agencies, BN has pursued voters and introduced its candidate with messages of peace, stability, development and history.

Yesterday, for instance, Najib, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed and Datuk Ahmad Said had no fewer than 15 functions spread all over the constituency. Even Najib’s wife, Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, lent a hand by officiating at a kindergarten at Kampung Bukit Bayas (Ladang constituency).

In the Malay villages, which characterise the Wakaf Mempelam and Batu Buruk constituencies, PAS and Umno Wanita wings go from house to house during the day, visiting the sick and the old.

According to Kg Losong Umno representative Puan Zuraidah, each of its three teams of 10 women visit 10 to 30 houses a day. Some 470 voters from 200 households make up her area.

Said Umno Wanita deputy chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who joined the visits last Friday, the visits were important to let the villagers know that they were important.

“Village folk like the personal touch and all they want sometimes is for someone to listen to their problems,” said the former women, family and community development minister.

For PR, wooing voters during the day is more modest.

PAS Terengganu state commissioner Datuk Mustafa Ali and his deputy Datuk Wan Mutalib Embong take turns to hold daily morning press briefings at the party’s operations centre located opposite Terengganu’s floating mosque, Masjid Tengku Tengah Zaharah.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat machinery, led by information chief Tian Chua and party strategist Saifuddin Nasution, conduct impromptu press conferences too to highlight various national issues.

Other than this, their activities revolve around going house-to-house (PAS Wanita), visiting the various operation centres and holding meet-the-rakyat sessions in the four state constituencies (Bandar, Ladang, Wakaf Mempelam and Batu Buruk).

At night, though, the city livens up considerably.

In the Chinese quarters of Bandar and Ladang, DAP, MCA and Gerakan have held dinner functions to court the voters. The Chinese form 10.94% of the electorate in P036 (2008 Election Commission figures).

Less than a kilometre away from Kg Cina, Gerakan even held a karaoke competition at Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman last Friday.

MCA, which is more established here compared with DAP and Gerakan, organised a song-and-dance performance near the market at Kg Cina last Saturday.

In between the various programmes, MCA leaders like Dr Ng Yen Yen and deputy Youth leader Dr Mah Hang Soon addressed the 500-odd residents at ceramah.

Less than 100m away, PKR and DAP leaders — led by Tian Chua, Teresa Kok and Nurul Izzah Anwar — spoke at ceramah into the night. But unlike their more organised counterparts, the PR ceramah have no free food nor even chairs for listeners.

Curious residents mill around the area in front of the ceramah lorry, to listen and watch the occasional video clip. Midway through the ceramah a collection box would be passed around the crowd to fund the event.

In the village areas around Wakaf Mempelam and Batu Buruk, PAS and Umno ceramah dominate.

Housed at the various polling stations (KT parliamentary seat has 36 polling stations), Umno leaders like Ezam Mohd Nor and his group of former PKR leaders, Khairy Jamaludin, Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo and Muhamad Muhd Taib share their insights with the electorate.

In the ceramah so far, both sides have kept to their promise not to attack one another’s candidates. So much so, that the candidate seems to have taken a backseat as BN and PR slug it out.

While PR ceramah centres upon the issue of oil royalty, the Monsoon Cup and Crystal Mosque, BN has bandied the subject of local development and PAS’ alleged disloyalty, extremism and inconsistencies.

Terengganu MB Ahmad Said, for instance, points to PAS’ hypocrisy on Umno’s partnership with MCA, MIC and other component parties.

“When we formed the Alliance (1955) with MCA and MIC, they called us infidels but look at their partners now,” said Ahmad in the Terengganu dialect.

He also took pains to remind the crowd of predominantly Umno followers that PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang had hugged DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang when the latter visited Terengganu after the 1999 election.

Ezam, on the other hand, kept most of his ceramah to the question of Anwar (his former mentor) and the secret of the six boxes of alleged corruption evidence by government ministers. Other members of his entourage (former PKR leaders) take turns to belittle their former leader.

At the MCA ceramah, leaders flaunt the hudud issue and the lack of progress for the state during PAS’ rule from 1999 to 2004. They also reminded the KT Chinese that their life here is good compared to their West Coast counterparts and urged them to maintain that goodwill when they cast their ballots on Saturday.

For PR, its ceramah have centred upon the state’s missing oil royalty from 1999 to 2004 and the inability of the current state administration to get a detailed account of the oil royalty spending by the federal government.

In between this, PR leaders allege impropriety in projects like the Islamic Civilisation Park and Monsoon Cup, delve into the state’s poverty index, Umno’s arrogance with its component parties, the Internal Security Act, and other corruption issues.

Popular video clips for PR include a viewing of former Penang Umno Bukit Bendera chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s press conference where his followers tore up a picture of Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

At the PAS ceramah in the villages, the campaign thus far has revolved around Umno being un-Islamic and local issues of oil royalty.

Among the PR’s star attractions are Hadi, Anwar and Kelantan MB Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat. During its first ceramah at Pantai Tanjung, some 12,000 filled the beach to listen to the trio. Subsequent ceramah have not attracted more than 1,000 people.

For BN, other than the night when 2,000 Youth, Wanita and Puteri attended the launch of their by-election machinery on the eve of nomination, the crowds at its ceramah have numbered no more than 150.

The most popular thus far is MB Ahmad Said, who adds a local flavour into his speeches.

Whether you are into karaoke or just want to watch stage performances or listen to serious political discussions or are just eyeing a free meal, there’s something for everyone in Kuala Terengganu.

And while the days in KT seem like a holiday on one of its beautiful islands, the nights burst out with fiery speeches and sing-song functions, courtesy of the by-election.