Pakatan’s grand finale draws thousands
By Rahmah Ghazali and Stephanie Sta Maria, Free Malaysia Today
FULL REPORT KUALA KUBU BARU: Pakatan Rakyat’s “grand finale” ceramah at the Kuala Kubu Baru stadium tonight drew close to 15,000 people.
The overflowing crowd at the “mini” stadium is said to have caused concern in the Barisan Nasional camp but some claim that the fears are baseless because most them were outsiders.
Hundreds also made a beeline outside the stadium, hoping to catch a glimpse of the opposition stalwarts.
When PKR candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election Zaid Ibrahim arrived, he was greeted with rapturous cheer and chants of “Reformasi” and “Undi Zaid Ibrahim”.
The crowd also went wild when PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat made an appearance.
PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim, who was caught in a traffic snarl, caused a stir when he arrived riding pillion on a motorcycle.
This was the opposition coalition’s final assault, with campaigning drawing to an end at the stroke of midnight.
When a police helicopter hovered above the stadium, DAP supremo Karpal Singh had the crowd in stitches when he quipped, “Rosmah is inside (the helicopter).”
Rosmah Mansor is the wife of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the people needed a representative who would hear their voices, work with them and give them hope.
“If (Barisan Nasional candidate P) Kamalanathan is elected into Parliament, he would not have the guts to stand up against Najib,” he added.
