Rocket blasts off in Kuching
By Stephanie Sta Maria, Free Malaysia Today
KUCHING: DAP launched its campaign to a roaring start last night where hundreds gathered in an open-air square to listen to the party’s first official ceramah.
Strategically scheduled to start at dinner time, it led many diners who initially hung around out of curiousity, to stay on as familiar faces from the state and across the South China Sea took turns at the microphone.
DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, had the predominantly Chinese crowd eating out of his hand as he spoke on both local and national issues.
Calling the new Barisan Nasional candidates “old wine in new bottles”, he proclaimed that the ultimate test of BN’s sincerity was to ask it whether it backed the resignation of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.
“There is no point in fielding new candidates if Taib remains in power,” he stated.
“The winds of change are blowing in Sarawak. The time has come to fight Taib. He has forced you to kneel down for too long.”
‘From ex-convict to CM’
To underscore the possibility of change after 30 years under Taib, Lim used himself as an example.
“I am an ex-convict,” he told the crowd referring to his 18-month imprisonment on charges of sedition in 1998. “So imagine… an ex-convict is now addressing you as chief minister of Penang.”
As the crowd roared in appreciation, he added, “And I think I’m also the only chief minister present in Sarawak because Taib isn’t holding that position right now.”
He then led the crowd in the first “battle cry for the battle of the century” and the square filled with shouts of “Ubah” (Change), DAP’s campaign tagline.
Pending incumbent and candidate, Violet Yong, spoke of BN’s wily tactics and urged the people to not fall for sweet promises. Just before stepping off the stage, she serenaded the crowd with a Mandarin song asking them to vote for the “rocket” (DAP’s logo).
Puchong MP, Gobind Singh Deo, meanwhile told the crowd that the 2008 tsunami had originated from Sarawak and he believed that this state election would lead to another upset in the next general election.
