Anwar a hit in Umno stronghold
Pakatan launches its Negri Sembilan election manifesto in Gemas, where the NFC farm is located.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim last night attracted his biggest crowd in Negri Sembilan in recent memory when he launched the Pakatan Rakyat election manifesto for the state.
Estimates put the size of the audience at more than 6,000 people, which was a remarkable number because Gemas is one of the strongest Umno fortresses in the state and the Tampin District Council had torn down hundreds of posters and banners advertising the event.
Before this, no Pakatan Rakyat figure has been able to attract more than 4,000 to an event in Negri Sembilan. The largest crowds before last night were at events in the Pakatan strongholds of Seremban and Rasah.
In his speech, Anwar repeated his challenge to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to an open debate in response to the latter’s oft-repeated remark that Pakatan was making empty promises.
“I tell you again, we will reduce fuel prices the day after we take over Putrajaya,” he told the multiracial crowd.
“In two weeks, we will reduce the electricity tariffs. We will give an ultimatum to the independent power producers to come up with new rates within two weeks.
“We will abolish the highway tolls.
“But Najib says I’m making empty promises. Let us run the government and we’ll show you. If Najib thinks I’m bluffing, let us have an open debate and let the public decide who is bluffing.”
‘Please save the country’
Also at the event were PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, state PAS commissioner Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani, state PKR chairman Kamarul Baharin Abbas and state DAP chairman Loke Siew Fook.
Malays, Chinese and Indians stood shoulder to shoulder listening as Anwar spoke on diverse subjects, ranging from local concerns to his sodomy trial to national issues such as bad governance and systemic corruption.
