GE13: Blatant money politics in Penang might backfire against BN

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On May 4, 2013

Penang – here is how the voters in the state decided in the 12th General Election held on March 8, 2008

(fz.com) – “Duit masuk poket, undi bagi Roket”

Try as they might to blatantly sway Penang voters through indirect money politics, Barisan Nasional (BN) has practically lost all hope in regaining one of the nation’s richest and most-developed states.

Caretaker chief minister Lim Guan Eng’s ability to draw more than 100,000 Penangites, regardless of creed or colour, to the Esplanade yesterday is a testament to the Penangite mindset, which embodies Lim’s words of: “Duit masuk poket, undi bagi Roket” (Money in the pocket, vote for the Rocket).

The chants of “Ubah! Ini Kalilah!” reverberated throughout the area, even as the crowd were slowly making their wa towards the field.

By 8.30 last night, traffic near ther Esplanade was already at a near standstill with cars parked haphazardly along all access roads and pedestrians in their thousands streaming like an endless river to see their “Tokong” (Lim).

Speaking to fz.com yesterday, DAP’s Bukit Bendera parliamentary candidate Zairil Khir Johari believed that through indirect means, BN has pumped in an “obscene” amount of money to retake that particular constituency and also Lim’s Air Putih state seat.

“I didn’t receive a lot of response during my ceramah the night before (May 2) because nearby there were handing out RM500 to whoever attended the function. My supporters told me that they also said that if BN wins, another RM1,500 will be waiting for them.

“I think they want to wipe out Lim Guan Eng at all cost,” Zairil alleged.

He voiced his worry, hoping that his constituents will not be blinded by short term cash gain and will think of the long run.

James Chin, political science professor at Monash University Malaysia, quickly assuaged Zairil’s fears saying that Penang will remain firmly in the grips of the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government.

“Penang island voters are devious. You have to remember, in the 1970s they were the ones who invented the split votes, where they voted BN for state and the Opposition for Parliament. They will take your money but they will not vote for you,” said Chin.