Pakatan Rakyat Dinner in Bidor

I attended the Pakatan Rakyat dinner today with my uncle and aunts who were staunch supporters of Pakatan Rakyat and big fans of YB Nizar, YB Nga Kor Ming and YB Gobind Singh Deo. This was my 3rd political ceramah in one month ever since touching down in Malaysia from the UK. This dinner is to celebrate the victory of Pakatan Rakyat in Bukit Gantang.

The ticket was already ‘booked’ exclusively by my uncle 2 weeks before the event, and guess what, we are the early birds who booked the tickets. They cost RM30 each, with around 8 courses of meal per table.

I was late there and reached the hall around 7.30pm, but the real big guns haven’t actually started their speech yet. Nizar is no where to be seen until the MC informed us that Nizar and his PAS delegates will arrive shortly around 9pm, which is understandable – after their Maghrib and Isyak prayers. There were around 8-10 tables allocated for PAS delegates right at the front (I was seated at the mid-left wing, by the side entrance). Beside them is the catering team catered for halal tables for the PAS delegates.

Less than 10 minutes after I was seated the guest speaker, a local DAP branch guy was murmuring something in Hakka and start singing a Chinese folk oldie. His voice is so horrendous and out-of-tune, nearly cracked our auricles. My aunt was showing signs of disgust – ‘boh hor tia’ she said in Hokkien, and stared elsewhere waiting for food to be served. I took some shots of the surroundings, and from my observation I can tell that 80% of them are elderly where 70% are Chinese folks, 20% are Indian folks and 10% of Malay folks. I did catch a glimpse of some few young ‘enthusiastic’ chaps with their parents and some pretty lasses too; also accompanied by their parents. It was cool to see young peeps showing interest in politics.

Sivanesan took the mic after that disgusting self-gratifying karaoke session from that Hakka speaking guy. Sivanesan’s content is all about lambasting MIC and Tun M profusely. He touched on issues about the local development in his DUN and the benefits that PR has bring to the people of Batang Padang. He was expressing hope that in the next GE, Batang Padang will be conquered entirely by Pakatan Rakyat.
(Note: DUN Sungkai is situated right in the middle of Batang Padang district, sandwiched between 2 portions of Barisan Nasional stronghold in the north – Chenderiang DUN (MCA – Mah Hang Soon), Air Kuning DUN (UMNO – Dato Samsudin Abu Hassan), Tapah Parliamentary (MIC – Datuk M.Saravanan) and south – Behrang DUN (IND – Jamaluddin Md Radzi), Slim DUN (Dato’ Mohd Khusairi Abd Talib) and Tanjung Malim Parliamentary (MCA – Datuk Ong Ka Chuan)).

Then came Jenice Lee, a non-Perakian state assemblywoman who represent Teratai constituency in Selangor. This petite sweet looking YB is one of the most ‘sought-after’ YB’s in every ceramah full of, old Chinese apeks. Her speech was about Hee Yit Foong, the mother queen of frog who became BN-friendly all because of the moolahs. She concentrated on talks about DAP betrayers such as Hee Yit Foong and the unethical wrong doings about jumping ship. Her oratory in Cantonese can make you feel as if you are listening to a political campaign in Kowloon or Tsim Sha Sui. Her BM was so-so as one can easily guess, she is a product of SMJKC or SRJKC vernaculars.

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Nizar then made his way to the stage accompanied by the PR flag-bearers. He received a thunderous standing ovation by the floor supporters in the hall. Nizar took over from the sweet Jenice and start of his speech as if he is campaigning again for Bukit Gantang; very powerful and charismatic speech. he really won the hearts and minds of the apeks making them stand and clap whenever he touch ‘touchy’ issues about the Chinese discontentment. The rest of the contents are more or less the same just like all his other ceramahs that I have seen via Youtube. He left very briefly after 15 minutes on stage and he was ushered out because he had to make his way home to rest early as he was invited for the palace ceremony on the 19th in conjunction of Sultan Perak’s birthday next day.

Gobind, another powerful orator came on centre stage. Mimicking Sivanesan, he too lambasted Samy Vellu and MIC like no tomorrow. He briefed and updated the audience about his suspension in parliament and dissed the house speaker, Pandikar Amin. He relate his ordeal caused by the house speaker to Sivakumar’s ordeal as the Perak speaker who constantly being harassed and insubordinated. He vowed to fight prior to his return to parliament and he is making a decision to sue to the speaker too. He is well received by Sikh supporters on the floor who looked up at him as an inspirational Sikh figure.

During this time, Jenice Lee in her blue PKR-like saree start to walk around tables collecting donations. Her aura was a winner when old apeks flirted, smiled and egoistically display their ‘show of force’ in front of her with their thick fat wallets throwing in hard cash in the box. Her smile charmed everyone, and from what I can see, almost none of the guest were spared in giving in to her little ‘cookie jar’. Almost everyone donated something, at least something. Someone even donated a £50 note. Such show off huh. When she approached my table, my uncles flirted too and just like the other apeks, he and his buddy flashed their wallets and throwing in cash making Jenice giggle and blush at the same time. I was busy with my DSLR taking the moment via my lens. It worked so well that I manage to get a winning shot out of many shots.

Nga Kor Ming’s turn was the most anticipated. He is the superstar that evening only come second after Nizar. His speech was filled with alot of jokes and laughter mimicking the idiotic rites of every BN man who contributed to the downfall of Perak state. He lambasted ultra-nationalist NGO groups linked to UMNO who tried to drag him to court for using Quranic verses. He told the audience who are majority Chinese not to fear voting for PAS in the future as they will never circumcise anyone of us. They are not going to ban Tiger beer and bak kut teh’s too.

It was nearly 10pm when guests started leaving. Wong Kah Woh, Canning assemblymen took the stage after some unknown Bidor branch PAS guy gave his short speech. Many who decided to leave earlier stayed for awhile as their local town boy has got something to say. He talked about how his PAC committee is freezing the illegal MB and exco’s salary. Around 10.30 sharp the ceremony ended with everyone making their way out.

Overall the dinner is a blast. This was record breaking as previous dinners hosted only 80 tables, but this time is 120 tables with over 1200 guests.