Beh Lih Yi
Malaysiakini

Penang Barisan Nasional has gone on the defensive after its election slogan ‘Keep Reinventing’ backfired following exploitation by the opposition.

Most of the banners were removed today and replaced with new ones (in Chinese) advising the electorate not to be fooled by its rival DAP as their leaders will ‘disappear’ after being elected.

The BN’s move came after the DAP cheekily erected banners carrying the words ‘Vote DAP’ on each of the white-and-blue ‘Keep Reinventing’ BN banners around the island.

There was also an issue over the slogan’s Mandarin pronunciation, ‘zai zhuan bian’, as it sounds like ‘pian’, or cheating. The entire phrase seems to mean ‘to cheat again’.

BN banners, however, remained at several places where the DAP did not put up the latter’s banner side by side with the ‘Keep Reinventing’ banners.

It is understand that the Penang BN has earlier intended to launch the second election slogan which would loosely mean ‘new opportunity emerges’ if the people vote for ‘Keep Reinventing’.

But it appears this plan has now been called off, fearing the oppositions will exploit the slogan at BN’s expense once again.

Jump into the sea, CM told

In another development, DAP’s Jelutong candidate Jeff Ooi has asked the outgoing Penang chief minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon to ‘jump into the sea’ over the latter’s remark on the state’s economic performance.

Citing a media report, Ooi told a press conference today that Koh had said in the run-up to the 1999 general election that he would ensure the state’s economy perform better than Singapore.

“Are we rivaling with Singapore now, yes or no? If yes, show us the figure. If no, you (Koh) jump into the Penang straits,” Ooi, also a popular blogger, said in Penang today.

He was responding to Koh’s statement yesterday, who has described Ooi’s criticism that the Penang’s economy competitiveness has gone down as “irresponsible and ignorant”.

Koh however did not reveal any latest statistics to rebut Ooi’s claim.

In the press conference today, Ooi reiterated that the world’s largest semiconductor company Intel has planned to reduce its workforce on the island while official statistics showed Penang’s foreign direct investment has dropped from its top position in 1999 to fifth at present.

Issues related to the economy has topped voters’ concern in Penang, which is touted as the hottest state in the March 8 general election where parties will contest for 13 parliamentary seats and 40 state seats.

So, I wrote about the DAP ceramah in SS2 held on Monday night. Apparently, little did I realize, the BN also had a ceramah just about 50m away.

The Sun has the report which I will post it here, and highlighting main points in bold. Highlights of BN ceramah will be in blue while DAP in red.

Intense ‘fight’ for PJ Utara votes

PETALING JAYA (Feb 26, 2008): The fight for Petaling Jaya Utara votes has been unrelenting since nomination, with incumbent Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun pitting her “service record” against the call by DAP’s Tony Pua to put a stronger voice in Parliament.

Her supporters even played a video clip of her recuperating from her car accident last December and rearing to get back to action.

Chew’s plea to her voters was clear in a ceramah in SS2 last night - pasar malam night for the folk there: “I’m on my handphone 24 hours. You can get me anytime.”

Chew, who is seeking re-election for the third time, said this has been her practice since she was elected as MP.

“Once someone called and asked ‘who is there?’, I asked him back ‘to whom do you want to speak to?’” The caller said: “I am looking for YB Chew Mei Fun, are you her PA (personal assistant)? When I told him that I am YB Chew, he would not believe it,” she said to a crowd of about 50 people on a temporary rostrum in a hawker centre.

She said voting for someone who work for the people is more practical than voting for the Opposition which only shouts without doing work.

“We risk our lives by going into disaster areas to help people. What did DAP do? People in the disaster areas have never received even a biscuit from them,” she said in her speech in Mandarin.

At one juncture, when Chew touched on MCA’s contribution to the development of Chinese schools, an unidentified man shouted: “If you are Chinese, you go back to sleep!”

Chew coolly countered: “This is their (DAP’s) attitude, they can say whatever they want but we are not allowed to say things we want.”

The man then shot back at her: “I am an MCA member!”

Chew said in disbelief: “You can say whoever you are.”

Earlier, Chew’s campaign team also played a video clip about the road crash she was involved in last December.

“You could see how she struggled to recover so that she can continue serving the people. Have you seen any MP who is so down to earth, who will go on to the ground to see drains and walk at pasar (market) to understand the people more,” exclaimed her campaign member.

Pua’s ceramah, just 50m from Chew’s, drew about 200 people. His plea was contrasting.

“If you vote me in, judge me not whether I can service your drain and have more tarred roads, but whether I defend the right of Malaysians. If I don’t, please kick me out,” he said to cheers from the ground.

The heat of the ceramah reached its peak when DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang arrived about 11pm.

Kit Siang, in his trademark fiery manner, urged the voters to support DAP’s candidates for a fair and transparent government.

At the sidelines of the two ceramah, Women’s Candidacy Initiatives (WCI)’s “Mak Bedah” moved among the audience to “shop” for real candidates.

Women’s Aid Organisation president Meera Samanther said Pua agreed to endorse their appeal for support of WCI’s causes while Chew requested time for her to consider.

Meera took offence with Petaling Jaya Selatan parliamentary seat incumbent MP Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai for ignoring their request to speak to him.

“This is the second time he asked us to contact him. We are here in front of him, why doesn’t he just talk with us? How are we going to assess your performance if we don’t have the access?” she asked.

Siang Chai was earlier giving a speech at Chew’s ceramah.

Election Campaign in Penang

BN: Keep Reinventing (再转变)

DAP: Keep Reinventing, Vote DAP (再转变，投火箭)

A ceramah was organized by DAP at SS2, Petaling Jaya earlier in the night. A number of leaders gave their speech at the ceramah starting at 8pm. The last 2 speakers in the ceramah were the parliamentary candidate for PJ Utara, Tony Pua Kiam Wee and the Opposition Leader of the previous Parliament session dissolved on 13 February, Lim Kit Siang, who is the DAP adviser and parliamentary candidate for Ipoh Timor.

Lim Kit Siang at the ceramah in SS2

Tony Pua and Lim Kit Siang focuses mainly on economic issue affecting Malaysians as a whole and the need for an MP who dares speak out in Parliament instead of an MP who does the work of local councils - ensuring drains are clean and fixing potholes on roads. They also touch on the brain drain of Malaysian talents who end up contributing their talents to other countries.

Malaysiakini publishes two news items on the launch of manifesto by BN and DAP.

BN’s manifesto carries the theme ‘Security, Peace, Prosperity’ while DAP’s manifesto carries the theme ‘Just Change It’.

A 13-page document which includes a report card of achievements since the 2004 elections and the plan for the next 5 years if given a new mandate are among the contents of the BN’s manifesto launched by the BN chairman, Abdullah Badawi.

Launched by DAP Secretary-General, Lim Guan Eng, who is also the parliamentary candidate for Bagan, the ‘Just Change It’ manifesto outlines 8 points:

1. ensure safer streets and establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)
2. provide better living standard
3. establish a Malaysian-first economic policy
4. provide quality education
5. provide a healthy environment for the future generation
6. provide gender equality and youth empowerment
7. establish a clean government
8. democracy and freedom

The choice is yours, come 8 March.