Just arrived.
I had travelled to be in Pekan for nomination day on Saturday.
What I saw and hear that day made me felt that
Actually, what I saw on my trip the previous day along the "coastal road" of JB-Kota Tinggi-Mersing-Endau-Rompin-Pekan-Kuantan was the same as on the nomination day.
The party flags hoisted along the route were mostly that of BN, some of Pas and very few of PKR/Pakatan.
It more or less confirmed my belief that Pakatan's presence in the East Coast was very minimal.
Today, I left my friend's house in Kuantan for JB about 9am.
Her house is within the Indra Mahkota parliamentary constituency.
Both Indra Mahkota and Kuantan have been with PKR for the last two terms.
Despite now is the campaigning period, I noticed that the PKR flags were very few to be seen there so far.
The place was mostly covered by the dark blue of BN and some green of Pas.
It's the same along the route to Muadzam Shah.
The PKR/Pakatan flags were actually only seen in number as I was approaching the Segamat town.
Segamat is one of the risky areas for BN in Johor.
Though the BN flags were still in greater number than that of Pakatan's, it's more even there than along my route in Pahang.
I stopped several times from then onwards as I wanted to check how things were at these presumably better contested areas.
One of my stops was in Labis, which I'm quite familiar with.
I spent almost three weeks there during the Tenang by-election in 2012.
I wrote a bit about my experience there in these posts,
The place looks the same as it was back then.
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| Took this picture of Labis town today |
As it was in Segamat, there was a good amount of Pakatan flags and posters around to match those of BN's.
I always remember that by-election as being the best for me because I was there with my dear friends and we did have lots of fun and good experience there.
The BN candidate at that time, Mohd Azahar Ibrahim, also known as Tok Ai is still the assemblyman of Tenang and he would be defending it again this time.
Not bad at all because, the guy, whom everyone thought was blur blur when he was nominated as candidate during the by-election is now the Labis Umno division chief.
Funny when I think back, because it took quite a bit to coax him to contest that by-election. He was actually scared that he may not be capable enough to serve the constituents.
He turned out quite ok, it seems.
The other state seat within the Labis parliamentary constituency is Bekok and the incumbent is DAP's Lim Eng Guan, but this time he was replaced there as his party candidate by Dr S.Ramakrishnan.
The Labis parliamentary seat is currently held by MCA's Chua Tee Yong who in 2013 won it by a razor thin margin of just 353 votes.
Despite that, it appeared that DAP had quite a problem fielding a candidate there.
They tried to get Dr Boo Cheng Hau of Skudai but the guy rather not be fielded at all than to go there. Then they asked cute girl Teo Nie Ching of Kulai but someone told me that she cried like in a Korean drama pleading not to be sent there. Next they sent Gobind of Puchong but after a look around the mostly oil palm estates of Labis, the guy decided he can't stand the place.
In the end DAP had to settle on the relatively unknown Pan Hok Liong to contest against Tee Yong.
I think because of that Labis would be interesting to watch.
I was told that Tee Yong had worked hard on the ground there the past five years. Maybe he has actually managed to swing around especially the Chinese voters there.
Well, let's wait and see.
After Labis, I drove down to Yong Peng, Ayer Hitam, Simpang Renggam, Kulai and all the way to JB.
I didn't get on the North-South Highway and instead drove along the old trunk road to see things better along the way.
In terms of flags and banners, it's more or less the same - more BN's than Pakatan's but the balance was not as bad as along the east coast road and that in Pahang.
But still it's a far cry from those days during the last two general elections.
Maybe now people are focusing more on presence in cyberspace, especially in social media.
Well, don't know lah. I still think the situation on the ground is the best indicator of what's to come.
Maybe I'm wrong.
For now, let's just wait for the outcome on May 9.
I need to rest now. Still tired from the driving.
maybe they dont give a shit about this election
ReplyDeleteso it boils down to who puts up more flags then? How interesting........
ReplyDeleteadoi Bodoh Nasional its NOT battle of flags, its battle for hearts...
ReplyDeletelove Dr M vote Harapan...
BN usually dedak me few 50s for attending their functions, i suspected these dedak is not from BN but stolen by BN from treasury sad
Deletei agree with anon 21:27 BN money cant buy my love & i vote harapan
mee too. Time to change with PH. After 20 yrs of voting BN, now I am vomitted with the mention of BN @ si Klepto guy.
DeleteAs for me, GE14 will be the first time ever I vote againts BN. All bcoz of Tun factor.
DeleteLets face it, Tun has laid down reasons why BN is no longer usefull for the rakyat.
Only dedakian will vote for BN though I doubt they still love BN. Tq
ReplyDeleteLet's BN placed their flags everywhere ,in fact BN flags was everywhere one weak before the nomination day, but they are not against any law .
Annie , if BN would win this GE 14, they deserved it ,because they have more flags ,but people also know BN have more money then any other party.
My "harapan" is just to see the government change , I hope people of Johore and others has set their minds ,and they will vote wisely .
The flags cannot vote but it can serve as a morale booster to the party supporters.
ReplyDeleteFinancially BN is better prepared.Hopefully it will translate into votes.
Prof Kangkung
DeleteKangkong,
What morale booster you are talking about , the voters are not kids ,that to be boost their morale . They are the one who feel the pinch and burden of life under the present admin,as lufang used to say 'mau makan ikan kembong sutak manyak mahat maa aa '.
Maybe you are the type could boost by 1 pack of rice and kain pelikat ,that why Malaysia in such it's present state .
BN has lost its moral compass!
DeleteMalulah penyokong BN..penyokong kleptocracy (govt of thieves) and kakistocracy (govt by the worst).
Playing dirty all along. Really no moral. Kalau tak tipu memang dah bungkus.
Greedy, corrupt, power crazy. Enough is enough!!
Sebab2 sokong umno&bn
Delete-mak bapak sokong umno
-takut sangat cina perintah malaysia (padahal dah kena kencing pihak2 atasan)
-memang dah dendam dengan pembangkang
-tak kaji betul2 dua2 pihak dengan adil kalau kaji pun, kaji untuk cari salah pembangkang
-hidup mau enjoy saja tanpa fikir akhirat (untuk yang muslim dan percaya akhirat sahaja)
-takut kalau sokong pembangkang tak dapat brim lagi yang nilainya memang boleh beli seluruh planet
-takut sangat perubahan yang kononnya lagi buruk dari sekarang yang digempar gempur padahal belum tahu lagi
-memang bodoh degil tak mahu kaji (ini memang susah nak ubat, baik campak lombong sebab menyusahkan diri sendiri dan orang sekeliling )
Hi Annie,
ReplyDeleteWhy this obsession with flags ?
Observing the presence of flags while driving along BN paved roads and concluding the popularity and mood of the electorate is self indulgence, to say the least.
The opposition parties have been effectively choked of financial support. TDM has revealed how financiers of PH have had their houses and businesses cluttered by the tax men.
PH never had a smooth ride to prepare election materials and other related paraphernalia with the clumsy and drunken type behaviour of the EC and ROS. Such ever changing behaviour was evidenced before and a few days after Parliament was dissolved.
And now EC officers have endeared themselves with monkeys in climbing up billboards armed with scissors to cut the image of a personality that was and is more popular globally than the Chinese communist party head.
Did not realise that to become an EC staff one has to have the ability to climb billboards and hoardings.
Moreover, your favourite party was readily helped by the mainland Chinese flag,bunting and billboard manufacturers and their finished products were shipped to our ports way,way ahead of the announcement of our election dates.
With all the above constraints, your compulsive obsession with flags and other signatures of PH readiness for the pending elections is truly off tangent.
It would require unbelievable lack of intelligence or determined denial to not understand what the general populace so collectively wants for this election.It seems to me Annie has achieved that distinction with amazing ease by attending nomination centre activities and flag watching drives.
Cheers
Rasta Rules.
Pakatan finish their money print red pakatan flag cannot use
ReplyDeleteanother stupid campaigning by Bodoh Nasional (whoelse lol) always claiming thousands of Harapan defecting & joining BN sigh
ReplyDeleteBN cant see the forest for the trees wakakaka
Maybe we should count the number of flags.
ReplyDeleteThe highest number of flags win.
How's that?
How about the number of rakyat who turn out at ceramah.?
The number of rakyat turn out at ceramah vs the number of flags.
Which is better?
Hey Annie,
ReplyDeleteTalking about flags and banner.
How come, BN banner got printed mark, made in China ?
I thought last time, BN supporter said "Apa lagi cina mahu"?
Why BN cannot even print the flags using local resource?
DeleteWa tak tau leaa aa, itu bendela manyak penting lalam ini undi maa aa .
Lagi manyak bendela lagi manyak pusing maa aa .
Annie, 2 past world events made me think that pakatan can still win it.
ReplyDelete1. Donald winning the presidency. All the indications predicticted he was going to lose.
2. Brexit.
You never know. Especially when there are too many issues out there still unresolved.
By having more flags BN will win GE14, BN bloggers are so Bodoh Nasional, btw the following issues which will define GE14:-
ReplyDelete1. who killed altantuya?
2. who songlap 1mdb?
3. who dedak jho low?
4. who fail dah?
5. who Barang Naik (higher cost of living)?
6. who GST?
7. who make ringgit so banana?
8. who destroy rakyat aspiration for 2020? etc
Answers: MO1 and/or BN right ptui
Warning: these issues will topple MO1 and/or BN right wink
Annie, some people just do not understand that when people care about you they want to show it in any way they can. If you have been around as long as I am, it gives you some kind of warmth and comfort when you see flags you care about fly around. No candidate can meet all his/her supporters but by putting up the flags, they make their presence felt anywhere. If you supported ph do you think you want them to show they care any way you can. I have no problem in giving my support to my candidates because they do not come only election time, they are around all the time, waktu kita susah dan senang. Although my candidates are definitely going to win, they still put up flags to show us they are there in spirit.
ReplyDeleteSure. Like the stink of the 1mdb scandal provides us warmth and comforth. Perhaps 1mdb should fly it's flag nationwide?
DeleteThis election is about who gets to put up more flags? Seriously?! Anyway , I think they are an eyesore, esp the blue ones that spout up when they were not supposed to.
ReplyDeleteThis election is about how you apply two sets of laws in one nation. One for the ordinary folks and another for those who think they're in charge
bersama BN hebatkan MO1, jho low & riza aziz (the wolves of 1mdb) - a truer version
ReplyDeletePS annies blog will never discuss & debate this kind of issue unlike waving more BN flags to win GE14 sigh
Aku mahasiswa zaman Mahathir. Belum grad lagi GLC dah panggil interview. MNC panggil interview. Boleh pilih yang mana satu nak. Bila dah kerja, siap boleh jump company lagi. Tak takut nak jump company pasal job masa tu banyak. Begitulah NIKMATNYA membesar dan menjadi dewasa zaman Mahathir.
ReplyDeleteBanding dengan sekarang jangan harap la. Segulung ijazah belum tentu dapat kerja bagus. Masuk sem akhir dah risau nak kerja apa. 3 pointer dengan course kritikal pun belum dapat kerja cepat. Yang ambil course sains sosial lagi la.
Banyak yang menganggur bertahun-tahun. Ada yang buat grabcar cari duit poket. Ada yang waiting tables dekat restoran-restoran F&B. Sekarang dah tak kisah kerja apa. Semua sapu. Untuk teruskan kehidupan dalam ekonomi sekarang.
Yang dapat kerja, gaji pulak ciput. Company banyak kecil-kecil sekarang. Susah nak jumpa yang besar. Tak untung mana. Tak boleh nak bayar gaji besar. Terima jer la asal ada pekerjaan. Pasal tak nak beban mak ayah lagi. Dah besar panjang.
tak usah temberang lah senang dapat keje. den menganggur selepas graduated thn 1980an. cari keje sana sini. den graduan luar negara pulak tu. cuma dapek keje sementara saje. bila madey pegged ringgit, tak do pelabor masuk lopeh tu cakap bosa dia boleh selesai masaalah.
Delete
Delete8.25, apo yang kau belaja kek obersi, apo bidang kau, apo kelulusan kau. Tak dapek kojo tu mungkin kelulusan kau tu tak releven ngan kojo yang kau mintak. Atau pun interbiu kau hanyut, atau penguasaan bahso Inggeris kau ghuyup.
Apo pun, joki kau memang takdo.
Den pun blaja obersi gak, tak do masalah dapek kojo doh. Gitu gak ngan member-member lain yang blaja obersi maso tu.
Annie ...
ReplyDeleteThe number of flags flying can be quite misleading . At certain time the place can be full of flags . The next day it is gone n replace with other flags .
But as indicator too ... check out the number of 'station' nearby. If the place has many supporter they will set up a 'station' to show their strength.
I'm seing it here in Nismillan .
Tok Mat can sleep well .
Waghih.
If I were Nogori folks, there’s no way I can’t sleep well. Everytime I wanted to close my eyes, images of Dr. Setraram being roughed up by officials and denied access to submit his nomination papers conjure up in my mind.
DeleteHe had being at the place since 8.00 in the morning but still couldn’t pass through and get in. By the time he was allowed, it’s already 10.03 a.m. and was flatly rejected.
What a gross injustice. Very heartbreaking. It’s a like watching you kids in grave danger but being denied to do something about it.
Selama ini pun memang bendera BN yg banyak dan keputusannya memang BN yg menang,kan,kan,kan..
ReplyDelete