Pakatan Rakyat Grand Finale Ceramah @ Stadium Petaling Jaya, Kelana Jaya | 4 May 2013

I apologise for this late post. Initially I didn't have the mood to put the pictures up thanks to our country's 'magic show' elections. Once the lights go off, 'magic' happens.

Ever seen an uncle wear PAS merchandise? Well, you've seen one now !

This is one of the first times I've seen Rajiv's more 'aggressive' side on stage. Rajiv won Bukit Gasing with 21,168 votes and a majority of 15,842. He is a very hardworking person. Two hours ago, (at 930 pm!), he stated on facebook - Rushing to assess the situation in seksyen 5 where it is reported that a tree fell on a car.

 Yeo Bee Yin triumphed in Damansara Utama with 37,303 votes and a majority of 30, 689. Shortly after her win, she shared 'Thanks to all Damansara Utama voters for your support. I'll serve this nation and you with great diligence'.

Hannah Yeoh of Subang Jaya retained her constituency of Subang Jaya with 40,36 votes. She had 28,069 more votes than her BN opponent.

 There were not enough chairs for everyone, so most just stood or sat down on the floor /grass for the whole session.

 Wong Chen of PKR won Kelana Jaya with 56, 790 votes and a majority of 28, 827. His trademark 'Harry Potter' style spectacles are here to stay.

 Elizabeth Wong won Bukit Lanjan with a 17,200 majority vote. 25,808 Malaysians voted for her.

 66,268 voted for Sivarasa Rasiah from PKR. He won with a majority of 26, 719 votes.

Tony Pua won the Petaling Jaya Utara parlimentary constituency with 57,407 votes and a majority of 44,672. It is the second largest majority win for the 13th general election.
Sekali lagi, saya dengan penuh rendah hati mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua pengundi Petaling Jaya Utara (PJU) yang telah memberikan sokongan yang cukup tinggi kepada saya dan juga rakan-rakan saya di kawasan negeri Kg Tunku - Lau Weng San dan Damansara Utama - Bee Yin Yeo. Kemenangan majoriti sebanyak 44,672 undi di PJU adalah kedua tinggi seluruh Malaysia untuk kerusi Parlimen dan 30,689 undi di Damansara Utama adalah tertinggi untuk kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri. Sekali lagi, ribuan terima kasih dan semoga kita berjaya mencapai perubahan dalam perjalanan perjuangan yang akan datang!

Gobind Singh did well in Puchong with 62,938 votes and a 32, 802 majority.

At the end of the ceramah, it was estimated that more than 50,000 attended. What an awesome turnout.

Despite failing to conquer Putrajaya, the Pakatan Rakyat candidates of Selangor have much to be thankful for. They prevailed even though Najib pledged to return Selangor to Barisan. I am sure they will do their best to serve the rakyat for the next 5 years.

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Today, Umno's utusan posed the question 'Apa lagi Cina mahu?' (What more do the Chinese want?). I think the question should be rephrased to 'What more do Malaysians want?' By blatantly blaming the political results on a 'chinese tsunami', they are sweeping more serious issues under the carpet - the failure to provide free and fair elections, allegations of corruption, so on and so forth. Furthermore, how could DAP candidates have an overwhelming victory in their constituencies if Chinese voters only constitute less than half of the residents?

I hereby end with a summary from the new york times:
It must be clear to Najib that to woo the Chinese he would have to take more serious steps than participate in the kind of events the National Front's corporate allies held for two Chinese constituencies before the elections -- a performance by South Korean rapper PSY and a dinner with Bond actress Michelle Yeoh.

A disappointing 13th general election

Yesterday afternoon, DAP Petaling Jaya post up a notice on facebook saying that they will be at the ss2 basketball court to follow the election results. I initially thought not many would be coming, but a few hundred people showed up later around 8 pm despite the slight drizzle.

Excitement was in the air when the MC's announced DAP's wins one by one. But alas, we were not prepared for the bittersweet mood later in the evening.

Tony Pua was busy getting updates from a google spreadsheet document about the performance of DAP candidates throughout the country.

Rajiv won Bukit Gasing with a comfortable majority. His win was the first to be announced during the event.

Lau Weng San N35 Kg Tunku: Jumlah pemilih 32007, DAP 19762, BN 6077, Spoilt Vote 203, Unreturned vote 30, Majority 13685.

Admittedly, reports from PKR and PAS were sparse. Those in the crowd who had 3g devices managed to get the latest news from malaysiakini.com

Saudara Rajiv and wife.

A father's love never fades.

My good friend, Jason Lee whom I've known since my college days.

Participants bought DAP merchandise and asked the candidates to autograph them.

The MC congratulates Yeo Bee Yin

A reporter requests Tony to say a few words for the camera.

 Yeo Bee Yin's win is announced. Like the rest, she also won with a comfortable majority.

The candidates disappeared for more than an hour to collect the official documents of their win at the MBPJ Hall. However the mood was getting more somber as the audience knew that despite DAP's fantastic win in Selangor, they cannot take over Putrajaya.

There are many theories circulated regarding why Pakatan could not win the seats in rural areas. Yes, its true that the 'ubah' message has successfully penetrated urban areas, but as for rural folk, they are more conservative and depend heavily on handouts from the government. PKR needs new tactics to reach out to the rural folk.

I noticed no one looking more dejected than Bee Yin. This is her message for today :

Cry Malaysians cry, but only for a short while, there are a lot more things to do to achieve our dreams. For those who have made great effort to go to vote, thank you so much! Your votes might not translate into a change of government for now, but they have surely contributed to a better Malaysia in the future. Only when you voice out, that the government will be vigilant and accountable to you. You deserve better. Your votes in GE13 have also translated into great determination in me to ensure that I will do all I can to ensure Malaysia will one day be free from corruption, abuse of power and racism. We will go forward in unity and good economic progress. Indeed, the journey is longer than expected, but let's don't lose hope, let's continue to believe that when all of us come together, our dreams will come true one day.

The MC did not feel like breaking the bad news, so Tony Pua had to do the honors.

He thanked the DAP supporters for waiting up during the night, and everyone dispersed quietly.

If  'Ini Kalilah' didn't work , then I guess we have to wait 5 more years. I'm sure the 'ubah' spirit will not be diminished that easily.

update: I'm watching ubah.tv now where there is a press conference at the DAP headquarters regarding the inconsistencies in the electoral process.They want to hold the Election Comission responsible for the failure to ensure free and fair elections in Malaysia.