http://malaysiakini.com/news/89801
Pakatan supporters not fixated on 916
Fauwaz Aziz and Rahmah Ghazali | Sep 16, 08 1:19pm
For Pakatan Rakyat supporters, Sept 16 has ceased to become a mere deadline for their leader Anwar Ibrahim to make good on a promise to take over the government.
MCPX
“September 16 is not important in itself” said Thiagaran, aged 45, one of the 20,000-strong crowd who attended the Pakatan Rakyat rally on the eve of Malaysia Day last night.
“It is not just an end of what has been happening. It is more the beginning of change for many things!” he insisted.
anti isa sept 16 gathering kelana jaya stadium 160908 14Gauging from the views of others thronging the Kelana Jaya stadium to celebrate Malaysia's formation,‘916' marks the beginning of a movement towards change. On Sept 16, 1963, Sabah and Sarawak became a part of the country.
“Let Anwar promise. We believe in his promises. We have to be optimistic. What’s the problem with giving Pakatan a few years in government? If they do not perform, we kick them out at the next general election! Give them a chance!” said K Jeevan.
Never mind that Anwar's self-imposed deadline has come without even a single crossover from the BN, Pakatan supporters are still convinced it is just a matter of time before it happens.
In his speech last night, the opposition icon - who is still short of 31 parliamentary seats to form a new government - did not make any concrete announcements as many in the crowd had expected him to.
But the mood of jubilance and hope held strong throughout the night.
“What is a delay of a few weeks, or even months, compared to the decades waiting for change at the hands of Barisan?” said another supporter A Mahendran, aged 37.
“Whether it’s ‘9-16' or ‘10-16' or ‘11-16' or even ‘12-16', we believe in him. What’s wrong with that? For 51 years, Barisan Nasional has promised us all kinds of things and all kinds of changes. When Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi promised us in May that the fuel price would not increase, it went up the following month,” Mahendran added.
ISA stands for 'I Simply Arrest'
An elderly man said people believed in the Pakatan because of their frustration with the BN government, which he criticised for heavy-handed actions.
vox populi anti isa sept 16 kelana jaya gathering 160908 01“Consider the Internal Security Act, the Official Secrets Act and the other laws that have been put into place by the Barisan government,” said the Pakatan supporter, who wanted to be identified only as ‘Uncle’.
“You know what ISA actually means? It means ‘I-simply-arrest’! ISA : I-simply-arrest! That’s all it stands for! Isn’t that what they do? They simply arrest you for all kinds of nonsense reasons!” he said in earnestness while others around him laughed.
“Look at these people he has arrested, what have they done really?” he said, pointing to large posters placed around the stadium showing Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, who were both detained last Friday under the ISA.
Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng was also detained, but released 18 hours later.
Sky change
Thiagarajan said Anwar should be given a chance to prove himself.
anti isa sept 16 gathering kelana jaya stadium 160908 16“If Anwar says he will take over the government, we will believe him. People are suffering now,” he said.
The air of exuberance in the stadium and the deafening cheers that broke from the crowd each time a Pakatan leader stressed a point in his speech indicated that optimism was widespread among the crowd.
At one point, they roared “9-1-6! 9-1-6! 9-1-6!” while Anwar looked on from his seat.
When DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang, one of the speakers who promised a 'sky-change', asked: “Do you want ‘916'? Do you want ‘916?”
The crowd lapped it up, roaring back: “Yes!”
Pakatan supporters not fixated on 916
Fauwaz Aziz and Rahmah Ghazali | Sep 16, 08 1:19pm
For Pakatan Rakyat supporters, Sept 16 has ceased to become a mere deadline for their leader Anwar Ibrahim to make good on a promise to take over the government.
MCPX
“September 16 is not important in itself” said Thiagaran, aged 45, one of the 20,000-strong crowd who attended the Pakatan Rakyat rally on the eve of Malaysia Day last night.
“It is not just an end of what has been happening. It is more the beginning of change for many things!” he insisted.
anti isa sept 16 gathering kelana jaya stadium 160908 14Gauging from the views of others thronging the Kelana Jaya stadium to celebrate Malaysia's formation,‘916' marks the beginning of a movement towards change. On Sept 16, 1963, Sabah and Sarawak became a part of the country.
“Let Anwar promise. We believe in his promises. We have to be optimistic. What’s the problem with giving Pakatan a few years in government? If they do not perform, we kick them out at the next general election! Give them a chance!” said K Jeevan.
Never mind that Anwar's self-imposed deadline has come without even a single crossover from the BN, Pakatan supporters are still convinced it is just a matter of time before it happens.
In his speech last night, the opposition icon - who is still short of 31 parliamentary seats to form a new government - did not make any concrete announcements as many in the crowd had expected him to.
But the mood of jubilance and hope held strong throughout the night.
“What is a delay of a few weeks, or even months, compared to the decades waiting for change at the hands of Barisan?” said another supporter A Mahendran, aged 37.
“Whether it’s ‘9-16' or ‘10-16' or ‘11-16' or even ‘12-16', we believe in him. What’s wrong with that? For 51 years, Barisan Nasional has promised us all kinds of things and all kinds of changes. When Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi promised us in May that the fuel price would not increase, it went up the following month,” Mahendran added.
ISA stands for 'I Simply Arrest'
An elderly man said people believed in the Pakatan because of their frustration with the BN government, which he criticised for heavy-handed actions.
vox populi anti isa sept 16 kelana jaya gathering 160908 01“Consider the Internal Security Act, the Official Secrets Act and the other laws that have been put into place by the Barisan government,” said the Pakatan supporter, who wanted to be identified only as ‘Uncle’.
“You know what ISA actually means? It means ‘I-simply-arrest’! ISA : I-simply-arrest! That’s all it stands for! Isn’t that what they do? They simply arrest you for all kinds of nonsense reasons!” he said in earnestness while others around him laughed.
“Look at these people he has arrested, what have they done really?” he said, pointing to large posters placed around the stadium showing Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, who were both detained last Friday under the ISA.
Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng was also detained, but released 18 hours later.
Sky change
Thiagarajan said Anwar should be given a chance to prove himself.
anti isa sept 16 gathering kelana jaya stadium 160908 16“If Anwar says he will take over the government, we will believe him. People are suffering now,” he said.
The air of exuberance in the stadium and the deafening cheers that broke from the crowd each time a Pakatan leader stressed a point in his speech indicated that optimism was widespread among the crowd.
At one point, they roared “9-1-6! 9-1-6! 9-1-6!” while Anwar looked on from his seat.
When DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang, one of the speakers who promised a 'sky-change', asked: “Do you want ‘916'? Do you want ‘916?”
The crowd lapped it up, roaring back: “Yes!”
