Monday, July 13, 2009

anyone for a "fisherman's friend" ?

What can I say after all the numerous ceremahs I've attended in previous by-elections.....guess this is the best looking stage I've seen so far....hmmmm ! most times the speakers had to climb on different levelled stacked chairs and bottle crates that substitute a stair-case to the back of a lorry to speak...amid the noisy drone of an old diesel generator......hmmm....! Can't they just have it in a posh hotel or a "dewan"....like everyone else ?
....and the heavy-weights of the PR coalition were there to add some "ooomph !" to the so-called "mother-of-all-ceremahs"...the ceremah perdana......
...a section of the eager and curious crowd that settled themselves on mats and slippers on a damp ground......

...to hear Abe (pronounced Ahh Beh-in kelante'-speak) the "fisherman" who's got his heart in the right place.....close to the community he grew up with ! This big and gentle fella' spoke and kept his speech short....and did not mince his words....to the loud approving chants of "Takbir...takbir...takbir" and left the stage to meet the shaking-hands with the people on the ground.....as the already warmed-up crowd took up positions to listen to the much awaited speakers to come on.....

another section of the crowd.....see that little kid asleep on mummy's lap ? Has he got to go to school tomorrow ? What does the future holds for him or is it her ?

and then the newly "Abe-bestowed" 'datuk', Uncle Kit took to the mike and the fiery speeches on national issues began.....1Malaysia's, 11:11am "goodies" and of course his pet rib, the PKFZ mega-scandal ! The crowd by now was wanting more and more juicy and illicit details.....as some adventurous individuals were hollering and punctuating favorite words, echoing him.....

every now and then I had to zoom in on the crowd to break the monotony to see the expression on the faces of the crowd.....only to be greeted by a sea of "kopias".....

hmmm...what's this and whose feet do you think these are ?......surely you'd expect some imported brand like Bally or Ferrogamo....but plain sandals for a PM-in-waiting, yes ?

... but this section of the crowd were even better dressed in batik and suits...almost in their "Sunday" best !

...and the rest of the sandled-feet.....Anwar came on with his ever eloquent speech, starting with some "kelante' jokes ( it still sounded greek to me anyways !) that had the crowd cheering with thunderous claps and ....hungrily demanding for more. He spoke longest as the spell-bound crowd refused to budge.....eating out of his hands on issues from UMNO's "khianat orang melayu' to corruption and oil royalties of the simple Kelantanese people with the crowd responding by interjecting with jeers of "UMNO jahat", "Takbir"...and "Allahu Akhbar".

by the time this frail and turbaned man came on......Manik Urai was won ! The star of the evening....spiritual leader of PAS, Nik Aziz....calm and collected at first, under a zinc-roof and on a make-shift stage, was slowly building up the momentum in his speech to an almost crazy frenzy as he got louder and more vocal to the urging appreciation of a cheerful crowd....

.....as I slowly snaked in darkness, trying desperately to avoid stepping on people's feet or mats apologising, but only got friendly "no problem" waves and smiles from these simple folks.

and by the time I reached the road after 25 minutes from the stage area, I was greeted with more "kopiad" people on the road, I was soaked in sweat and clutching to my sling-bag, the crowd still refused to budge......it was a hot July night around midnight.....and I was certain the crowd here in Kampong Sg. Peria had endorsed their choice of candidate !
*for more up-dates go here and here

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

telling their favorite words to everybody...
hoping they'r not lyng after ceremah..




lgdp

Unknown said...

haha the replacement killer! BRB never short of people no matter where and when.
Keep the fishes a swimming for the fishermen.

Henley said...

yeah yeah..the fisherman, fishermonger ... whatever..never belittle them!!! Remember the "LOUSY COOK" in the film UNDERSIEGED starring Steven Seagal. REMEMBER!!!
This local film is MU ..remember the "lowly educated fishmonger" role played by uprising star ABE UJI!! Let's send those BN goons out to sea and let them swim back to shore..that is if they can make it..lolz