DAP Ceramah that rocks Penang – Crowd estimated between 30K to 50K

You can feel the excitement in the air when the whole neighbourhood start going out at the same time. We took the bike there and many people were walking towards Han Chiang (which is within walking distance from my house as well).

I felt a sense of togetherness when I see people wearing red shirts! It is not often that we come together as a community in this way. What more, it is all voluntary and not bind by any faith or any association uniform. We wear a red shirt because we want to. That’s what make it so heart-warming.

(can you see the distance between the sea of people and the stage? This is only half of the field)

The moment we got on our bike, it started to drizzle and that got me very worried because I took my DSLR along and that baby costs me RM5K there. I cannot afford rain water! But thank God the rain stop after about 15 minutes. I heard many elderly folks said that it is a blessing from heaven.

However, inspite of the rain, people just keep walking towards the venue, ignoring the rain. There are no proper place to sit, it is just one big muddy field but no one cares! It is unbelievable that the fussy folks can just stand, sit or squat in the darkness to do something they believe in. It has to be something big that compelled them to actually put aside all the discomforts, their busyness, their dry and cosy home, watching Astro or shopping in the aircond supermarket. Otherwise, why would all these people bother go out of their way, braving traffic jam, wet field, rain?

I was so in awe that I forget about my main purpose of going. My main purpose was to take photos but I forget all about it because it is the first time I got the chance to hear the ceramah from all the other DAP candidates. Each of them have their own angle of reaching out to us. PKR Datuk Zahrain (name?) was there representing Datuk Seri Wan Azizah (because we heard Datuk Hishamuddin is in Permatang Pauh) and he blended in so well with the crowds who are mostly Chinese.

Chong Eng called for women’s voices and she got an overwhelming response. Lim Guan Eng was funny as usual as he told us about the names that Lim Keng Yaik, Ong Ka Ting and Koh Tsu Koon said about him in the previous night. Many of the other candidates have their own way of getting the crowd to response to them.

But our blogger, Jeff Ooi earned my respect. I have not been to any of his ceramahs in these last 10 days. I had been wondering how Jeff is going to blend into Jelutong which are mostly the lower income people. In fact, as one blogger to another, I do feel worried how is he going to communicate with them. Previously, Karpal Singh was known as the Tiger of Jelutong and it is not easy to live up to Karpal Singh’s charisma and aura.

But our dear Jeff Ooi which every bloggers know, rocks them! The announcement was made in Mandarin and Hokkien (the more articulate one which I have difficulty understanding) and people were already excited about it. The women around me told each other excitedly, “wah, ee holiao lor”. I was expecting some veteran guy or even Karpal Singh. It turns out they are talking about Jeff Ooi!

When it was Jeff, I suddenly feel proud that we have a blogger there. The mention of the blogger make me feel like shouting, “I am a blogger too!” He has lost his voice but he belted out three songs with his guitar. Fuyoh, I didn’t know that Jeff can sing so well! The crowd sang along with him too. I got the video of the whole session and hope to upload it when my line is ok.

Right now, I am blogging with my Celcom line because for some strange reason the Streamyx line at home is dead. (conspiracy?) I cannot upload much photos. Anyway, I didn’t take a lot of pictures because I was mesmerized by the talks.

Now that I see this huge crowd, I get more fidgety. Do I see a streak of light? Am I going to be part of the people who are going to rejoice come 8th March? Or will I be with them, feeling disappointed that all the talks, the fireworks (yes, there are fireworks too), the RM123K collected tonight are not enough to help us realized that dream of seeing a change?

When Guan Eng was talking, I suddenly felt the need to pray. And I prayed to the Heavenly Father to look down on all of us here. Only God knows how each of them think and feel, what hope and wishes are in their minds. I am afraid that I have a life I considered fulfilled and I have no particular needs to ask. I am a satisfied person. But if God knows why these people are there, why they need to be there, then let there be change for the better.

When I see Karpal Singh in his wheelchair and his two arms all weak, too weak to even position the mike, I pray that this man will finally see victory for all the years he had given to his belief. I don’t know what drove him to do what he had done for all those people, getting into ISA for them and etc. But there must be something magnanimous in them, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Karpal Singh, Anwar Ibrahim and all those opposition parties people. They are losers in the political game most of the time but they keep going on and on and on. But they are winners in God’s eyes, I can see it.

So, Lord, gives us wisdom to make the right choice.

Please go to this Malaysian Insider and take a look at the crowd. Speechless, I tell you. Another photo that says a million words is from TV Smith’s My Ceramah is bigger than your ceramah. Malaysiakini full report here.

P/S : I must have missed reading about the EC chairman’s house being inked. LOL, go see the photo on Malaysiakini. Don’t miss the lame excuse he made when questioned by Malaysiakini.