The Malaysian Insight

IT was business as usual for Kepala Batas folk despite Bersatu’s 3Ms rolling into town tonight.

Some did not even know about the Jelajah Semarak event at the Seberang Prai Municipal Council Sports Complex in Bertam, where Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir will be speaking. 

Tan, 60, who runs a motorcycle repair shop in the town, said he knew about the event but does not plan to attend. 

He’d rather follow the ceramah live on Facebook or read about it in the newspapers the next day. 

“It is not that I fear trouble like flying chairs. But I don’t want to face the parking and traffic hassles going there. 

“Anyway, all Dr Mahathir will say is they must take down Barisan Nasional. It is the same story over and over again. 

“I can still catch all that sitting at home where there will be no mosquitoes,” he told The Malaysian Insight when met at the shop near a busy cross-junction in Bertam, which is a walking distance from the ceramah venue. 

Nor is he impressed with the “star-studded” line-up. 

“In my opinion, he (Dr Mahathir) should not come here. In Kepala Batas, we have our ‘king’. That’s the same person he named as successor,” he said, referring to former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. 

Pak Lah, as Abdullah is affectionately known, served as prime minister from October 2003 to April 2009. He was Dr Mahathir’s immediate successor. A Kepala Batas boy, he was MP of the parliamentary seat from 1978 to 2013 until he retired from politics. 

“Pak Lah did a lot for the development of Kepala Batas when he was PM,” Tan said. 

Retiree Isa Saad, 62, from Pokok Sena in Tasek Gelugor near Kepala Batas heard about the ceramah but also decided to give it a miss. He was sick of the politicking and hearing both sides of the political divide slamming each other in their speeches. 

“I think I have had enough. They just badmouth the other side. I rather attend religious lectures. 

“In the 1980s, I was interested in politics. I went to BN ceramah and even DAP ceramah. I listened to Lim Kit Siang criticise the government and Dr Mahathir,” he said. 

Now, Dr Mahathir and Lim are on the same team in the opposition. 

“The Chinese would call this ‘hao siao’ (hilarious or ridiculous),” Isa said. 

He was also unimpressed by Dr Mahathir, saying a man who is 92 should call it a day.

“He, too, has his legacies. He mentored (Prime Minister) Najib Razak, so how the student is behaving today is the result of his teachings, right?”

Another Kepala Batas resident, who only gave his name as Ong, 28, said he did not know about the ceramah but he might attend if he had the time. 

He also said he preferred to watch political ceramah online. 

“I have never been to an actual ceramah before. I usually watch them online since they stream such events live on Facebook nowadays. 

“I don’t really follow politics but when I get the chance, I watch ceramah online. I try to catch the BN ones also. We must listen to both sides. But they just scold the other side,” he said when met at a grocery store in Bertam. 

Housewife, Rafeah, 48, from Penaga in Kepala Batas said she also did not know about the ceramah and was not interested to attend. 

She said she has housework to worry about. 

“Whoever is in the government, prices of groceries will still increase. It is just the same. So, I rather not know about ceramah or what the politicians have to say.”

Mechanic Muhammad Fitri Mohd Jifri, 21, said he was too busy trying to make a living to care about ceramah and politics. 

“I am from Pinang Tunggal. People in my area don’t discuss politics much. So, I didn’t hear any talk about the ceramah.”

The youth, who just started working three months ago, is also uninterested to attend tonight’s ceramah. 

“I don’t really care. There are so many things I have to sort out since I just finished my studies. My basic salary is just RM1,100 and I need to think about rent, EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund), the rising cost of living,” he said. 

But Sobri Md Nor, 40, is excited about going to the ceramah. 

He also said he did not know about the ceramah but will attend if he has the time tonight to hear what Dr Mahathir has to say.

“I feel like going to find out more about Bersatu directly. Because they tell you differently on TV. They cut out most parts. 

“I want to hear about current issues and 1MDB,” he said of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal that Dr Mahathir and the opposition have linked Najib with. 

The ceramah will also feature DAP powerhouse Kit Siang and his son, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is also DAP secretary-general. 

Penang Bersatu information chief Yaakob Osman said they are targeting 5,000 people.

He said police have been asked to ensure safety and security throughout the ceramah. 

“We are expecting a mobile police unit and uniformed policemen,” he said. 

Northern Seberang Prai district police chief Azmi Adam said enough personnel would be despatched to monitor the event. 

“We will send enough officers to ensure order,” he said without revealing how many policemen would be standing guard. 

At Dr Mahathir’s last public event – the Nothing to Hide 2.0 forum in Shah Alam last Sunday – flares, chairs, shoes and water bottles were thrown at the stage when was answering the audience. – August 18, 2017.