Penanti - PKR loses face if wins by less than 1,700

P is for PKR, a party being moulded by opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim.

P is for Pakatan Rakyat, which had better show that its machinery was in tip top form even when Umno-BN is absent.

P is for Penang, the only Malaysian state divided between a huge tract of land on the mainland and a small island which is more prosperous than its mainland brethren.

P is for Penanti, a State seat with 15,384 registered voters where a by-election is being held.

P is for Permatang Pauh, the Parliament constituency where Penanti is, ensuring a victory for PKR.

P is for Prestige, meaning Anwar and PKR must die-die win big. It won by 2,219 in last year's general elections.
A win by a margin of lower than 1,700 - ie 500 LESS than the last time around - will be seen interpreted as a big loss of face for PKR.
Umno-BN can then crow that PKR has lost support, especially since PKR has from day one said they are confident that they can better the 2,219 votes. I don't think so. I hope to be proven wrong because I have PKR friends who worked hard to get a bigger win.

P is for PAS, some of whose members may not turn out to vote today. Reason? Since the bulk of Penang's seats are held by DAP and PKR, many PAS members mutter that they have been left out of even seats in the town councils and JKKK.
Some also quietly complain that DAP-PKR leaders in Penang are saying that this is a DAP-PKR government, not a DAP-PKR-PAS one (There is no exco from PAS). This issue has been swept under the carpet by Pakatan leaders, who all pretend that everyone is happy.

P is for Penat, the Malay word for fatigue, as in voter fatigue. After this, everyone must go to Manek Urai for another democracy game.
The word I got is that Anwar wants to reshuffle his list of ADUNs in the state to put 'stronger' people up there. Some of the ADUNS and MPs are there simply because there were no other names willing to contest last year (if the case of Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne, he was a reluctant candidate). Others, like the two frogs in Perak and the man with the fake masters degree in Penang, were simply 'not good' enough.
 If this info is true, we can expect more 'scandals' to erupt involving PKR guys, followed by resignations of the said elected reps (or in the case of the Kedah former Speaker, total disappearance!), and then followed by more by-elections. Sigh.

P is also for another Malay word, Penakut. Umno-BN is getting the jitters after losing all the way in Peninsula by-elections. Penanti was the first time that BN did not contest a by-e since 1975 in Perak - a 34-year proud history was wiped out. Minus that 1975 record, BN has ALWAYS contested the opposition anytime, anywhere.
I bet you right now that Umno-BN won't win in Manek Urai either because too few things have changed on the ground in Kelantan.
But do note also that Umno-BN has had bad luck even in terms of the elected reps who had passed away - whether in Kuala Terengganu, Bukit Gantang or Manek Urai - all were tough areas for it to fight and win.
As someone said, if an ADUN or MP were to die in a Umno-BN STRONGHOLD - say in Johor or Malacca - then we will see whether PR can really win.
Only then will we see whether voters in that particular constituency, a Umno-BN stronghold, have all ran away too.
Only then should the big-brother coalition feel real scared.
Only then can the opposition tell Umno-BN:

P is for Podah!



GAMBAR HIASAN: Najib - Terminate the opposition, or get terminated. I guess that makes Rosmah Sarah Connor? :-)

I cannot but be thrilled that after Arnie became California Governor, there will still be a new Terminator movie.
The sci-fi buff that I am (how many of you can say he/she has read practically ALL books written by sci-fi masters Isaac Asimov and ALL of Robert Silverberg's Majipoor series?), my other fav movie series include Aliens and Riddick.