KT by-election flagged off!

thestar reporters still don’t know how to count numbers in a crowd.

Remember how the 40,000 – 60,000 strong BERSIH crowd on 10-Eleven was then reported by thestar as a crowd of 4,000?

Well, Star online reports today that the BN supporters at the nomination centre numbered 30,000 while the Pakatan supporters were only 15,000.

Strange that thestar reporter had to rely on the estimate of a police spokesman!

Was not the reporter there?

Could not the reporter have taken photographs of both the BN and Pakatan crowds and then try to make his or her own assessment?

Malaysiakini, on the other hand, quotes another media source that also relied on the police who, it seems, now estimated  20,000 PAS supporters and 4,000 BN supporters.

Well the Barisan Rakyat team managed to join the Pakatan crowd this morning and I can tell you that it was not 15,000 as reported by thestar or 20,000 as stated by Malaysiakini.

As we walked, all you could see at both ends of a rather long street was an endless stream of Pakatan supporters.

The numbers were closer to 30,000.

In fact, as we tried to make our way to the nomination centre, we were all caught in a crush and in the final result, had to abort the plan to get to the centre and instead diverted into a lane between wooden houses that were located just before the nomination centre.

As I did in Permatang Pauh, got the help of someone who was higher up in the trees to get a bird’s eye view shot of the Pakatan and the BN crowd.

bird's eye view of the Pakatan supporters

bird's eye view of the BN side of the divide

Since thestar and Malaysiakini are turning to other sources to estimate numbers, I’ll do the same with regard to the BN crowd.

We got info from an UMNO source that their numbers were between 4,000 and 6,000. And most of these were Pekida and Pewaris members who were bussed in.

Yes, the BN crowd was made up of mercenaries.

The same mercenaries, we were told, who made up the numbers on nomination day in Permatang Pauh last August.

It might be that the PDRM team that is presently in KT to ensure peace and order during this by-election, might have outnumbered the BN supporters this morning.

The Pakatan crowd, on the other hand was largely local and, most encouragingly, youth.

Okay, okay, there were also those who were from out of town to support the Pakatan candidate.

makkal sakti from Klang

Veloo from Teluk Intan

more makkal sakti from Klang

my brother from makkal sakti

These two local Pakatan supporters caught my eye.

This pakcik was in a DAP t-shirt, carried a DAP flag and screamed himself hoarse with 'hancurkan BN'

Ismail, with a PAS bandana and a DAP flag

So, its a three-man race.

And as I said earlier, expect MSM to go into overdive in the fibbing department.

Folks, please go into overdrive with our sms campaign.

Later this evening, we are attending a briefing to get a clearer picture of what and how we can do to help the Pakatan candidate.

I end this post with photos of the state of houses in the very heart of this town.