Left home early and arrived at Sek. Men. Teknik Sg. Petani around 7.20 a.m. The first thing I noticed is the huge presence of police. There must be at least 70 police vehicles of all kinds. I tried to walk into the school, but a policeman told me politely that the supporters will not be allowed into the school compound. We are only allowed to gather on the two roads leading to the schools. What caught my attention is the presence of the K-9 unit of the police. What on earth do they need the dogs for? Criminals on the loose??? You all know where the real crooks are!!
FRU trucks at school entrance
K-9 unit vehicle
Then went over to Pakatan supporters meeting point. The crowd was big with more coming in. PKR candidate S. Manikumar was there mingling with the crowd.
PKR candidate S. Manikumar with YB Azmin Ali
The operations room of independent candidate L. Sarala was nearby. They served free breakfast, but no one approached the operations center to get the food. Take a look at the pic below. Only a mad man will vote for her. Given her eerie similarity to Rosmah. You all know which Rosmah right!!!
The Pakatan supporters then moved along the road to their designated spot. The road was blocked about 80 meters from the school entrance by the police complete with barbed wire.
Unlike in Permatang Pauh, the supporters were not allowed into the school field. Only the candidates and a few supporters were allowed after this point. The two roads for BN and Pakatan supporters are separated by a plot of land with thick vegetation. The supporters kept coming in and the crowd got too big for the narrow road. The supporters had to move into the secondary forest. At its height, the Pakatan supporters would have been around 30,000 to 40,000. The pics below was taken from the top of a van.
Crowd to my left
Crowd to my right
Crowd in the secondary forest right in front of me
The number of BN supporters that we saw walking on the second road was so scarce that I think the policemen on duty in Bukit Selambau would’ve outnumbered them.
A line of FRU stood in the secondary forest preventing Pakatan supporters from getting to the other side. I could not get to their side to take pictures because of this.
Entertainment for Pakatan supporters was provided by a lion dance troupe and the Indian “Urumi Melam” group. The Indian drummers were wearing Pas T-Shirts. The crowd enjoyed their performance and kept demanding for more.
Finally around 12.15 p.m, the EC announced the candidates for Bukit Selambau. A Malaysian record is set in Bukit Selambau with a total of 15 candidates as the list below:
1. S. Manikumar (Parti Keadilan Rakyat)
2. Datuk S. Ganesan (Barisan Nasional)
3. Husaini Yaakob (Bebas)
4. T. Chandrarajan (Bebas)
5. Mejar (B) Anuar Abd. Hamid (Bebas)
6. M. Venason (Bebas)
7. Abdul Rahim Abu (Bebas)
8. S. Moganakumar (Bebas)
9. Mohd. Fazil Abd. Wahab (Bebas)
10. Radzi Md. Lazim (Bebas)
11. R. Loganathan (Bebas)
12. L. Sarala (Bebas)
13. A. Jayagopal (Bebas)
14. Tan Hock Huat (Bebas)
15. Khamis Awang (Bebas)
The independents made up of 6 Malays, 6 Indians and 1 Chinese would most probably have been planted by BN as spoilers. I asked one of Sarala’s supporters who she will vote for? Her answer is for Pakatan!!! My puzzled look extracted further explanation. She’s standing there because she was promised RM 80.00 to be there. For the poor in Bkt. Selambau who may earn as low as RM 300/month, that RM 80 is sure a big amount for a few hours work of standing around doing nothing. Free food is an added bonus. I just hope she gets the money. Hmm… is Sarala so rich that she can actually provide free breakfast and money for her supporters?
Take a look at some Independent supporters:
Chandrajan’s supporters. (Yeap that’s all of them actually)
The People's Parliament 
M.Kate
March 30, 2009
Haris, these are unbelievable pictures..just look at the Pakatan people. They were not paid or promised anything, and yet, they came in full support. I am proud of them, can’t say much about the others. People power it is.
Joebuddy
March 30, 2009
Please forgive them. It will be interesting if the local candidates lose their deposit money because they receive ZEROOOOOOO vote. Meani9ng they too vote for Pakatan.
brown
March 30, 2009
1 out of 3 is in the hand. that is how I feeeel for people power. Oh God please help the people to decide wisely for a better future for all Malaysians …. not Malays, Chinese, Indians, Dayaks or Kadazanduzuns but for ALL MALAYSIANS!
Datuk
March 30, 2009
The photos showing PKR supporters reminds me of Gladiator, the movie.
samsaimon
March 30, 2009
Hope people’s conscience and believe are on our side. We have to bury BN for good.
LKO
March 30, 2009
M.Kate said:
“…just look at the Pakatan people. They were not paid or promised anything, …”
That’s wrong, Pakatan did promise. They promised a fair Government. A Government tha put’s people’s interests before their own pocket. A Government that is transparent. So many more.
In short A Government for The People!
lanwm
March 30, 2009
15 standing as Bebas is way to much!
The Whisperer
March 30, 2009
Well done, Viveg!!
I thought for awhile that you are going to be my roommate again.
Shucks! They decided to keep you there after KT.
Wonder why???
hanisma
March 30, 2009
Sarala, are you dreaming of becoming the first lady Prime Minister of Malaysia? Fat hope! But it is not impossible if Rosmah chose you to be her maid-in-waiting soon. I think, that’s the best you can do for Malaysia.
galadriel
March 30, 2009
So am I. I don’t think the people have forgotten the real issue. Thank God for that. Thanks Viveg, for reporting.
Thanks Harris for telling us this fact.
hamderhak
March 30, 2009
Really proud of the PR solidarity. Now is the time for the rakyat to show BN the boot. With 50 years of oppression and the recent cases of death under detention, massive corruption and all the ills under BN adminstration, I do not think anyone in his right mind will support BN.
Vote PKR .
Tan
March 30, 2009
I sincerely hope that the result on 407 is as thunderous as this. This is to prove that PR is not flash of a pan but are there to serve the rakyat.
Simon
March 30, 2009
Daulat Tuanku. Hidup Demokrasi. Hidup Malaysia. Malaysia Boleh.
whatever the result, at least democracy lives, our last bastion.
Antares
March 30, 2009
I don’t know any of the candidates for Bukit Selambau so it makes no difference to me who wins so long as it’s Pakatan Rakyat. Not sure I understand the flap amongst the Hindraf faction & other PKR members that erupted from Anwar’s choosing S Manikumar over other potential names. Not being privy to Anwar’s thinking, I can only place my hopes in Anwar’s vast experience in politics. Ultimately, in any election, there will be a few tough decisions to make regarding who gets to stand and who doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a matter of luck. Nobody knew Nizar Jamaluddin and what to expect of the man – until he was appointed Perak MB and began to shine within his first week in office. Now everyone is saying the guy is PM material – and indeed we have Najib to thank for precipitating a crisis in the state and bringing out the heroism in the Pakatan ADUNs & MB! That’s the best thing that’s emerged from the Perak crisis – we can see who the real heroes are & who the worms (all from BN of course)!
The Mafia
March 30, 2009
As long as BN showed their mean, unlawful, injustice,unfair, discrimination, corrupt, cover-up tactics, they will NEVER WIN THE HEARTS OF Malaysians nationwide. Tun M did a nasty thing last minute to get mukriz into youth chief by playing d racial card. This is to show how umNO people behave…w no sense of integrity..say thing do another..reminds me of hadi awang of pas who goes behind pakatan partners and cucuk and try to take opportunity…good think nik aziz is around.he has respect of malaysian of all races. If not careful hadi awang may destroy pakatan rakyat without him realising it.
JImbeem
March 30, 2009
God save the PR supporters and trash the UMNO BN monkeys
mat t
March 30, 2009
Keep up the good work bro n god bless.
HB Lim
March 30, 2009
Free breakfast
Is that allowed?
queenie
March 30, 2009
ayoh, and their big boss just promised `change’ and `no money politics’ just to wank up the rhetoric. hope the selambau ppl take the moolah but vote right, better in their pockets than in the robbers’.
StevenO
March 31, 2009
Just proved how much respect UMNo have for the ordinary people. Even in such desperate moment they can’t resist insulting the voters’ intelligence.
13 calon bebas. How on earth can you find that many morons if not being sponsor by some big shot with money to burn?
TQBANG
March 31, 2009
THE MONEY COMES FROM MAIKA FUND LA, SEMI VALUE AND VEL PARIAH`S GOON LA SARALA. WHAT SHE GOT PRINTING PRESS AT HOME KA. HIDUP RAKYAT… HIDUP PAKATAN RAKYAT.