“No Mega Tower” fb campaign reached 113,205 at 8.30 am – 625 in support


(Opposition to the RM50 billion 100-storey Najib Tower in the “No Mega Tower” facebook campaign reached 113,205 people at 8.30 am this morning after breaching the 100,000 mark at 9.20pm last night.

In contrast, the facebook campaign in support of the Najib Tower, “Kami Sokong Menara Warisan”, has collected a miserable
625 supporters.)

Anti-Warisan Merdeka Facebook campaign hits 100,000 mark
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — As at 9.20pm tonight, more than 100,000 in a week have signed on to a Facebook campaign opposing the Najib administration’s Warisan Merdeka skyscraper.

The proposed 100-storey building in the city, has stirred up spontaneous grassroots opposition, moving the issue to the front and centre of current Malaysian politics.

More so impressive is the pace of recruitment — that only seven days ago Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the plan, during his budget speech. It is clear the groundswell opposing it is considerable and now has shaped into a major political minefield for the Barisan Nasional(BN) government.

It began with the Facebook page “1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower” being created anonymously soon after the announcement.

Those who have backed the campaign are ordinary Malaysians who use the popular social networking site.

“Malaysians saying no to the RM5-Billion 100-storey Mega Tower proposed by PM Najib in the 2011 budget. Malaysia needs better education, better health care, better public transportation, safer neighbourhood, cleaner water, but not taller building(s). We don’t need another white elephant! Are you ready for action?

“Announcement to be made when we reach 100,000,” said the administrator of the Facebook page earlier today.

Last Friday, Najib announced Permodalan Nasional Berhad’s (PNB) initiative to complete the RM5 billion construct by 2015.

“A few months ago,some Minister said that the country will be going bankrupt if subsidies are not withdrawn…. so this is why the subsidies were withdrawn… to build another “Mega White Elephant “ project.

“While the people suffer, our leaders are finding more ways to rob the nations depleting wealth !!At this rate in 20…20 Malaysia will become a fully developed Zimbabwe or worse!!” said one of the comments on the page by a Natalie Ho.

Another fan, Kirksman Teo claimed that the government’s push for the building indicated that they had learnt the lesson from their losses in the last general elections.

“A leader once said, the people should not fear the government, the government should. Rightly so.

“Now… Why the devil does the government refuse to listen to the people once again?… Knowing very well that the last time they lost, it was because they didn’t listen,” said Kirksman.

Expectedly, opposition politicians like DAP’s Lim Kit Siang have entered the fray, providing live updates of the growing number of Facebook fans every hour.

The anti-Warisan Merdeka Facebook page has 102,739 fans as at 10.21pm tonight.

In contrast, a pro-Warisan Merdeka fanpage on Facebook has only 244 members as at the same time.

The Najib administration could now be faced with a major hurdle in winning over support for what was supposed to be a symbol and pride for all Malaysians.

  1. #1 by yhsiew on Saturday, 23 October 2010 - 9:13 am

    Wow, BN has already lost 113,205 votes even before GE13 is due!

  2. #2 by Fatty Doc on Saturday, 23 October 2010 - 9:13 am

    If you read carefully all the comments left there, you will realize many of them had actually wanted to click on “UNLIKE” button, but FB only allow us to click the “LIKE” button. Therefore, out of the 625 people who “like”, I think in their bottom of their heart, at least half “dislike” it actually! ;)

  3. #3 by k1980 on Saturday, 23 October 2010 - 11:06 am

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20101022/wl_time/08599202693400

    Hope it will also not become the world’s tallest bird’s nest

  4. #4 by k1980 on Saturday, 23 October 2010 - 11:27 am

    Will the 100-storey Najib Tower be rented out for swiftlet farming?

    http://www.mudah.my/Swiftlet+farm+house-6779929.htm

  5. #5 by Dipoh Bous on Saturday, 23 October 2010 - 2:24 pm

    …that’s a brilliant proposal from the pm ! pls start building it immediately.

    …perhaps that’s the solution to the recent logjam in the rajang recently. Sarawak could send all its trees to facilitate that menara najis. So there would be no more such disaster in future.

    …that giant tower would readily use the electricity from the wonder bakun dam. Sure win-win situation for umno and pbb.

    …now that the rajang river is drying up (thanks to bakun dam), perhaps the proposed road to kapit doesn’t need much money after all. just convert the once mighty river into a highway (lowway?) without much problem (by tar-sealing the dried river bed).

    …our BN gomen is such a genious!

    …HIDUP BARISAN!
    HIDUP BARISAN!
    HIDUP BARISAN!

    …hidup barisan rakyat yang (tak) mengundi BN untuk terus bermaharajalela !!!

  6. #6 by Jamesy on Saturday, 23 October 2010 - 10:26 pm

    Najib competes with Mahathir for the tallest structure in Malaysia? Why not make it the tallest building in the world as Ng Yen Yen quotes “Everybody wants a tallest tower…”

    So what’s the hold back in RM 5 billion only as Yen Yen quotes “…so why should we hold back?” Compete with the best in the world. Pump in more money. Make it “Malaysia Boleh” slogan. Make Malaysian structure the tallest in the world once again. It’s either this or don’t building anything at all.

    Impose more taxes on the rakyat. Don’t forget the GST. Increase more import duties. Make sure the prices of cigarettes, beers, import cars and etc are all time high. Forget about helping the people in need. Forget about education, road repair, clogged drains, high crime, healthcare, and etc, it’s a small sacrifice. After all, Najib said the superb project has a “multiplier effect” on the economy. Look at the bigger picture and on longer term, as Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah has said.

    See you in the coming the 13th General Election. The rakyat will translate your superb project into votes.

  7. #7 by Jamesy on Saturday, 23 October 2010 - 10:40 pm

    Facebook is a new Internet censorship regime in Malaysia. No wonder Malaysia falling from 131 spot last year to 141 spot this year in the latest ranking of 2010 World Press Freedom Index.

  8. #8 by raven77 on Sunday, 24 October 2010 - 12:53 pm

    Tower and Palace story is just factual evidence that Ab Lincoln is wrong…

    You can indeed “fool all the people all the time”

  9. #9 by cemerlang on Monday, 25 October 2010 - 6:56 am

    Tell them what you want the money for. Or else they do not have a clue.

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