— Sakmongkol AK47 The Malaysian Insider Jan 16, 2012
JAN 16 — If the crowd at the Rapat Rakyat yesterday night in sleepy Gemas is an indication, Negri Sembilan will fall to the opposition at the next GE. It does not matter whether the elections are held in the next few months or later nearer a full five-year term. It will not make any difference on the outcome of the elections — Barisan Nasional will suffer massive losses and lose its mandate.
Those politically untutored, of course, will chide others who are wishing for an earlier election date. Usually those who are pressing for a quicker date are those from within Umno itself. Especially those who think they will contest as candidates replacing the incumbents.
In Umno, replacing incumbents is not difficult — just mobilise a few dissenting and envious voices to create the necessary “public” opinion. Elevate personal anecdotes and personal sob and frustrated stories and exploit those as generalizations. Then package all the lies and present it to a nervous and insecure division head. Never mind if he is the DPM then and now PM.
I would estimate the crowd yesterday to be around 10,000 people. The local guy next to me confided in me since staying in Gemas since the late 60s, this is the first time he sees this big a crowd attend a political gathering.
Umno will of course trivialise this observation by saying, the opposition has always attracted large crowds to their rallies. In the end, the BN will win. I hope for their sake, that simplistic response is true. This time I think, the usual knee jerk response is just for self-assurance for the anxieties engulfing the BN camp.
The first three speakers spoke about local politics not about the big issues concerning and relating to Anwar Ibrahim, who was the last speaker. The three who spoke first found unison in the voice from the crowd who were clearly primed up to eject Mat Hassan and his team from Negri.
Gemas is special, or should I say infamous, for two things actually. The NFC cattle farm is located in Gemas. Shahrizat Jalil, whose family members are currently embroiled in the financial scandal surrounding the National Feedlot Cattle project, chose Gemas as the site for the project. Gemas has since gained the moniker of the cattle capital of Malaysia. The NFC is clearly a blatant case of corruption involving many more people within Umno than the figures now under public scrutiny.
Gemas is also the site chosen to be the starting point for the double tracking rail project from Gemas to Johore Baru. That project is shrouded in much controversy too. The original project was given to China Railway Engineering and Construction (CREC) on account of the company being a GLC of the Chinese government and also on account of its specialization in the construction of rail projects.
The Malaysian Cabinet approved it. Curiously later, this decision was rescinded and the project was given to China Harbours. Now it seems, another private Chinese company has been given the project. In between companies, rumours abounded about large amounts of money changing hands.
So Gemas appears to be at the epicentre of financial scandals. It is fitting for Gemas to herald the wave of change that will soon snuff out the life of the corrupt and the mediocre in Negri Sembilan.
But you watch this space. Syed Mokhtar is taking over KTMB. The double tracking project is for use by KTMB. What’s stopping KTMB from telling the government, it can do the Gemas-JB double tracking job? Gamuda made lots of money for the northern portion of the double tracking job so why can’t KTMB under Syed Mokhtar do the same?
To the people of Gemas, Negri Sembilan, my hope is they make Gemas the epicentre for political tsunami in Negeri Sembilan.
Don’t make Gemas the black hole of financial scandals. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com