April 2.. Evening drive to Bkt Gantang....

I got an sms that Anwar was having a ceramah at Trong...so after work i took a drive to Bukit Gantang..actually i had no idea where Trong was...i saw this BN 'Markaz' (thats another new word i've learnt recently) to ask for directions and also inquire if there was any BN ceramahs for the night...' ceramah BN tak ada malam ini'

..Trong was on the road from Changkat Jering to Sitiawan...it was pouring on the way there...the road was dark and i could hardly see the road...when i crawled into town i saw this friendly sign...PAS...yes a PAS center...how 1 year has changed our perception of PAS...there were more surprises inside....

..the members were non malay and were mainly indian....and the supporters were from Selangor....seems some had joined in 2007 but the majority joined last year......for the indian members they switched due to their disappointment with MIC....

..the PAS Markas in Trong was just 1km down the road...it was still raining.. ..there were police outriders there..should be to direct traffic as the road was narrow...lorries were still passing by at this hour...

..the ceramah area was small..in order to reach the rakyat the ceramahs were being held at these 'markaz' places...the time was @840pm..it was due to start at 8..the speaker, Dr Shafie from Bangi got on the way...most of the crowd then was huddled under the bits of shelter available ...

and the small shed...

..the 2nd speaker an ADUN from Kuala Langat...good speaker...he got the crowds attention..

the crowd was coming in now...the rain had slowed a little....

..everyone was taking their 'positions'...

..typical PAS style...ladies in the surau with the family.....i like this atmosphere...this is the way Malaysian life is.....

..Anwar arrives..he was delayed due to an accident at the 'tunnel'..7 cars involved....

..the crowd of listeners and media rush to the front..the crowd at the back shouts 'duduk,duduk' to the front..which is obeyed..it is always like this...PAS ceramahs are generally peaceful gatherings .....


..unnoticed by me the crowd had grown....it had been raining and now that it had slowed the crowd swelled..this is a kampung but the mix is multi-racial...i'd put the numbers around 300-400....


..Anwar is going on about the Malacca Sultanate and comparing Nizar as the modern day Tun Perak...when he introduces the "Panglima of Selangor"...Selangor MB Khalid had just arrived.....

..the rain has almost stopped by now...i don't need the umbrella ..the crowd has grown...

...and standing outside on the road...to listen....the police are nowhere to be seen now...lorries are still passing by...


..across the road is a BN Markaz...there was no ceramah that night but someone was on the mike talking loudly and disturbing the speech by Anwar..i walked in and noticed a group of BN "samsengs" harassing a photographer...an elderly person..who took photographs of their empty hall with 1 guy reading from a paper and making 'noise'...these "samsengs" threatened the 'photographer' to delete his photos...heard them asking him if he was a "wartawan/ reporter".. after some hassleing i saw the photographer delete his photos and walked out.. anyway i took a shot of those 'BN samsengs" when i left...it was arrogant to ask the photographer to delete his photographs...

..their actions are a shame though.

kk