Penang Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has promised to relocate the Juru immigration detention camp for foreign workers.
Although he did not say where it would be relocated, the crowd responded positively.
“I have fulfilled your requests,” he said as he expressed his agreement for the task as requested by BN.
The Juru detention camp houses 600 migrant workers at a time and the community fears for their security. There had been a rat disease outbreak earlier there, so residents fear for their health.
“Can we confirm Bukit Tengah is our stronghold?” he said, to wild shouts from the crowd.
He repeated pledges of 20,000 affordable homes for Penangites and launched the first phase of the project in Juru.
“How come a party that says it is a hero for the people was more concerned about the tunnel?” he asked.
“Do you agree to BR1M? Have you received BR1M one, two and do you want the third one?” to which the crowd shouted “Yes!”
“The second, third, fourth and fifth BR1M will be better than the ones before,” he added, to applause and cheers.
The BN national chief then condemned Pakatan for being in disarray.
“They are always fighting one another, their candidates come out to make statements against one another. Do you think DAP and PAS have the same mind?” he asked.
“And where is PKR? Neither here nor there. Whereas BN is certain and if you want a better future, you have to reduce the risk factor,” he said.
“There is too much to gamble, don’t take the risk, don’t take chances, better the devil you know than the angel you do not know.”
He praised Penang BN head and Bukit Tengah BN candidate Teng Chang Yeow as a brave man who is willing to fight, promising that Umno won’t demand for the chief minister’s post.
Carnival-like celebration
It was a carnival-like celebration as the 3,000 crowd in blue 1Malaysia BN T-shirts greeted the arrival of Najib in Juru today.
Najib, scheduled to come for the event in Bukit Tengah at 5.45pm, arrived 40 minutes later from Penaga to shouts and screams from an enthusiastic crowd of BN hardcore supporters, many of whom were ferried to the venue by vans and buses.
They waved the BN blue flags frantically and clapped noisily away as he made his way to the stage with his entourage of party candidates including Teng, state Umno liaison chief Zainal Abidin Osman, state MCA liaison head Ng Yen Yen, and Tan Cheng Liang (Jawi).
Even before Najib arrived, a dancing and excited Tan led the crowd in singing the song ‘I am for you’, while party workers handed out free food in white styrofoam, snacks, mineral water and packet drinks, 1Malaysia fans and flags.
Najib is said to be in Bukit Tengah to shore up support for Teng, who faces a three-corner challenge from PKR’s Ong Chin Wen and Independent candidate A Mohan.
Teng, who is Gerakan secretary-general, faces a bitter fight with Mohan, who quit the party after he was dropped from the candidates list.
“I know most of you are not from Juru but at least you turned up for the prime minister.
“This is the first time in history that a PM has come here,” he added, to loud applause.
So far, his campaign has been lacklustre, with small turn-outs at his events.
Up to last night, the response has been lukewarm towards Teng when he announced several pledges to the Indian community at a cultural dinner in Bandar Perai Jaya.
Even when he announced a 1Malaysia clinic and shop in the area, and repainting and lift repairs in flats, the 150-odd audience barely responded, and Teng had to urge them to clap several times.
According to eyewitness the same crowd, including children, were excitingly whistling and screaming at a KL-based Indian rock group sensation’s performance earlier.
Ealier, in Penaga, Najib said although 60,000 people attended the Pakatan Rakyat Ubah ceramah last night, “It is no longer impossible to recapture Penang as I can feel the wind of change.”
‘Kepala Batas still a BN stronghold’
“Judging from the reception I get here, it is confirmed that Kepala Batas is still a BN stronghold, a white area for BN,” he added.
“When (former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) or Pak Lah asked me to come here, I was thinking why since it is a BN stronghold but I came anyway because I can’t say no to my former boss,” he quipped.
“Pak lah gave way to another candidate so you should all support them and give them a very strong mandate,” he added.
Despite the rain, about 5,000 turned up for the event.
(Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com)
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