DAP secretary-general and caretaker chief minister Lim Guan Eng, who has been travelling across Malaysia on the campaign trail this week, has stories of hope to tell Penang.

He has seen Malay crowds numbering more than 10,000 at Pakatan Harapan ceramah in Johor, and signs of enthusiasm for change in Sabah and Sarawak.

He said there must be an increase in Malay votes for PH in the 14th general election, citing the strong Malay turnout at the pact’s events in Johor, the birthplace of Umno.

“In the past, four people would give a ceramah and two people listened. We wrapped up very quickly and went for tea at the mamak stall. We could not penetrate the kampung. They kicked us out,” he told the thousands present at a mega ceramah at Han Chiang School in Penang tonight.

“Now, the opposition (PH) can get a crowd of 15,000 at a ceramah in Pasir Gudang, and 90% of them are Malays. In Muar, we got 12,000, and in Pagoh, 10,000.

“Even the local Chinese were shocked by the Malay turnout. Someone said (caretaker prime minister) Najib (Razak) is going to be in trouble.”

The latest Merdeka Centre survey has shown that there could be a “Malay tsunami” in the elections, given the rising Malay support for PH.

Its latest poll shows that Malay support for the pact has climbed to nearly 28%, from 20% on April 9.

The findings are important because PH believes that it will be able to topple the ruling Barisan Nasional only if there is a “Malay tsunami”.

Guan Eng said Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin had said even he could not pull such a crowd when he was deputy prime minister.

“The people came on their own, at their own expense. Nobody gave them money to attend. After Malays left Umno, they came out in full force (to PH ceramah).”

He said the response is also good in Sabah and Sarawak.

“At the Sarawak airport, an officer saw me and said, ‘ini kali lah’ (this is the time). In Sabah, we saw more (Parti) Warisan (Sabah) flags than BN flags. Looks like there is a chance for change there, too.

“It is really going to happen on May 9,” he said, shouting “ini kali lah”, to which the crowd responded with “ubah” (change).

Guan Eng, who is defending the Bagan parliamentary and Air Putih state seats, and his father, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, who is defending Iskandar Puteri in Johor, were the crowd favourites tonight. They were greeted by cheers and chants, and blowing trumpets, when they arrived at the venue. – May 2, 2018.