MORE than 1,000 people clapped and cheered at DAP’s calls to vote for change at a ceramah in Teluk Intan tonight.

“Can you for vote change again?” asked DAP secretary-general and Penang caretaker chief minister Lim Guan Eng to thunderous applause from the crowd.

Both Lim and Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming’s rousing speeches, saying Pakatan Harapan (PH) will be a cleaner, better government than BN, captured the hearts of the mainly Chinese audience.

With more motorcycles than cars lining up the car park around the Taoist temple in Sg Nibung, where the ceramah was held, Malaysia Decides estimates there were more locals than outsiders.

Nga, a lawyer and former Taiping MP, is going up against Gerakan president and caretaker minister Mah Siew Keong in Teluk Intan.

Although DAP won the former BN stronghold in the past two elections, it lost the seat by 238 votes to Mah in a 2014 by-election.

Everyone stood up to catch a glimpse of Lim when he arrived about 8.30pm.

In a coarse voice, Lim repeatedly urged locals to persuade their children to return to vote on May 9.

He said he believes a Malay tsunami is building up in the Peninsular, and even Sabah could fall to the opposition.

However, PH needs a minimum of 85% voter turnout to win Putrajaya.

The PH deputy president said Nga could be made a cabinet minister if the opposition wins the national elections on May 9.

Lim spoke in a combination of Malay, English, Hokkien and Mandarin.

Before he arrived, Nga explained the systemic reforms PH would implement to the crowd in simple Mandarin.

These include a two-term limit on the prime minister, menteri besar and chief minister posts, and measures to return autonomy to public institutions like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Parliament.

Both slammed Mah for failing to take Umno to task for its corruption scandals and excesses.

A middle-age trader, who only wanted to be known as Chan, and her four friends said Mah is indeed a gentleman with a good service record.

Mah, born and bred in Teluk Intan, won the seat in 1999 and 2004 before the seat fell to the opposition in 2008.

However, they need a parliamentarian that can speak up for the people when public funds are abused too. – May 5, 2018.