THE more Pakatan Harapan leaders repeat the message – that the 1MDB scandal is the source of the people’s problem – more people believe the message.

For the second night in a row, kampung folk in Penang heard why the financial scandal at 1Malaysia Development Bhd is the source of the higher cost of living.

The 500-strong crowd at Dewan Balora in Kongsi, Balik Pulau, a Barisan Nasional seat, yesterday heard PH leaders talk and bought the narrative.

“I believe it,” said lorry driver Johari Mohamad, 50, when asked if he bought what the opposition politicians said.

“Before this, I did not realise that it is all related… why we now have GST (goods and services tax). Now I see,” the Balik Pulau resident told The Malaysian Insight.

The slides used by DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua to explain the 1MDB scandal helped shed light on the subject.

Retiree Abdul Karim Said Amir, 57, thought the presentation was good, with the information laid out and explained.

“I can understand better now. I agree that our cost of living is higher now… in the past, we didn’t have to pay GST,” he said.

Political analysts have previously said PH might see limited success exploiting the 1MDB scandal in rural areas and to swing the vote against Barisan Nasional, as the subject was too complicated.

“Kampung folk know (about 1MDB), but we are just silent about it. We are also interested to learn more about it,” Karim said.

“For them to reach out to us with this issue, they have to bring the slides, talk about GST and explain why we have to pay this tax.”

Contractor Chin Kooi Seng, 57, another Balik Pulau resident, also said he believed that 1MDB was the root of Malaysia’s woes.

“We working-class folk are too busy making a living to think about politics but when we feel our daily lives are getting tougher, we know something is not right with the country. 

“But there is nothing we can do except wait for the general election.”

Chin admitted that he did not understand the 1MDB scandal 100%, although Pua’s presentation was clear, as the subject was too complex to digest in one sitting.

“At least I get the point that they did business very dishonestly, putting money in shell companies and then channelling money into their own pockets.”

He said instead of wasting so much money, the government could have allocated funds for projects like upgrading Balik Pulau Hospital.

Abdul Rahman Din, 64, an amputee, who had cycled from his house to the ceramah venue, said he felt angry after learning about the luxury assets bought with funds allegedly stolen from 1MDB.

“They think we kampung people don’t know about 1MDB. I voted for BN before. I am not going to again.”

When asked what made him believe the PH politicians when those in BN had been denying the alleged wrongdoings related to 1MDB, he said: “Politics… those in the wrong will never admit their wrongdoings”.

The other speakers at yesterday’s 1MDB ceramah in Balik Pulau – the fourth in PH’s nationwide roadshow and the third in Penang – were PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar; Amanah deputy Youth chief Faiz Fadzil; Penang Bersatu chief Marzuki Yahya; Air Itam assemblyman Wong Hon Wai; and Balik Pulau PKR chief Abdul Halim Hussain.

Faiz said Umno thought kampung folk and Malays did not buy the 1MDB scandal, but PH was now going into kampung everywhere to tell them about “the most romantic couple in the history of the world”.

“The logic whether to believe the 1MDB scandal is simple. Look at the other big scandals but MAS still has its planes, Tabung Haji still has its building, Felda still has its plantations.

“But when we talk of 1MDB, what projects do we see? Nothing. What we see are the pink diamond, real estate and paintings owned the couple and their associates. That was how they allegedly stole money.

“Because of that, 1MDB now owes money to local and foreign banks, Tabung Haji, KWSP, Perkeso and others and the Malaysian government, as the guarantor, will have to repay the billions.”

Nurul Izzah said for the government to pay 1MDB’s debts of more than RM40 billion, it needed to impose GST, which collected RM39 billion.

“Of course, they need GST. They have no means to find money. They are not going to think about minimum wage, how to help the people, or how to give more scholarships to deserving students. They are trying to rob the people to solve their problems,” she said.

She said when the government first announced the GST, it said 12 items would be cheaper but from PH’s studies, eight out of the items are, in fact, costlier.

“They said the GST won’t affect education, healthcare… but at hospitals, patients are getting less medicine… if they got meds to last six months in the past, now they only get meds for maybe three months.”

Marzuki, a former Umno member, said division leaders from the party were making contributions here and there to secure votes from the people, while the people had to pay GST, which might be increased if BN was voted back into power.

Pua, at the end of his presentation, invited the crowd to take part in the 1MDB roadshow finale on October 14 at Padang Timur in Petaling Jaya. – July 30, 2017.