KUALA LUMPUR - There were two instances of traffic congestion reported around the city today - of out-bound traffic on highways leading citizens back to their voting districts and around mass congregations where city folk gathered to listen to political leaders deliver their final sermons before the battle goes to the polls tomorrow.
And of those sermons, the opposition bloc of Pakatan Harapan and Muda seemed the biggest draw, as was the case in the lead-up to the last elections in 2018.
"Now, I've never been so happy to see a traffic jam," quipped Datuk Seri Ambiga Sreenevasan, lawyer-activist and co-founder of The Coalition for CLean and Fair Elections (BERSIH), she began to address a crowd of about 5,000 at the Taman Rimba Kiara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, calling on them to turn up at polling stations in full force and make a difference in the 15th general elections tomorrow.
"It feels almost like 2018. For the first time, traffic jams are a positive thing as it also means people are tracking their way back home to vote. I also want to salute Global Bersih and all those amazing people who carried all the postal votes back home. Many travelled huge distances to bring them home," said Ambiga, before she reiterated her call for the people to fulfill their responsibility to vote.
"Tell me, after hearing all of that (in reference to prior speakers), after hearing all the news about those who took training and those who are even helping with transport for people to come home to vote. After all that, can you not vote?
"Now and tomorrow, please call your friends. If you think they are not going to vote, tell them they need to be part of history again. History was made in 2018 and things changed for the first time ever. A change of government. And can you remember that feeling? Do you wnt to feel that way again? Make sure we send PH and Muda into government," said Ambiga.
She then turned to PH's Damansara candidate Gobind Singh Deo and Segambut candidate Hannah Yeoh, stating aloud: "I want to see you in Putrajaya, not just go to parliament. Hannah, I want you back in Putrajaya, we want good ministers."
Ambiga then chose to turn back the clock and remind supporters of the decades-long struggle of the opposition bloc, calling it a heart-to-heart address with them.
"Ive been fighting for many years. So many people have been fighting for years and giving up their liberty. Many of them had lost jobs. Giving up so much to fight for what was right for this country. We should applaud them. Lim Kit Siang for example. A truth statemsman. He has the courage to fight when its so difficult to fight. I remember my mother asking me 'do uou have you fight with everyone?' And I said, 'Yes, we have to.' Because Malaysia is worth fighting for. Its ours. It doesn't belong to a small group of people. They used to say to me, 'go home'. I said:'I am in my home. You not getting rid of me."
Ambiga then recalled that her late parents were actually Barisan Nasional supporters.
"My late parents, unfortunately they voted BN all of time. They trusted Tunku (Abdul Rahman) and Tun Hussein Onn. But today can you trust their leaders? Because the kind of politics they have been dishing up for years is unacceptable. We cannot carry on this way anymore. We stop fighting, then we are failing the next generation. Then we need to carry on in justice. When all of us do it, we make a difference."
And of those sermons, the opposition bloc of Pakatan Harapan and Muda seemed the biggest draw, as was the case in the lead-up to the last elections in 2018.
"Now, I've never been so happy to see a traffic jam," quipped Datuk Seri Ambiga Sreenevasan, lawyer-activist and co-founder of The Coalition for CLean and Fair Elections (BERSIH), she began to address a crowd of about 5,000 at the Taman Rimba Kiara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, calling on them to turn up at polling stations in full force and make a difference in the 15th general elections tomorrow.
"It feels almost like 2018. For the first time, traffic jams are a positive thing as it also means people are tracking their way back home to vote. I also want to salute Global Bersih and all those amazing people who carried all the postal votes back home. Many travelled huge distances to bring them home," said Ambiga, before she reiterated her call for the people to fulfill their responsibility to vote.
"Tell me, after hearing all of that (in reference to prior speakers), after hearing all the news about those who took training and those who are even helping with transport for people to come home to vote. After all that, can you not vote?
"Now and tomorrow, please call your friends. If you think they are not going to vote, tell them they need to be part of history again. History was made in 2018 and things changed for the first time ever. A change of government. And can you remember that feeling? Do you wnt to feel that way again? Make sure we send PH and Muda into government," said Ambiga.
She then turned to PH's Damansara candidate Gobind Singh Deo and Segambut candidate Hannah Yeoh, stating aloud: "I want to see you in Putrajaya, not just go to parliament. Hannah, I want you back in Putrajaya, we want good ministers."
Ambiga then chose to turn back the clock and remind supporters of the decades-long struggle of the opposition bloc, calling it a heart-to-heart address with them.
"Ive been fighting for many years. So many people have been fighting for years and giving up their liberty. Many of them had lost jobs. Giving up so much to fight for what was right for this country. We should applaud them. Lim Kit Siang for example. A truth statemsman. He has the courage to fight when its so difficult to fight. I remember my mother asking me 'do uou have you fight with everyone?' And I said, 'Yes, we have to.' Because Malaysia is worth fighting for. Its ours. It doesn't belong to a small group of people. They used to say to me, 'go home'. I said:'I am in my home. You not getting rid of me."
Ambiga then recalled that her late parents were actually Barisan Nasional supporters.
"My late parents, unfortunately they voted BN all of time. They trusted Tunku (Abdul Rahman) and Tun Hussein Onn. But today can you trust their leaders? Because the kind of politics they have been dishing up for years is unacceptable. We cannot carry on this way anymore. We stop fighting, then we are failing the next generation. Then we need to carry on in justice. When all of us do it, we make a difference."