The days of speaking on the rough and ready stages from the back of cargo trucks are over for PKR leaders, as they can now tour the nation in rock star-like comfort with a bus-cum-mobile stage newly-leased for their use.

NONE "This will allow PKR leaders to go and meet the people... and introduce them not only to the party but to Pakatan Rakyat as well," said Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim who sparked the idea for the opposition party to have its own ceramah tour bus.

Speaking at the launch of the bus at party headquarters in Petaling Jaya today, Khalid said he used his own money to lease the bus from a company that operates and refurbishes tour buses and it would be available for use by the party.

While he did not disclose the total cost of the lease, he said the estimated the cost of the bus and its Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat tour spanning the peninsula would be about RM0.60 per kilometre.

NONE The first leg of the tour is scheduled to last three days from today until Sept 2 and will include visits to 37 locations in the east coast of the peninsula and the northern states.

The first stop of the tour will be in Bentong, Pahang.

The second leg is being planned, to take place in the middle and southern states of the peninsula soon.

Special team to set up mobile stages

PKR officials said that the tour would continue until and during the campaigning for the coming general election.

NONE The 19-seater double-decker bus with luxurious seats and customised upholstery featuring the PKR logo also comes equipped with its own broadband WiFi, conference room, toilet, two high-end massage chairs, integrated mobile stage and a top quality public address system.

The vehicle has a complement of drivers, technical personnel and a crew of 'roadies' clad in orange from Keadilan Event Specialist, who are trained in setting up mobile stages and PA systems within 15 minutes of arrival at any given location.

A giant picture of a smiling, twinkly-eyed Anwar Ibrahim, the party's de facto leader, is emblazoned on both sides of the bus.

Also on hand to help launch the bus and kick off the tour was Anwar, his wife and party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution and other Pakatan leaders.