FREE YOURSAY 'The fact is that Bangsar makes up less than 25% of the Lembah Pantai electorate. Where does the 75% come from?'

Uphill battle for BN in Lembah Pantai?

Swipenter: Umno is at wits end how to win support and approval from the rakyat. After decades of cheating at the polls, arrogance and corruption, they have lost touch with the aspirations of the people.

They think that only money (a pittance) and playing with race and religion are enough to buy them political power.

What the people want is a corrupt-free, fair and just administration where dreams can come true if you work for it, not Umno's BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia), angpows and little gifts during election year.

Anonymous #21828131: I think corruption is allowed to be done openly now.

Just read between the lines of this statement: "The event organisers told parents that Raja Nong Chik had personally set aside close to RM40,000 of personal funds to sponsor the cash awards for the students. ‘And when the time comes, I hope you (parents) will do the right thing by voting for BN.'"

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should begin its investigations. If you want to give out the cash, do so, but by linking it to the coming GE, it is inducement and outright corruption.

Maslina: It is easy for the typical Malaysiakini readers to feel so confident about Pakatan Rakyat's chances.

The fact is that Bangsar makes up less than 25% of the Lembah Pantai electorate. Where does the 75% come from?

Well, they are from Pantai Dalam and Kerinchi, and Federal Territories Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin has been attending weddings, visiting the sick, providing wheelchairs, going for teh tarik and even ‘sahur' (the pre-dawn meal) during Ramadan.

He's a workaholic and a problem-solver, and they respect him there. So outsiders and even many Bangsarians should wake up to the fact that MP Nurul Izzah Anwar is far from safe in Lembah Pantai.

And take note that the article says that this is the fourth year in a row Raja Nong Chik's Lembah Pantai Umno had carried out the award. There in lies the key.

Raja Nong Chik had worked the grassroots in Pantai Dalam, Kerinchi and the Sentosa area for the last four years. During this time, Nurul spent most of the time attending to party affairs outside the constituency.

She gives ceramah throughout the country and spent a lot of time overseas. Only recently she appears again in the constituency.

Meanwhile, Raja Nong Chik spent a lot of effort here, making sure all the flats even the private ones are given a fresh coat of paint, lifts and water pumps repaired, even giving them opportunities to own houses via the recent People's Housing Project (PPR) ownership programme.

Nurul only won by less than 3,000 votes last time. It's not difficult for Raja Nong Chik to overturn this deficit.

Rick Teo: You can give money and gifts to the rakyat but you won't get their votes. After 55 years, the rakyat are smarter now. You cannot buy our votes anymore.

What's the point of getting your miserable RM40,000 when you end up ripping off RM40 billion after you win. We have enough of Umno's rent-seeking.

We want a clean and transparent government that works for the people and the country, not for their cronies and families.

Clever Voter: Nurul is well-loved in Pantai constituency. Unlike others, she hasn't got a tainted character, and we see her as the country's first female PM.

I haven't yet come across anyone in Bangsar/Damansara rich or poor who has bad things to say of her. Let's hope she won't be a victim of cheats that will take place in this constituency.

Doc: Although Nurul is much more popular than Raja Nong Chik with the masses in Lembah Pantai, but sadly Umno will take Lembah Pantai in GE13 doing what they do best - cheating.

Remember the Election Commission has increased the Lembah Pantai voters roll by at least 10,000 since the last GE. One can only deduce that they are phantom voters supporting BN.

Enlightened: There is no way BN can win Lembah Pantai by fielding Raja Nong Chik.

The rich there were very close to previous MP Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and they know that Raja Nong Chik is no different her, especially on how he allegedly used his 25-year-old daughter's name to obtain a multi-million dollar contract.

Nurul Izzah has done a lot for the people of Lembah Pantai, especially the poor. Lembah Pantai is a multi-racial constituency, The Chinese won't vote for him, the rich Indians won't vote for him and the poor Malays won't vote for him.

So I'm not surprised about the lukewarm response he received at the school award event. The residents of Lembah Pantai are fed up with the over-development and the overcrowding in the area.

The security issues have not been addressed by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) which seems to have a "tidak apa" attitude. The only person who I see winning in Lembah Pantai for BN is Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah.

Fantastic4: Being a minister, the parents would still show respect to Raja Nong Chik. In many of these events, I have heard of parents no listening when BN representatives were make speeches before giving out the money.

The general sentiments are clear - the public will not be fooled anymore.

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