622 Blackout Rally: boom or bust?

While a few thousand people showed up, it was far below the expectations of 20,000 to 30,000 attendees.

However, was it very surprising? I would say No, Not at all.

Here's why:


  1. Rally fatigue: there's only so much emotion one can expend - I think most of the earlier attendees have more or less "moved on" and need to get on with their normal lives. It's very tiring to maintain the level of anger at the BN government.
  2. Partisan takeover: For those who attended Bersih, the main intention was to demand for electoral reform and to let the ruling party that the unbalanced odds in their favour is simply not fair. BUT that does not translate into automatic support to PR either. The current rallies are PR-related. I see myself as more pro-Malaysia than anything else, hence I wouldn't attend.
  3. Life takes over: Well, sooner or later, responsibilities at work and family take over. Holidays that were postponed now can be taken. Life goes on.
But to the pro-BN'ers who are maybe pointing with glee that the rallies are dying down - let me say this: just as the high numbers at ceramahs do not translate into votes, the flip side is also true that low numbers does not translate into loss of support. 

The support is still there but no longer as evident.

Come what may, Malaysia has changed irrevocably - well, everything changes anyway. It is just a matter of how and when.

I am cautiously optimistic that we are still developing, with more democratic participation. We just have balance between growing democratic space and growing the economy so that we can have the best of both worlds.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FundMyHome - Malaysia's new property crowd funding review

Hot on the heels of the 2019 Budget speech, the EdgeProperty together with the Government, developers and 2 major Banks (Maybank and CIMB) announced a new scheme to "crowdfund" property purchases called  FundMyHome So let's break it down in point form: It's not a traditional purchase transaction. "Buyers" put down 20% of the property price. For the next 5 years, they can stay in the property or rent it out - there are no details on any restrictions on renovations or major structural changes. You can renovate. There is nothing more to pay, no rent no interest. 80% of the remainder is funded by the 2 banks (hence, where is the 'crowd' in this so-called crowdfunding scheme?) At the end of the 5 years, the buyer can either sell the unit or take up a normal mortgage to purchase the unit in the conventional sense If he sells it and there has been an increase in value - he gets to keep 20% of the profit while 80% goes to the 'investor'. I
Read more

Ryan & Miho Petaling Jaya

Oh dear, I had meant to write a review about this for quite some time but have been busy. Also, I didn't have much time to see the property and the details - only the location which was already very attractive to me. So from the info that I got from the chat with the agent Phillip, the location is next to Jaya One - very nice location because you in PJ but with easy access into Bangsar, Damansara Heights, Mont'Kiara and thus into KL Centre via Jln Parliament or Jln Tun Razak. Jaya One has loads of amenities (although a little quiet for my taste, nonetheless middle & upper-middle class clientele) with office buildings - hence good rental opportunities; or if you are working there then this is an ideal property for you as it has a walkway connecting the condo to the commercial district. Pricing is reasonable at about RM700k+ for PJ area, I reckon that's a good buy. Believe it is leasehold but so is everything in that area, just about. My only grouse would be t
Read more

What does your neighbourhood say about you: Kuala Lumpur

Just a bit of fun.. :) If you live in ___ then you are ____ : Bukit Tunku (Kenny Hills) and Bukit Persekutuan (Federal Hill) = Seriously wealthy, old money, royalty, very low key. Bukit Damansara (Damansara Heights) = just one step below the above, either first generation civil servant families from pre- and post-Independance, politicians and ahem, business cronies. Also, business families who made it big from the 60's and 70's. Wealthy but a wee bit flashier than the Kenny Hills crowd. Still classier than .... Bangsar = Newer money, families of corporate figures and professionals who did well from the 80's onwards. An aspirational neighbourhood, it also attracts ambitious non-KL-born folks here to make it big. The party neighbourhood of the 90's, still remembered fondly for its bars, restaurants and late-night stalls after clubbing. A younger but more low-key  affluent clone of Bangsar is TTDI (Taman Tun Dr Ismail) ; TTDI folks are rather nicer and more easy-
Read more