Lim Guan Eng popularity is a myth, the supporter of Penang DAP has been talking against him for years, but mostly in hushed tones, behind closed door because they are afraid of his outlash. Everyone know that he doesn't take critism. Period.
However in the recent development, more so since the candidates nomination, more and more dare to come out and are criticizing him openly, even on national TV. So I say LGE is NOT favored by the Penangites, especially among the DAP old timers. His cockiness and dictator-like leadership is not going down very well among the people of Penang, especially those who has been fighting for a cause they believe in for years when suddenly this chap from Melaka comes, with DAP 'royalty' blood running in him to take over everything, leaving not even crumbs for the DAP people of Penang.
Most benefiting are his cronies and his staff from his 28th floor office. Check the DAP candidates list, you'll see what I mean. And what about the property acquirement among his staffs? Go check how many of them owning multiple properties that involves the state government one way or another. Kampung Buah Pala anyone?
Let's not even go into the CEC committee election hullabaloo, something that they thought they can divert the people attention from their incompetency by trying to turn the whole thing into a hate campaign toward the Registrar of Society. Claiming that they are unable to use the DAP logo during the PRU13 due to the ROS ruling, crying sabotage. This is absolutely lies, ROS just state that the current CEC election result is not valid, that's all. The party is still as before, only the office bearer are as the previous CEC election. Nothing else. They can still ride their rocket, no need to go to the moon. Who started the sob story you may ask? LGE of course! Crying wolf while trying to get sympathy vote is a new low even for LGE.
The underwater tunnel project and the miscalculations? I think many has spoken of this until their mouths are foaming, so I won't say much, just get new batteries to your calculator or new leader that at least knows basic arithmetic!
And those who still champion him are just a bunch of disillusioned 'kids' impressed by a new act in town, blinded by 'cotton candies' given out at the concessionaire and mostly various shows during the 3-ring circus. The novelty is wearing off as we speak, hopefully the people of Penang will see past the glitters soon.
5 May 2013 is the day.
PRU13 may well be
turning into more than just a battle between potential winnable
candidates offered by each party, but a battle of winnable Prime
Ministers that will likely lead the government should either side win.
As candidates become less appealing or indeed if they remain annonymous
to the electorate, the more a party relies on the candidate on offer for
Prime Minister.
For the longest time, the battle has
been expected to be one between DS Najib Tun Razak as the BN candidate
for Prime Minister against DS Anwar Ibrahim as the Pakatan candidate.
However, DS Anwar Ibrahim has always lacked appeal to a significant
section of the electorate, being an ex-con - having been convicted for
abuse of power, being party to much of the suspected corruption in UMNO
and BN when he was Finance Minister, even seen as incompetent by some.
And of course there is the 'sex thing' with DS Anwar that seems undignified.
Perhaps this is why DS Anwar's
partners in Pakatan Rakyat seem to be pushing agendas of their own, with
DAP leader Karpal Singh clearly stating his aim to have a non-Malay
Prime Minister chosen, probably referring to Lim Guan Eng, the Penang CM
as their likeliest candidate. Of course, Guan Eng's capacity to
administer is now put in question as he seems quite incapable of even
organising a legal AGM and party elections for the DAP...
Nonwithstanding Guan Eng's apparent
popularity as CM in Penang, which is not really a mark of genius
considering his predecessor was the supremely unpopular, over-educated
yet 'bean-like' and suspected racist TS Koh Tsu Koon, Guan Eng's failure
to manage the recent DAP elections is monumental. His management of the
aftermath of the Registrar of Societies (RoS) non-recognition of the
election results has actually made matters worse!
The idea of having DAP candidates
contest under the PAS banner in Peninsular Malaysia and PKR banner in
East Malaysia was not just unneccessary (DAP is not de-listed yet, there
is time even after PRU13 to recover with an EGM or re-do of an AGM), it
undermined DAP's candidates with PAS gleefully claiming that they
welcome DAP's support of 'Hudud' laws. PKR of course is a highly
unpopular party in East Malaysia, seen as a 'Peninsular' party.
And so at the eve of PRU13, the DAP
has lost its only viable candidate for PM and must rely on the DS Anwar
Ibrahim offering... surely Karpal is fuming...
