Tan Yee Kew and 1,700 others join PKR

Tan Yee Kew and 1,700 others join PKR

Tan Yee Kew (Photo credit: Mysinchew)
Just heard from a KL journalist:

At a ceremony from 10.30am to noon today, Anwar Ibrahim accepted a stack of PKR membership forms from former MCA senior central committee member Tan Yee Kew and 1,700 others described as former BN supporters.

Some 1,500 people packed a convention hall at the Klang Executive Club to witness the handover.

PKR had received over 2,000 application forms from the constituencies of Kapar, Shah Alam and Klang but was able to process only 1,700.

Tan, who was also International Trade and Industry Ministry parliamentary secretary, quit the MCA on 17 July. She said she shared the people’s disenchantment over the widening gap between the rich and the poor, racial discrimination, rampant corruption and abuse of power.


Anwar would of course be familiar with the old “crossover” tactics that the BN traditionally employs ahead of elections. It’s all part of the psy-war to show rising support for the party that uses this tactic. In the past, I would often take such BN “crossover” figures with a big pinch of salt.

So I am not sure how accurate the PKR figure is. But what I can say is that there has been a certain swing away from the BN in the light of the sodomy allegations (which appear to have backfired - no pun intended!), the Altantuya revelations, the oil price hike, and the fall in PM Abdullah’s approval ratings.

The action now shifts to Permatang Pauh tonight for another big ceramah featuring Anwar.

Blog reader Kenny Gan sends us this report:

I was at the PKR event at Klang Executive Club. The hall was packed and the attendees were majority Chinese, some Indians and a sprinkling of Malays. Their ages span a wide range, but most of them were young Chinese, under 30.

Chinese no longer believe in MCA representing them. MCA is definitely on a decline but they seem to carry on sucking up to Umno as if that is the most natural thing to do.

There were 2079 new members for PKR and 1700 attendees. I looked at the fresh, enthusiastic faces of the young Chinese there and I knew MCA is doomed.

http://anilnetto.com/malaysian-elections/tan-yee-kew-and-1700-mca-members-cross-over-to-pkr/