Solidarity Walk With Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng

GEORGE TOWN: The national opposition is sensing a snap election after Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was charged with graft and abuse of power last Thursday at the Penang High Court.

This feeling was picked up by speakers during a ceramah at the Dewan Sri Pinang today with most alluding to an early 14th General Election.

Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy started the ball rolling when he said morale was high among the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government following victories in the Sarawak state election and the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangasr by-elections.

"The people will decide in the next general election, I feel Penang will remain with Pakatan Harapan (PH)," he said as more than a thousand strong crowd cheered at the Dewan Sri Pinang today.

Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Rashid Hasnon also did not miss a beat when he forecast PH winning 80% of the Penang votes if the election was called.

"We won 52% of the popular vote in 2013," he noted while Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail urged PH supporters to go to the ground to win the fence sitters.

"We can talk to the converted but we need to convince the others," the PKR president said.

Parit Buntar MP and Penang Amanah chairman Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa meanwhile got the crowd roaring in agreement after noting Lim still commanded the support of the public despite facing graft accusations.

"I have seen many who have been charged with corruption and abuse of power and not one of them have been able to raise money from the public for bail," he said.

Lim himself did not discount the possibility of early national polls, saying that the people will have to decide.

"It is up to the people to answer in the next general election," he said when asked in an ad-hoc press conference after
the ceramah.

Earlier in the morning, the commercial district in Lebuh Pantai here reverberated with shouts of "Lim Guan Eng" as thousands gathered for a solidarity walk with the chief minister.

Among those who walked was businesswoman Asma, 46, who said she wanted to show her support for Lim's government.

"There is no need for him to step down," she stressed when asked if Lim needed to take leave until the trial ends.

Another supporter, Khor See Beng, 55, laughed off the accusations.

"I support him as CM, I support his leadership," the voter from the Air Putih constituency, where Lim is assemblyman said.

Also among them was Harnik Kaur, 50, who was with her family of seven from Butterworth.

"We are behind him, we will not let him down," she said.