A NEW DAWN

From Malaysiakini election watch

Guan Eng to be Penang CM - 12.11pm
It is believed that DAP has named party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as the next chief minister of Penang. DAP won all 19 state seats it contested in Penang with PKR winning six and Pas two. There are 40 state seats in Penang.

Anwar ushers in ‘a new dawn for Malaysia’ - 4.08am
A triumphant PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim described the victory of the opposition parties in five states and its breach of Barisan Nasional’s two-third majority in Parliament as “a defining moment” in the history of the nation and the opening of “a new chapter.”

Tears were welling in my eyes as I read these words. The people have prevailed, we have had enough and this defining moment will hopefully usher in a new era for Malaysia.

PM: ‘We’ve lost, we’ve lost’ - 4.12am
These were the only words which Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could muster when quizzed on the ruling coalition’s shocking defeat in five states.

Abdullah was posed with the question during a press conference at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur. He was accompanied by his wife Jeanne, deputy Najib Abdul Razak and other BN leaders.

The prime minister added that he will make a media statement after analysing the results in detail.

No, Pak Lah. You did not lose - you were slaughtered.

Complete with a non-partisan election commission, unequal and biased seat allocation, rampant fraud with postal votes. And you still lost.

You were slaughtered.

In the last general elections held in 2004, Barian won 198 or 91% of the parliamentary seats with just 64% of the votes cast. The Opposition won only 21 seats or 9.6% of the seats compared with 36% of the popular vote.

Today the Opposition won 82 seats, which is close to 37% of the seats.
I will wait for the official statistics, but it is obvious, if I could be be so bold to say that 80% of the electorates must have voted for the Opposition.

Yes, you were slaughtered.

Thank you all, Malaysia truly belongs to Malaysians.