The police had to step in to control the situation when Barisan Nasional party workers were stopped by Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s party workers from putting up flags close to the Umno building near Kubang Semang on Thursday night
BUTTERWORTH: What has the cheeky Chinese Monkey God, the main character in the classical Chinese epic novel Journey to the West, got to do with Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah and the Permatang Pauh by-election?
Well, the 52-year-old Arif Shah was born in 1956 and, according to the Chinese Lunar calendar, it was the Year of the Monkey.
“That’s why I consider myself a monkey man,” he said, speaking in flawless Mandarin, to a crowd of 300 people at a ceramah in Titi Timbul in Kampung Bagan Serai, Permatang Pauh.
The crowd cheered wildly when Arif Shah told them, in jest, that he knew the 72 magical transformations attributed to the Monkey God. The Monkey God is said to have been skilled in transforming himself into 72 different animals and objects.
“All I ask for is the opportunity to be voted into Parliament and I will then transform all your requests into reality,” he said.
Known as peh moh (white hair) among the constituents here, Arif Shah said although he was now the Seberang Jaya assemblyman, it was difficult for him to secure funds as the state government was now ruled by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
“But if I am the member of parliament, I can then ask for funds for Permatang Pauh. I can keep on doing it like Sun Wukong’s 72 magical transformations,” he said, eliciting more laughter from the crowd.
Speaking to newsmen, Arif Shah said he had no qualms about comparing himself with Sun Wukong.
“He is high-spirited, just like me. And he likes to help those in need,” he said.
Arif Shah is aware of the opposition countering him by telling the Chinese not to vote for him simply because he is able to converse in Mandarin.
“They are merely trying to discredit me. I speak Mandarin to the voters because I feel I will be close to them by doing so.”
August 23rd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Hellooo..Ariff….so it has to come to this….speak to the Chinaman in Chinese and the China bodoh will vote for you………the reference for by elections in this country would always be Ijok…..the BN …whether they speak Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil or french….it doesnt matter….they just cannot be trusted….it’s aready ingrained in their DNA
August 23rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
It does not matter what languages you can speak. The fact that this white hair baboon belongs to the BN-UMNO regime that has been cheating and bluffing the rakyat for the last 50 years will not give credence to his mastery of Chinese.
Arif and BN-UMNO, you buggers know very well that for all your dirty filfty ways in the by -election process- you are going to lost. I am prepared to swear to the Quran that you will lost!!!!
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
It is an insult to Chinese, better become pek moh kaw (monkey) for your whole lives and you can’t pay your employees EPF, how can you manage Permatang Pauh? You just want an opportunity to enrich yourself through corruption like others UMNO goons! We, Chinese are not fools, you cannot decide for us, Top UMNO goons for YOU and not you decide for us to give money or allocation for development as stated by mustafa above you white hair baboon belongs to the BN/UMNO regime that has cheating and bluffing the RAKYAT for the last 50 years will not give credence to his mastery of Chinese! Also using dirty filthy ways in by election process!! MAY ALLAH SEND ALL UMNO GOONS TO HELL FOREVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!! WE WANT CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT!!!!!