PKR leaders hit the road today in their rundown 15-year-old yellow and black Proton Tiara dubbed the 'Cheap Mobile' as part of its campaign to slash car prices.

The ‘Cheap Mobile’ visited several toll booths today to distribute stickers and campaign material to motorists who are heading home for the Aidilfitri holidays.

NONEMet at the Jalan Duta toll booth, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli was seen going from car to car donning a sandwich board, displaying campaign posters across his chest and back.

Also present at the hour-long campaign were Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin, Seri Setia state assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Nik Ahmad and Pantai Jerejak state assemblyperson Sim Tze Tzin.

Some drivers curiously wound down their window to receive the stickers while PKR used the small window of opportunity to pitch for support.

Others were puzzled at the sight of the PKR leaders who appeared like newspaper boys on the busy highway, some gave them the thumbs up while others honked at them, signalling for the stickers.

The PKR leaders also handed out the car stickers to several police vehicles which passed through the toll booth. The drivers appeared very amused.

The group later took a break after toll booth security and police arrived and advised them to get off the highway but briefly resumed handing out the car stickers before departing from the area.

‘Food for thought during Raya’

Speaking to journalists later, Zuraida said they hoped the campaign, in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri celebration, would prompt motorist to discuss the issue with their families over the holidays.

"We hope this topic will be something to talk about when people visit each other over Hari Raya and discuss about our policy to reduce car prices," she said.
NONEEarlier this morning, the group also handed out the stickers at the Gombak toll booth for an hour.

Raifizi estimated that some 15,000 stickers were handed out today and will again hit the road at the Sungai Besi toll booth tomorrow.

"This is a new style of campaign which I think Umno and BN youth is incapable of - to come down like we do and engage the rakyat directly under the hot sun two days before Hari Raya.

"To date, all we have heard from BN leaders is that reducing car prices will bankrupt the country. We would like to hear something more concrete from them," he said.

Rafizi joked that he feared for his life when riding in the old 'Cheap Mobile', complaining that the vehicle did not appear to be road-worthy.

‘BN leaders should try national cars’

His riding companions were Sim and Nik Nazmi, who was the driver. 

"It was a fun experience. I haven't driven a manual car for a long time and it’s a manual car which has given us many problems.

"But even though it is for fun to us, for many rakyat this is the reality for them because they cannot afford to buy a proper car (due to high car prices)," said Nik Nazmi.

NONEHe added that BN youth leaders such as Khairy Jamaluddin and Mukhriz Mahathir should similarly ride in such rundown national cars produced by the existing automobile policy.

Adding on, Sim said the campaign today was well received and said it would be further intensified after the Hari Raya holidays.

"When we explain to people that this (reducing car prices) is Pakatan Rakyat plan, many gave us the thumbs up.

“Hopefully people will put up the stickers in their cars and those who want them can also get it from our PKR offices. People can also download the logos online and put them up as their profile pictures online," he said.

On July 24, PKR had pledged to make the abolition of excise car duties - which stands at a minimum of 60 percent even for local cars - as a campaign issue for the next general election.

It said that such a move would help reduce the household debt burden as many were practically taking up loans to finance the government’s high tax on cars.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop had argued that such a move would adversely hurt the economy.- malaysiakini