We should now be in the thick of the battle of the 13th General Election and not be launching the Perak DAP 13th General Election machinery if not for the “428” Bersih 3.0 rally which completely scattered Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s earlier plan for June polls.

Events are proving me right when I said in early May that Bersih 3.0 was a greater public relations disaster for Najib than Bersih 2.0, as this has been confirmed from the high-handed, insensitive and reactionary government responses so far, especially the high-level campaign of demonization of Bersih 3.0 and the 250,000 Malaysians regardless of race, religion, class, region, age or gender who gathered peacefully in Kuala Lumpur in support of a common national cause – a clean election for a clean Malaysia.

Every day we are seeing the Barisan Nasional leaders shooting themselves in the foot – the latest being the announcement by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to upload a video compilation of what happened on Bersih 3.0 on the Home Ministry website, which made an utter mockery of the assurances by the Barisan Nasional government that it wants an independent inquiry to find out the true facts of what went wrong on Bersih 3.0 on April 28, causing the incidents of brutality and violence, regardless of whether the victims were police personnel, media representatives or peaceful protestors.

My strongest message today is to call on Malaysians to emulate the spirit of the 250,000 Bersih 3.0 supporters who acted selflessly on April 28 out of two most honourable motives – firstly, as an act of supreme patriotism and love for Malaysia and secondly, for the sake of the next generation of Malaysians to ensure that they have a better Malaysia than today.

The 13th General Election is going to see the dirtiest election campaign in the nation’s history.

Let all Malaysians act in unison to achieve three objectives – firstly, to destroy once and for all the spectre of May 13 which had been wielded as a weapon of fear to terrorise voters, making clear that Malaysians have risen above the fear of May 13 because Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, are uniting to bring about changes for the better for the nation and people.

Secondly, to crush the unbroken UMNO political hegemony in the country which had enabled UMNOputras to exploit ordinary Malaysians, Malays and non-Malays, to serve their selfish political and economic interests.

Thirdly, to end the racial politics which had been practised by UMNO and Barisan Nasional in their “divide and rule” control of the people and country.

In the 13 General Election, Malaysians must unite behind Pakatan Rakyat to demonstrate that Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, can unite under one political coalition to end corruption, abuses of power and all forms of injustices in the country, and most important of all, to save democracy in Malaysia by giving birth to a two-coalition system in Malaysia – a precondition if Malaysia is to become a normal democratic country.

(Speech at the launching of the Perak DAP 13th General Election machinery held at Excelsior Hotel, Ipoh on Saturday, 2nd June 2012 at 11 am)