All eyes are on the 16th DAP National Congress in Penang this weekend not only because it is the last national congress for political parties in Malaysia this year, but also because it heralds the last hundred days before the holding of the long-postponed/awaited 13th General Elections.

Let the 16th DAP National Congress be a historic curtain-raiser to the “Hundred Days to Putrajaya” campaign for Malaysians to create history and usher in a new, truly united, democratic, just and prosperous Malaysia under a Pakatan Rakyat Malaysian Government in the 13th General Elections.

Let the 16th DAP National Congress send out the clear and unequivocal message to all Malaysians throughout the country – that DAP leaders, delegates and members are imbued with a profound sense of vision, commitment, responsibility and discipline to accomplish the historic mission and objectives of the “Hundred Days to Putrajaya” campaign for Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, Kadazans or Ibans; whether Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Taoists or Sikhs; whether in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak, to unite as one people to restore Malaysia’s greatness as a model of a harmonious plural society where there is tolerance, freedom, justice, human rights, democracy, sustainable development, prosperity, good governance and a clean and incorruptible government.

In the run-up to the 16th DAP National Congress and during the “Hundred Days to Putrajaya”, UMNO/Barisan Nasional propagandists and spin-masters will go into an overdrive in their politics of lies, hate and fear not only to demonise the DAP and create maximum division and damage inside the party but also in DAP’s relations with our Pakatan Rakyat parties, PKR and PAS.

The reasons are obvious. Despite the façade of confidence after the 66th UMNO General Assembly with the UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak declaring that UMNO/BN will regain its two-thirds parliamentary majority, it is still a “50-50” situation with the outcome of the 13GE a toss-up between the BN and PR – with the developments during the “Hundred Days to Putrajaya” and in particular the general election campaign having a large bearing on the final results.

In the final analysis, the outcome could be between a restored two-thirds parliamentary majority to UMNO/BN, giving BN a majority of at least 74 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, or PR winning up to 125 seats with a majority of 28 seats over UMNO/BN in Parliament.

In the latter scenario with PR winning Putrajaya with 125 parliamentary seats, a likely distribution of the PR seats would be PKR with 45 seats and DAP and PAS with 40 seats each.

It will be a coalition of equals with no one political party exercising political hegemony as in the Barisan Nasional coalition.

In their politics of lies, hate and fear, UMNO and MCA leaders and propagandists have tried to sow hatred and fear by disseminating irresponsible and conflicting messages to the Malays and the Chinese if PR wins in Putrajaya, with the Malays warned they will be oppressed as DAP would dominate a PR government while Chinese are told that the Chinese would be oppressed as PAS would dominate a PR government.

It is a lie that DAP leaders are afraid of PAS leaders, just as it is a lie that PAS leaders are afraid of DAP leaders. It is also a lie that the Malays or the Chinese will be oppressed under the PR government, for the PR parties of PKR, PAS and DAP are committed to serve the best interests of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.

Our relationship in PR, together with PKR, is one of equals where we respect each other’s views and differences.

This is diametrically different from the real relationship inside Barisan Nasional, where as a result of UMNO political hegemony, there is only a “one-way street” with MCA, Gerakan, MIC, Sabah and Sarawak BN component parties all afraid and subservient to the UMNO political hegemon!

Whether history would be made in the 13GE with a change of government in Putrajaya will hinge on the ability of Pakatan Rakyat to convince the 13 million Malaysian electorate, particularly the four million middle ground voters comprising the three million new voters and one million swing voters from the 12th general election, whether PR can be trusted to adhere to the PR Common Policy Framework, Buku Jingga and other PR common policy declarations as well as the fundamental agreement that any new policy or changes would require the consensus of all three PR parties.

Let the 16th DAP National Congress sound the final call to arms for the 13GE to fly high the Pakatan Rakyat common policy programme for a new, truly united, democratic, just and prosperous Malaysia under a Pakatan Rakyat Malaysian government.