2015 New Year Message

It is so easy to give way to despair at the tides of adversity Malaysians have to go through in 2014 and to write off the future for Malaysia – the unprecedented three air disasters in a year (MH370, MH17 and QZ8501) which no other country had ever had to experience, the worst floods disaster in recent decades and the rise of bigotry and extremism putting to the ultimate test the Merdeka and Malaysia national compacts of 1957 and 1963 to be an oasis of multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural harmony, tolerance and co-existence in an increasingly troubled and fractious world.

Every cloud has a silver lining and this holds true for the adversities Malaysians had to undergo in 2014 – the air disasters and the worst floods disaster in decades galvanizing Malaysians to stand in sympathy, support and solidarity with the victims and the aggrieved and the rise of moderates, best exemplified by the Open Letter by 25 Eminent Malays to the Prime Minister and the snowballing of support by ordinary moderate Malaysians regardless of race, religion, politics or region to save Malaysia from the bigots and extremists.

Malaysians must stay strong, hopeful and confident despite a year of great adversities with three air disasters, the worst floods disaster in decades and the rise of bigotry and extremism to build a common, united, moderate and prosperous future for all Malaysians.

It may not be appropriate to wish “Happy New Year” with the close of a very unhappy 2014, but it would be most pertinent and fitting for Malaysians to wish each other a “Purposeful New Year” – to make 2015 a watershed year to end the rhetoric and politics of falsehood, hate, bigotry and intolerance which threaten to pulverize not only Malaysia but the world as well!

Moderates in Malaysia, regardless of race, religion, politics or region, must stand up as one to save not only Malaysia but the world and drown out the siren calls of the extremists and bigots which had spawned the emergence of the barbarities and savageries of Islamic State and such-like organisations.

After the 13th General Elections in May last year, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat had endorsed a National Reconciliation Programme.

This should be the national programme for all moderates in Malaysia to unite on to save Malaysia from the bigots and extremists.

I reiterate the call made by many quarters for an emergency meeting of Parliament in January with at least four specific agendas:

(1) A new budget 2015 and National Economic Salvation Plan in the wake of fast-changing economic world;

(2) National Reconciliation Plan to save Malaysia and the world from bigots and extremists;

(3) The worst floods disaster in decades; and

(4) The Royal Commission of Inquiry Report into the Ilelgal Immigrants in Sabah.

Purposeful New Year 2015.