The most important messages Johore Pakatan Harapan wants to send out from tonight’s Chinese New Year Open House in Muar is firstly, the three constituent Pakatan Harapan political parties of DAP, PKR and AMANAH are determined to ensure that Johor will be the front-line state in the battle for political change culminating in the 14th General Election by 2018.

Until the 12th General Election in 2008, UMNO and Barisan Nasional were so cocky and arrogant about their political stranglehold in Johor that they campaigned for a “Zero-Opposition” Johor in the election campaign.

But the political tables have been turned and there has been such a sea-change in politics in Johor that in the 14th General Election, the great challenge in Johor is whether Pakatan Harapan can succeed in toppling the UMNO-BN government in Johor.

The second message is that if UMNO/BN falls in Johor in the 14th General Election, there is no way UMNO/BN can continue to have the parliamentary majority to form the Federal Government in Putrajaya.

The road to Putrajaya in the 14th General Election must be traversed therefore through the road to victory in Johor!

Thirdly, the message we want to send out to Johorians and Malaysians is that the greatest objective in the 14th General Election is not whether Pakatan Harapan can replace UMNO/BN in Johore State and Putrajaya Federal Governments, but whether Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region and even politics are capable of uniting on a common national platform to “Save Malaysia” from becoming a failed state because of rampant corruption and widespread socio-economic justices and a “rogue state” where there is no Rule of Law and those in power can abuse their powers with impunity.

“Save Malaysia” from becoming a failed and rogue state must now be the rallying cry for all Malaysians, starting from Johor, and I am glad that more and more Malaysians are taking up this patriotic call before it is too late.

The latest recruit to the “Save Malaysia” agenda is none other than the former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin whose message at the Chinese New Year Open House in Pagoh was the urgent and imperative need for Malaysians to unite to “Save Malaysia” from becoming a “failed state”.

Muhyiddin lamented that the biggest problem facing Malaysia today is an absence of the spirit that ensures that its leaders hold fast to good values and dare to speak up truthfully and honestly.

He called for “the start of the struggle” for Malaysia to recover its greatness, to make Malaysia a great nation, and not a country heading in the direction of a “failed state” because of rampant corruption and widespread socio-economic injustices.

He said that the most important principle in life is adherence to the truth and standing by what is right.

He stressed that as a Muslim, “never should we defend what is wrong” is a religious requirement.

I am most struck by his specific call at the Chinese New Year Open House in Pagoh on MCA leaders to have the courage to speak up for the truth.

The Deputy President of Parti Amanah Sallehuddin Ayub and the PKR Information Chief Syed Ibrahim Syed Nor are here tonight, and I am sure they are in full agreement when I say that Pakatan Harapan particularly in Johor are ready to co-operate with Muhyiddin and UMNO, MCA and Barisan Nasional leaders at all levels in the state if they are prepared to speak up for the rights of the ordinary people and the future of the nation on a programme to “Save Malaysia”.

In his latest Facebook posting, Muhyiddin lamented about the widespread “criminal breach of trust” in the country – “no responsibility to the people and perhaps even no fear for Allah SWT’s retributions”.

He said:

“The mystery surrounding the loss of public funds and national assets will not be resolved, although for those in the know, it was akin to daylight robbery.”

Referring to Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals, Muhyiddin said: “Tales will continue to be spun to pull the wool over people’s eyes in order to hide the wrongdoings of certain individuals. The justice demanded will not be so easily upheld.

“We know that previously there have been civil servants, businessmen and politicians who were investigated, charged, and later punished for misuse of public funds and corruption.

“But when it comes to the country’s biggest financial scandal involving 1MDB and SRC International, not a single person was charged.

“In fact, there is a party that is blatantly defending the wrongdoings of certain individuals though I know deep in the corner of their hearts, they too know what actually happened.”

There are three subjects on which Pakatan Harapan can start co-operating with Muhyiddin and UMNO, MCA and Barisan Nasional leaders who are prepared to rise above narrow self and/or party interests to work on a national agenda to “Save Malaysia” –

1. Demand for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Najib’s twin mega scandals – the RM2.6 billion donation and RM55 billion 1MDB scandals.

The Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali’s exoneration of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak of not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing in the RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM42 million SRC International scandals has become the butt of jokes both inside the country and internationally, as it has no credibility whatsoever.

I have often wondered what would have happened to me if I had RM2.6 billion in my personal banking accounts and I gave the same dumb answers as Najib of not knowing who put the vast deposits into my account and my refusal to explain what had happened to the monies.

Would the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General exonerate me and declare that I am not guilty of any wrongdoing?

Even now, UMNO cybertroopers are carrying out a vicious campaign demanding to know what had happened to the RM1.2 billion given to DAP by Israelis in the last general election in exchange for DAP undertaking to allow for an Isaraeli naval base in Port Dickson, when the Prime Minister, the police, Bank Negara and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission all knew that the alleged RM1.2 billion Israeli donation was a downright lie as there was no such incident.

Would I be able to get away like Najib claiming ignorance about where the RM 2.6 billion came from and where they have gone to?

2. An immediate public stand to oppose the Attorney-General’s proposals to increase criminal penalties under the Official Secrets Act to punish and deter whistleblowers and journalists for publishing information to combat corruption.

3. Call on the Attorney-General to drop all sedition charges against the scores of Opposition leaders and MPs, civil society activists, academicians and cartoonist Zunar to uphold and respect the fundamental right of free speech, dissen and criticism in Malaysia.

On these three subjects, Pakatan Harapan will co-operate with Muhyiddin and UMNO, MCA and Barisan Nasional leaders both inside and outside Parliament, with the objective of saving Malaysia from becoming a “failed state” and a “rogue state”.

The question is whether there are any takers?

(Speech at the Johor Pakatan Harapan Chinese New Year Open House in Muar on Saturday, 13th February 2016 at 9 pm)