We are here to remember and honour Sdr. Karpal Singh – a giant of a Malaysian who had dedicated his life to a more united, just, equal and democratic Malaysia.
There are two ways to remember and honour Karpal, who left us three years ago with many unfinished national business.
The first is to elect a DAP-led government for the third term in Penang and the second is to elect Pakatan Harapan to form the Federal Government in Putrajaya to Save Malaysia from global kleptocracy and from heading towards a failed and a rogue state.
This year Malaysians will be celebrating our 60th National Day to commemorate the nation’s attainment of Independence on August 31, 1957.
I was in Form III in Batu Pahat High School in 1957, I can still remember that on August 31, 1957, we gathered at the school compound where every student was given a bunting of the new national flag and a scroll setting out the Proclamation of Merdeka which was declared by the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman at the Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
We were brimming with hope and confidence of a new future as a new nation.
In the past six decades, Malaysia failed to live up to the promises of Merdeka in 1957 for the country to be an example and showcase to the troubled world as to how diverse races, languages, religions, cultures and civilisations could successfully co-exist and integrate to build a united, harmonious, purposive, democratic, just, progressive and prosperous nation.
South Korea recently provides us with a painful reminder of our nation-building failures.
Sixty years ago, South Korea was very poor and backward, with a per capita GNP which is only one-third in this country. Today, South Korea is one of the richest, most developed and prosperous nations in the world.
Sixty years ago, any notion of democracy and human rights in South Korea was non-existent as it was ruled by a dictatorship. But today, the South Korean Parliament could impeach the South Korean President and eight judges of the South Korean Constitutional Court could unanimously uphold the impeachment of the South Korean President by the South Korean Parliament on charges of corruption and cronyism.
Can Malaysians to do the same thing against “MO1” which had earned for the country the international infamy and ignominy of a “global kleptocracy”?
Why is Malaysia so backward and behind South Korea in political and economic developments today, when we were ahead of South Korea on both scores sixty years ago.
What are Malaysians hesitant when overseas to admit they are Malaysians for they know that the questions that will follow will be about “MO1”, the 1MDB scandal and Malaysia as a global kleptocracy?
The 60th National Day anniversary is a fit and proper moment for the nation to undertake a “Malaysia Reset” movement, where we keep policies and measures which had done good to the country but correct or even abandon policies and measures detrimental to the nation or which had damaged the nation building process.
But the pre-condition for a “Malaysia Reset” of nation building directions and policies is the achievement of two objectives in the forthcoming 14th General Elections, which could be held in the next 150 days, viz: the
• The re-election of a DAP-led government for the third term in Penang; and
• The election of a Pakatan Harapan Federal Government in Putrajaya.
Let us pledge ourselves to these two objectives to Save Malaysia from global kleptocracy and a failed and a rogue state, by ensuring that Malaysia shall forever remain a democratic nation where there is an incorruptible government and the rule of law.
(Speech at the Third Anniversary Karpal Singh Commemoration Walk at Island Glades, Penang on Sunday, 16th April 2017 at 9 am)