I congratulate PAS President, Datuk Hadi Awang on a successful heart surgery and convey to him my best wishes for his swift recovery to the best of health.

We may have different political positions, but it is a test of maturity of Malaysian political leaders in a democratic system that political leaders must always be civil and polite with each other, and never be personal, cantankerous or abusive in pursuit of their roles in a democratic system to submit their objectives, programmes and policies to the peaceful and democratic electoral endorsement of the people in periodic general elections.

This is why in my 51 years in politics in Malaysia, spanning six Prime Ministers and UMNO Presidents, I had never been personal in my political differences with them to the extent of foreclosing working together with any of them in the national interests – whether in the case of Tunku, Tun Hussein or Tun Mahathir.

Similarly, in my relationship with five PAS Presidents in half a century of politics, I had never descended to the level of personal animosities or hatred.

This is in fact a test for all Malaysians on the occasion of the 60th national anniversary this year after 13 general elections, whether we can agree to disagree politically without being disagreeable and accept the democratic verdict of the electorate in the general election.

DAP leaders are in the forefront to forswear the politics of lies, hate and fear.

Are leaders of all political parties, including UMNO/BN and PAS, prepared to join DAP leaders to forswear the politics of lies, hate and fear to exploit the primordial racial or religious sentiments of the people, and to practise the politics of honesty, truth, peace and harmony in multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia?