The 2008 General Election saw a “political tsunami” which saw UMNO/BN coalition losing power in five states – retaining power in Kelantan as well as capturing Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor.

The 2013 General Election was meant to be a political watershed event, bringing about for the first time in the nation’s history a change of Federal government in Putrajaya.

But there was national disappointment all round, as Datuk Seri Najib Razak was able to cling on to power as the first minority Prime Minister in the country through gerrymandering and a most unfair and undemocratic electoral system.

With 47% of the electoral vote, Najib secured 60% of the parliamentary seats although the majority of the voters voted against Najib and the UMNO/BN coalition with the Pakatan Rakyat at the time winning 53% of the popular vote.

Following the break-up of Pakatan Rakyat in June 2015 because of the refusal of the Hadi leadership of PAS to honour the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework and the Pakatan Rakyat’s consensus operational principle, Malaysians experienced the worst political disappointment in the nation’s history.

As a result many Malaysians lost hope in the possibility of bringing about political change through the electoral process.

What then does the 14th General Election, which will be held in the next 10 months, hold in store for Malaysians?

PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang said the next general election will be PAS’ greatest electoral outing, winning 40 parliamentary seats and capturing five state governments, viz: Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perak and Selangor.

I have my doubts as I think PAS may lose power in Kelantan and PAS’ greatest test in the 14GE is whether it could retain power in Kelantan State Government, which it won 27 years ago under the leadership of Tok Guru, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

There are many reasons why the people of Kelantan want a change of State government, which include the following:

• The great floods disaster in Kelantan in 2014, with Gua Musang and Kuala Krai as the worst-hit areas, claiming over 200,000 victims. The flood was called “Bah Kuning” because of its high mud content – signifying the close connection between the Bah Kuning and the extensive and even uncontrolled logging activities in the state. The Kelantan Mentri Besar Ahmad Yakob was himself trapped in his own home by Bah Kuning. How could he help to save the people of Kelantan when he could not even save himself?

• Kelantan’s debts to Federal government is RM1.4 billion as compared to Penang’s debts to the Federal Government which stands at RM65 million, which the Penang could repay in an instant without any problem.

• Kelantan remaining as the country’s poorest state although it is one of the state governments with the highest debts to the Federal Government, which can only mean that the huge debts to the Federal Government did not go to benefit the people of Kelantan.

• PAS today under the leadership of Datuk Seri Hadi Awang is very different from the PAS of 1990 under the leadership of Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat which won the Kelantan State Government in the 1990 general election or even under Datuk Fadzir Noor who played a major role in the formation of Barisan Alternative in 1999, comprising DAP, PKR and PAS. Nik Aziz was himself a role model for more than two decades as Kelantan Mentri Besar not only to PAS members, but also to Malaysians who are not PAS members. In contrast, Hadi regards the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as a proper role model for Malaysians when Najib is responsible for Malaysia becoming a global kleptocracy and the butt of international scorn and jokes as a result.

What is in store in the 14th General Election for Malaysians and Pakatan Harapan comprising PKR, Amanah, Pribumi Bersatu and DAP?

Pakatan Harapan must firstly reignite hopes of Malaysian voters that it is still possible to achieve political change through the electoral process.

I will go even further and ask Malaysian voters not to lose hope and to work hard to achieve even better results in the 14th General Election than the 2008 and 2013 General Elections.

Never before had voters in Malaysia achieved a double whammy in a general election, i.e. kill two birds with one stone by using their vote in a General Election to change two governments – state and federal.

The voters of Kelantan are capable killing two birds with one stone in the 14th General Election –change the Kelantan State Government as well as Federal Government in Putrajaya to usher in a Pakatan Harapan Government both at the national and Kelantan state level.

This should be Pakatan Harapan’s 14th General Election objective – for five states, namely Kelantan, Kedah, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Johore to kill two birds with one stone in effecting a change of state and federal government in one go, while retaining the Pakatan Harapan state governments in Penang and Selangor.

Is such a “political miracle” possible in the 14th General Election – which will see the next general election achieve greater political breakthroughs and inroads than the 2008 and 2013 General Elections?

(Speech at the DAP political dialogue together with Pakatan Harapan leaders organized by DAP Pulai Branch in Pulai, Gua Musang on Friday, 30th June 2017 at 5 pm)