Malaysians are on the threshold of the 14th General Elections.
The four parties in the Pakatan Harapan coalition – DAP, PKR, Amanah and Pribumi Bersatu – must give hope and confidence to the voters that in the forthcoming general elections, which could take place within weeks or months, a seismic political change is possible, which includes the change to a Pakatan Harapan government both in Putrajaya and Nusajaya to form a Pakatan Harapan Federal Government as well as a Pakatan Harapan Johore state government.
There are three things a Pakatan Harapan Johore State Government can do if PH is given the mandate to take over Nusajaya in the 14th General Election.
Firstly, I agree with the Chairman of the PPBM Batu Pahat Division, Drs. Mohd Zaid Md Yusuf that there should be a public inquiry into the Johore GLCs to curb the abuses of power, breaches of trust and deviations in the state institutions to ensure that their foremost and primary task is to promote the welfare of the people and not to enrich a few in the state.
Secondly, a Pakatan Harapan must ensure that Johore can become one of the top five states with the highest per capita GDP, and not as at present, when Johore is listed as No. 9 among the list of state GDPs in Malaysia – even below Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Pahang.
Thirdly, a Pakatan Harapan Johore State Government will prove that it is more capable and successful in promoting the rights and the interests of the people of Johore as compared to the UMNO/BN Johore State Governments.
We must be wary of “blacks ops” propaganda campaign from UMNO/BN to demonise and character-assassinate DAP and Pakatan Harapan leaders in the short time before the 14GE is called.
I have been on the receiving end of such UMNO/BN demonisation campaign for decades, sometimes in very contradictory BN propaganda campaigns.
For instance, I have been accused of being a stooge and puppet of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad by MCA and Gerakan leaders among the non-Malay population, while Mahathir had been accused of being my stooge and puppet by UMNO in Malay areas.
I have spoken my mind without fear or favour during the 22 years when Mahathir was the Prime Minister of Malaysia, going through trials and tribulations, including losing my personal freedom when I was detained under the Internal Security in the mass arrests of Operation Lalang in 1987, while my son, the Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng was not only detained under the ISA during the Operation Lalang mass arrests, but was subsequently imprisoned in Kajang Prison and disqualified as Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka when he defended the honour and rights of an underaged Malay girl.
I was not a stooge or puppet of Mahathir when he was at the height of his powers during the 22 years when he was Prime Minister of Malaysia. Why should I now become a stooge or puppet of Mahathir today, when he is no more Prime Minister of Malaysia?
Similarly, why should Mahathir, who is now 92 years, become my stooge or puppet after being a Prime Minister for 22 years?
I am not Mahathir’s stooge nor is Mahathir my puppet. Whatever our differences or disagreements in the past, we are now in agreement that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal which transformed Malaysia overnight into a global kleptocracy are the greatest disasters for Malaysia, which must be stopped if Malaysia is not to continue too hurtle along the trajectory towards a failed and a rogue state.
I have been accused of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam but the very fact that the UMNO leaders and propagandists could not produce a single instance from my 51 years of political struggle to show that I am anti-Malay or anti-Islam is the strongest evidence of the lies that form the basis of these allegations.
DAP is a Malaysian party for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region. We condemn Chinese chauvinism, Indian chauvinism and Malay chauvinism for we want to promote a Malaysian identity and consciousness which transcend race or religion – as Malaysia is unique plural nation of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures.
[Speech at a Pakatan Harapan dialogue at Jalan Masjid, Batu Pahat on Sunday, 3rd September 2017 at 10 pm]