It was another Chinese New Year in February ten years ago which paved the way for a political tsunami in urban Malaysia, which caught most Malaysians by surprise.
I recall that in my 2008 Chinese New Year Message, I urged Malaysian Chinese together with all Malaysians to usher in political change to remedy our failure to be a world-class nation, whether in terms of parliamentary democracy, rule of law, educational excellence, international competitiveness, efficient and incorruptible public service, low crime, quality of life, and to end the shameful situation where other countries like Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea overtake us in progress and development, with Malaysia in peril of being left behind by others like Thailand, Vietnam and even Indonesia.
In 2008, very few believed that denial of two-thirds parliamentary majority to UMNO/BN rule was a realistic or achievable target – but in the 2008 and 2013 General Elections, UMNO/BN lost their “unloseable” two-thirds parliamentary majority while losing state governments in five states, viz Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan in 2008.
In my 2018 Chinese New Year Message, I call on the Malaysian Chinese together with all Malaysians to take one step further for Malaysia to mature and become a normal democracy, like in Western countries of United Kingdom, United States and Europe, where general elections in a democracy meant the right of the voters to change the government in power, without any threats of chaos, bloodshed or any other dire consequences for the people.
If political change is to come to Malaysia, there must not only be a political tsunami in the urban areas, but also a political tsunami in the rural and Felda areas.
I call on all Malaysian voters to rise above race, religion or party politics to save Malaysia from becoming a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state and this is why I hereby urge all former UMNO, MCA, Barisan Nasional and PAS voters to join in the national effort to “Save Malaysia” and to vote for Pakatan Harapan in the 14GE.
The time has come for the opening of the Malaysian mind that regardless of race, religion or region we are all Malaysians guided by the motto “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”.
Let all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, unite to usher in a new Malaysia of justice, democracy, integrity, good governance, progress and prosperity for all Malaysians and not just a few under the Malaysian sun.
(2018 Chinese New Year Message in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, February 14, 2018)