We gather tonight to celebrate the tenth anniversary of a great political change in the “308” 2008 General Election – when a DAP-led coalition toppled the Barisan Nasional in Penang and went to make Penang a model state for good governance.
But we have two other objectives tonight:
Firstly, to enlarge this political change to the national landscape and declare Pakatan Harapan’s readiness to replace UMNO/Barisan Nasional in Putrajaya in the imminent 14th General Election and form the new Federal Government, which will the first change of Federal Government in the nation’s history since Merdeka in 1957; and
Secondly, to clearly and unequivocally our preparedness to be the Malaysian national government, not just for one term after the 14th General Election, but for many terms in the subsequent general elections.
The Pakatan Harapan Manifesto launched on Thursday was a most powerful rebuttal of the politics of lies, falsehoods and hypocrisies, creating hatred and animosities among the diverse races and religions in Malaysia, coming from UMNO/BN quarters and their army of quinoa cybertroopers, e.g. the lie that the Malays will perish if UMNO is defeated.
The Malays in Penang and Selangor, just like the Chinese and Indians, had a better deal under the Pakatan State Governments in the past ten years since 2008 than when under the previous UMNO/BN rule.
Similarly, all Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli will have a better life under Pakatan Harapan Federal Government after the 14th General Election as spelt out in the Pakatan Harapan 14th General Election Manifesto.
This is because Pakatan Harapan wants to continue as the Federal Government in the 15th and 16th General Elections and in the decades after, and not just for five years after the 14th General Election – and we are fully conscious that if Pakatan Harapan Federal Government in Putrajaya fails to deliver its promises to all Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli, to have a better life, the voters have the right to reject Pakatan Harapan in future general elections and elect a replacement, including UMNO/BN if they are still on the political scene.
I therefore call on Penang to be the “fixed deposit” state in the Save Malaysia campaign to ensure Pakatan Harapan wins Putrajaya not only in 14GE but becomes the government for the next 10 to 20 years so that Malaysia can be a show-case to the world of how unity, tolerance and harmony in a plural nation with diverse races, religions and cultures could become a world-class nation of success, development and prosperity instead of becoming a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.
(Speech at the Pakatan Harapan Penang State Government 10th Anniversary Celebration Ceramah at Padang Kota Lama, Penang on Sunday, 11th March 2018 at 10 pm)