I have a challenge to the voters of Ledang parliamentary constituency – to vote “1 Parliament and 3 DUN seats” for Pakatan Harapan as an example to all voters in Johore for the 14th General Election in less than three weeks’ time, to pave the way for Pakatan Harapan to form the Federal Government in Putrajaya and the Johore State Government in Nusajaya.
This is indeed a very tall but not an impossible order.
This is something was completely unimaginable only ten years ago, when Johor was regarded as a “fixed deposit” state and unshakeable fortress for UMNO/BN.
But a major breakthrough has taken place in the past decade, and in the 13th General Election
In 2013, the UMNO/BN stranglehold in Johor was destroyed when the Opposition won 18 out of 56 State Assembly seats – one seat short of denying UMNO/BN two-thirds State Assembly majority.
UMNO/BN lost its historic two-thirds majority in the Johor State Assembly when PPBM was formed with one Johor State Assemblyman.
Bukit Gambier was one of the earliest settlements in the history of Johor, with a history going back to some 150 years in the 19th century, older and more famous during its heyday than many of Johor’s other famous sites, including Muar, Batu Pahat, Kluang and Segamat.
That was past history in the 19th Century. Bukit Gambir and Ledang have now a greater history to make in the 21st century.
I envisage three historic roles by the people of Bukit Gambir and surrounding areas in less than three weeks’ time on May 9 on the occasion of the Polling Day for the 14GE – viz:
Firstly, set an example for the rest of Johor on May 9 to vote one Parliament and three State Assembly seats for Pakatan Harapan, i.e. the Ledang parliamentary seat and the Tangkak, Gambir and Serom State Assembly seats;
Secondly, to pave the way for Pakatan Harapan to beat UMNO/BN in the 14GE in Johor to form the new Johor State Government in Nusajaya; and
Thirdly, to form the Federal Government in Putrajaya, the first time in six decades where Malaysian Voters can peacefully and democratically exercise their constitutional and democratic right to elect the new government in Malaysia.
When the wind of change blow strong and hard in the parliamentary seat of Ledang and the three State Assembly seats of Tangkak, Gambir and Serom, then it will blow equally strong and hard in the rest of Johor as well as all over the country.
The 14GE is the last opportunity for Malaysians to tell the whole world that they do not want Malaysia to become a global kleptocracy and a rogud democracy.
The Barisan Nasional 14GE manifesto promised to make Malaysia into a greater country. How is this possible when in the past nine years under the Najib premiership, Malaysia had failed to show any signs of greatness in many important aspects of national life?
We do not have a great Prime Minister who is reviled worldwide as a 1MDB and kleptocratic Prime Minister.
We do not have a great Parliament, when in the last six days of Parliament, the Speaker and the Deputy Speakers developed a peculiar blindness where they could not see me, although I had daily and diligently attended Parliament.
We do not have a great judiciary and justice system, although the country has outstanding lawyers, jurists and even judges.
How can Malaysia be great again under Barisan Nasional when the Barisan Nasional is responsible for Malaysia’s fall from greatness.
Only a new Pakatan Harapan Federal Government in Putrajaya and a new PH Johore State Government in Nusajaya can make Malaysia great again!
(Speech at the Pakatan Harapan ceramah at Bukit Gambir, Johor on Saturday, 14th April 2018 at 5 pm)