I hope to see six tsunamis to effect the first change of Malaysian Government in Putrajaya in 61 years in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018.
The six political tsunamis are:
– Urban tsunami;
– Rural tsunami;
– Sabah tsunami;
– Sarawak tsunami;
– Women tsunami; and
– Youth tsunami.
The 13th General Election five years ago in 2013, as well as the 12GE in 2008, saw the phenomenon of the urban political tsunami in Malaysia. These were not Chinese tsunami, but the tsunami of the urban and semi-urban Malaysians, whether Chinese, Indian or Malays in urban and semi-urban Malaysia.
We must not take for granted that there will be an equal degree of urban tsunami in the 14GE on May 9, because the failures of the urban tsunamis in the 2008 and 2012 General Elections to bring about change of government have resulted in political fatigue, disappointment and even disenchantment with the electoral process.
We have to re-ignite and re-inspire hope among the 15 million registered voters that there is a chance to effect change of the Federal government first time in the nation’s 61-year history, and that everyone should take the trouble and make the sacrifice to cast their vote – even it means a sacrifice of one, two or even three working days and for Malaysians from the Malaysian Diaspora from all over the world to fly home to cast their precious vote.
This is the last chance in this generation to change the Malaysian Government and save Malaysia from a kleptocratic state and a rogue democracy, for Malaysians are not going to get another such opportunity in the next 20- 30 years.
But there must be a rural tsunami to ensure that we can see a Malaysian tsunami in the 14GE on May 9.
We see a Malay tsunami in the rural areas and Felda schemes in-the-making.
If Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans, Orang Asli all unite in the 14E to demand for change and an end to UMNO/BN policies which not only lead to a kleptocratic state and rogue democracy but utter disregard of the interests and welfare of the ordinary Malaysians in favour of UMNO/BN cronies and kleptocrats, a new Malaysia will begin after the 14GE on May 9, 2018.
Hence my hope to see also a Sabah tsunami and a Sarawak tsunami.
But I want to see another two tsunami – women tsunami and youth tsunami.
DAP is fielding more woman and youth candidates (including seven under 30 years of age).
In the 2013 General Election, DAP candidates who were youths 30 years of age and below and who were subsequently elected as State Assemblyman/woman included Yeo Bee Yin (Damansara, Selangor), Wong Shu Qui (Senai, Selangor), Liow Cai Tung (Johor Jaya, Johor), Lee Chuan How (Pasir Pinji, Perak), Chow Yu Hui (Bilut, Pahang), Lee Chin Chen (Ketari, Pahang) and Leong Yu Man (Triang, Pahang).
For the 14GE, DAP will be fielding nine candidates who are 30 years of age or below with Kerk Chee Yee, 25, my political secretary, the youngest candidate standing for Ayer Keroh state assembly seat in Malacca.
The others are:
Jamaliah Jamaluddin, 29 – Bandar Utama, Selangor.
Michelle Ng, 28 – Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Lim Yi Wei, 28 – Kampung Tunku, Selangor.
Choy Tsi Jen, 30 – Canning, Perak.
Teoh Yee Chern, 28 – Astaka, Perak.
Young Syefura Othman (Rara), 28 – Ketari, Pahang.
Teh Swee Leong, 28 – Kota Darul Aman, Kedah.
Phoong Jin Zhe, 29 – Luyang, Sabah.
Just now, DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng announced me as DAP/Pakatan Harapan candidate for Iskandar Puteri. I am reminded of the political ceramah in Pay Fong Chinese Independent Secondary School in Malacca 32 years ago in 1986 where I introduced Guan Eng as the DAP candidate for the Kota Melaka parliamentary constituency.
This is in accordance with the Chinese saying, “Just as the waves of the Yangtze River behind drive on those ahead, so does each generation replace the old one”.
长江后浪催前浪，世上新人赶旧人
This is important as Malaysia has a very youthful population, with the latest demographic profile of the country with 31 million people last year as follows:
0-14 years: 27.83% (male 4,493,084/female 4,238,991)
15-24 years: 16.81% (male 2,677,834/female 2,598,958)
25-54 years: 41% (male 6,507,499/female 6,358,762)
55-64 years: 8.27% (male 1,316,331/female 1,277,558)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 907,850/female 1,005,125) (2017 est.)
On May 9 two years ago, the Filipinos changed their President in their general election. On May 9 last year, the South Koreans changed their President in their presidential election.
It is now the turn of Malaysians whether they would change their Prime Minister on May 9 this year!
This is the decision in the hands of the 15 million Malaysian voters on May 9.
I want to thank the people of the previous Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency who had given me support and encouragement in the past five years to continue to fight for the realization of a Malaysian Dream of Malaysia as a world top-class nation.
When I shifted from Ipoh Timor parliamentary constituency to contest in Gelang Patah in 2013, many felt it was a fool-hardy decision as many thought that Gelang Patah was a “sure lose” constituency. Many on Polling night went through an agonizing night as they feared that I might lose in the Gelang Patah constituency.
Now there is no more Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency, with the name changed to Iskandar Puteri, after some gerrymandering to make the constituency more winnable for the Barisan Nasional. The Nusajaya state assembly seat formerly inside Gelang Patah has been changed to Kota Iskandar.
But there is a sea-change in some perceptions, with some regarding Iskander Puteri parliamentary seat as a “sure win” for DAP and Pakatan Harapan.
This is wrong. Just as Gelang Patah was not a “sure lose” seat for the DAP in the 2013 General Election, Iskandar Puteri is not a “sure win” seat for the DAP and Pakatan Harapan in the 14th General Election.
To win in Iskandar Puteri and to counter the gerrymandering in the constituency redelineation just before dissolution of Parliament, we must not take things for granted as we need every single vote to win.
I leave my political future in the hands of the 138,000 voters in Iskandar Puteri.
(Speech at the DAP Iskandar Puteri General Elections fund-raising dinner in Skudai, Johor Baru on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 11 pm)