If the Filipinos can change their President on May 9 two years ago, and the South Koreans can change their President on May 9 last year, the question is whether Malaysians can change their Prime Minister on May 9 this year.
If there is a change of Prime Minister on May 9, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be the new Parliamentary Opposition Leader if he survives in UMNO, and Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad will be the seventh Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail the new Deputy Prime Minister creating history as the first Malaysian woman to hold this high post, while Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be set to become the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia.
This will herald a political change and a re-set of nation-building policies and directions in Malaysia, and Malaysians will again dare to dream and work to achieve the Malaysian Dream to make Malaysia a world top-class nation instead of as at present, hurtling in the trajectory towards a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.
A top priority if Pakatan Harapan forms the new Malaysian Government on May 9 will be to set up a high-powered commission to find ways to get the million-odd best and brightest Malaysians who form the Malaysian Diaspora all over the world to return to rebuild Malaysia; and secondly, to ensure that the new generation of Malaysians do not have to emigrate overseas so that their capabilities and talents can find fulfilment.
I am glad that we have with us the former Penang Deputy Chief Minister who is contesting as the Pakatan Harapan parliamentary candidate for Batu Pahat, Mohd Rashid Hasnor, who with the former Johore State Assembly leader Gan Peck Cheng (contesting in the Bandar Penggaram state assembly seat), Amanah’s Khairuddin Rahim (Senggarang), and PKR’s Malik Faisal bin Ahmad (Rengit) make up a strong and impressive slate of candidates for the Batu Pahat parliamentary and state assembly seats.
We are all committed that a Pakatan Harapan Malaysian Government in Putrajaya and a new PH Johore state government in Nusajaya will give priority to restore justice, freedom, rule of law and a clean and good government to Malaysians.
The 14th General Election is an opportunity for the 15 millions voters to “Set Malaysia Free” from corruption, abuses of power, injustices and exploitation which have become the hallmark of UMNO/BN rule in Malaysia – the most infamous of which is the 1MDB scandal which has given Malaysia the infamy, ignominy and iniquity as global kleptocracy.
Only Malaysians can save Malaysia from UMNO/BN misrule, which is the most important issue to be decided on May 9, 2018.
(Speech in Batu Pahat on Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 3 pm)