This is the first time in 61-year history of Malaysia where the Malaysian Dream of an united, harmonious, democratic, progressive and prosperous Malaysia is the basic goal of a general election.
Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or even political party affiliation, have a common aspiration – they want Malaysia to succeed as a diverse nation of different races, religions and cultures, a model of a plural nation in the world, and be a world top-class nation in various fields of human endeavor.
Today, some six decades after Merdeka in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Malaysia had slid down the ladder of nations, becoming a worm instead of a economic dragon, known worldwide for our new epithet as a global kleptocracy and on the threshold of becoming a rogue democracy?
What went wrong with Malaysian nation-building in the last few decades and who is responsible for this tragic state of affairs?
I dropped into the PATRIOT forum for NGO aspirations in Kuala Lumpur on my way to KKB from Iskandar Puteri this morning.
I met the veteran soldiers and policemen, the illustrious sons of the country many of whom sacrificed their lives or limbs in the defence for the country.
The military veterans, many of whom are in the sixties, formed PATRIOT because they do not want their sacrifices and that of their comrades-at-arms to be in vain with the country losing its moral compass, national unity and common sense of purpose with the nation increasingly more divided than ever because of unchecked racial and religious polarisation and rampant corruption, to an extent that Malaysia is known world-wide as a global kleptocracy.
The voices of PATRIOT, as well as other NGOs who gathered at the forum to state their national aspirations like C4 (Combat Corruption and Cronyism), Young Professionals Movement, Pergerakan Tenagal Akademik Malaysia (GERAK), Persatuan Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia, Group of 25 (G25) must be heard by the government of the day and given full consideration.
This is the time for political change on May 9, 2018. I have dedicated 53 years of my life to the struggle to achieve the Malaysian Dream. I call on the 15 million Malaysian voters to sacrifice one, two or even three days for those who need to fly in from overseas from various points of the globe to cast their vote so that Malaysia can start anew in nation-building efforts and directions to create a democratic, united and tolerant world top class nation.
(Speech in Kuala Kubu Baru on Sunday, 6th May 2018 at 4.30pm)