Congratulations to the 26 Ministers and 23 Deputy Ministers in the first Pakatan Harapan Cabinet as a result of the historic and watershed 14th General Election on May 9, 2018.

Pakatan Harapan Ministers and Deputy Ministers must be humble, down-to-earth, approachable, hardworking, clean and honest and be role models of service to the people and nation and not to self and family.

This is because we want the Pakatan Harapan Government, whether at national or state levels, to succeed not in just 50 days (which we have just passed) or 500 days but for over 5,000 days in the great, noble and challenging task of building a New Malaysia to fulfill the hopes of Malaysians who, regardless of race, religion, region or even political party, united on May 9, 2018 to Save Malaysia from a future of a failed, rogue, kakistocratic and kleptocratic state.

We want all Malaysians to re-imagine and remake a New Malaysia which is capable of scaling the heights of human excellence and be a world top class nation in various fields of human endeavour by leveraging on our unique assets that come from the diversity of the races, religions, languages and cultures that constitute Malaysia.

We want to create a New Malaysia that can fulfill Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Malaysian Dream of becoming “a beacon of light in a distracted and disturbed world” – a showcase to the world of a plural nation which is united, harmonios, just, democratic, competitive, progressive and prosperous!

Pakatan Harapan promised to rid political favouritism and victimization if it came to power.

Malaysians have witnessed how the previous Barisan Nasional regime abused its power to the extent that innocent people – many of whom are today in Government – were victimised; many others became collateral damage just because they happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

While the Pakatan Harapan government must investigate, remove and bring to book those who were directly responsible and complicit in the financial scandals at 1MDB, FELDA and Tabung Haji, and other crimes against the nation, as promised in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto, we must also be careful not to be seen as embarking on the path of revenge against all and sundry, many of whom may have been at the periphery of what happened at these institutions.

It has been said that before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves – one for the victim, and one for yourselves. This is a warning not to embark on a path of revenge as you can kill the other but you will end up also killing yourself

Pakatan Harapan cannot be seen or perceived to be embarking on any journey of vengeance or vindictiveness embraced and practicsd by the Barisan Nasional government.

Pakatan Harapan must never give anyone any basis to think that it is finding any and every excuse, even the slightest one, to get rid of the current crop of leadership at government agencies and government linked companies (GLCs) to replace them with people aligned to Pakatan Harapan. Pakatan Harapan is different and has to show that it is different from BN.

Lines must be drawn clearly so that the Pakatan Harapan government is not and is incapable of being suspected of embarking on a journey down the slippery slope of a whole-scale witch-hunt.

While more details have surfaced of the massive scandals perpetrated by the previous Barisan Nasional Government, it must be acknowledged that there are also many people associated with the civil service and the Government Linked Companies (GLCs) who had shown dedicated service, integrity and honesty. We cannot tar everyone with the same brush.

Our beloved Malaysia had been plundered; race and religious relations exploited; and yet, on May 9, the people of this country revolted against these abuses and excesses and threw the BN Government out. The Pakatan Harapan Government cannot allow these pernicious practices of the past to take hold again. Never again.

As a country, we have to move on. Nelson Mandela, the world’s most renowned prisoner of conscience, set up the truth and reconciliation committee. We, too, have to have reconciliation in Malaysia. We have to uncover the truth not to seek vengeance but to allow us to better build a bright future for our children and grandchildren, without regard to race, culture, religion or language.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 2nd July 2018)