We are coming to the sixth month of the Pakatan Harapan Government entrusted with the task and mission of building a New Malaysia.

Speculation and talk have intensified that the differences, conflicts and contradictions intra-party and inter-party in Pakatan Harapan would lead to an implosion and crack-up of the Pakatan Harapan Government, with more and more attention devoted to the so-called differences between Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, whom the Pakatan Harapan had designated respectively as the seventh and eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia after the toppling of the Barisan Nasional in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018.

In fact, the raison d’etre of UMNO and Barisan Nasional in post-14th General Election is to plot for the break-up and downfall of the Pakatan Harapan Government before the 15th General Election in 2023, preferably within two years of the 14th General Election – but before the implosion of Pakatan Harapan coalition of four political parties, UMNO has imploded first with five MPs, two of whom senior former UMNO Ministers resigning from UMNO, leaving UMNO with 49 MPs in Parliament.

The four political parties have agreed to the Pakatan Harapan platform to reset nation-building policies for Malaysia to live up to the vision of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world” instead of being “a black hole” of a failed state, rogue democracy, kakistocracy and global kleptocracy.

We should not discount or ignore the differences, conflicts and contradictions intra-party and inter-party in Pakatan Harapan, as the four political parties which formed the Pakatan Harapan have different histories and diverse political aims, but we have come together in a common and concerted endeavour to Save Malaysia from the trajectory of a failed state, a rogue democracy, kakistocracy and a global kleptocracy.

If the four component Pakatan Harapan parties, and their leaders, maintain a positive mindset of wanting the Pakatan Harapan government and agenda to “Save Malaysia” to succeed, and do everything possible to resolve the differences, conflicts and contradictions which arise in such a positive mindset, I believe Pakatan Harapan is in Malaysia to stay, not just for one general election but for several general elections as the re-set of nation-building polices to build a New Malaysia which is a top world-class nation in various fields of human endeavour would require the efforts and labours of patriotic Malaysians in one decade or even two.

In such a context, despite the worst trickeries and stratagems from the UMNO/BN strategists and cybertroopers, I do not expect any hitches to Pakatan Harapan plan for Mahathir and Anwar to be seventh and eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia respectively.

I am particularly interested in the Malaysian Diaspora in my current visit to Australian and New Zealand cities, having covered Perth, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Christchurch, now Dunedin, and visiting Wellington and Auckland before the end of the week.

I still remember that when I spoke up in Parliament and outside in the 1970s about the new phenomenon of Malaysians emigrating overseas to seek greener pastures for the sake of their chidlren’s education and economic opportunities, the incipient Malaysian Diaspora was condemned by some UMNO leaders as “good riddance to bad rubbish”.

During Dr. Mahathir’s recent visit to China, he met Malaysian Chinese who had worked in China for 10 or even 20 years.

I was invited by Bersih Shanghai to its annual Merdeka Forum after Mahathir’s visit to China. An unprecedented number of Malaysians in Shanghai and neighbouring provinces like Zhejiang turned up for the forum. Before the Bersih Shanghai event started, we all stood up to sing the Negara-ku.

It was a near-tearing moment, which tugged at the heart-strings, that Malaysians, who have left Malaysia for 10, 15, 20 or more years to live and work in foreign lands, of different races and faiths, far away from Malaysia, sang NegaraKu from the bottom of their heart, for Malaysia is the only country they cared and loved.

As I pointed out to Mahathir recently when we discussed the Malaysian Diaspora, they have not become Chinese Chinese despite being in China for one or two decades but remain as Malaysian Chinese, who continue to care for Malaysia wherever they may be.

I was reminded of my Shanghai feelings when I visited Perth, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Christchurch and Dunedin tonight – the many white-haired Malaysians who still think and. cared for what is best for Malaysia athough they have left the Malaysian shores for many decades.

This was best expressed in an email from a Malaysian from the Diaspora after my visit to Sydney, which said:

“I am a chartered accountant and migrated to Australia 17 years ago. Like many, I left because there was no turning point for Malaysia and I left the country in disappointment as I found it hard to breath under the ‘corrupt’ air. In the last 17 years, I shut out Malaysia politics and instead following closely the Australia, UK, US politics. However, when I heard about Tun M is forming the coalition with Pakatan Rakyat, I found myself booked a ticket and flew back and voted for PH. At this point I realised, I am still a Malaysian at heart and love our country.”

This chartered accountant of the Malaysian Diaspora had many questions. One of the is about the brain-drain:

“Second question is about brain drain. I am glad you spoke about it and encourage the formation of Diaspora Malaysia in rebuilding the nation. May I know the concept in more detail please? What is the plan behind? Is there any policies or strategy in place to lure some Malaysians back?

“I never understood the meaning of brain drain until I came to Sydney and have met numerous Malaysians excel in various fields over the years. These Malaysians can bring new perspective and new ideas as I woke up to the reality that how different things are done in an advanced nations, it is naive to deny things are often done more efficiently here.

“One important element about Malaysian that I wish to highlight to YB is the sincerity, hardworking and prepared-to-give traits. One outstanding employment agent once told me Malaysian is one of his favourite compared to some other nations because we are less politicking and more contributing and fast learners.”

In the email, this chartered accountant said:

“What I like to highlight here is the willingness to go the extra mile is one of the traits of Malaysians, obviously not all but inhabits in many of us.

“I am always the first in the office and last to leave and never crossed my mind there is anything wrong about that.

“Therefore, I believe if Malaysia can bring those abroad back (including those in Singapore), it will help in rebuilding the nation.

“There may be some will go back on their own such as myself as I have been contemplating about it since GE14 as there is new hope now but some may need a little encouragement. Therefore, a nationwide strategy may be useful.”

It is because of the feelings and Malaysianness as expressed in this email that I have been advocating that the Malaysians in the worldwide diaspora should emulate Bersih and Global Bersih and launch a New Malaysian civil movement in the Malaysian Diaspora worldwide, which can be called Diaspora New Malaysia with separate chapters in countries abroad or major foreign cities to contribute to and participate in the building of New Malaysia.

The responses that I have received from Malaysians in the Diaspora in Perth, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Christchurch had been most encouraging and I do not think I am being over-optimistic in expecting such a Diaspora New Malaysia movement to be formed in the Australiana and New Zealand cities in the near future.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at a talk organised by Otago Malaysian Students Association at University of Otago on Wednesday 26th Sept. 2018 at 7 pm)