Deepavali, the Hindu Festival of Light on the triumph of good over evil, is particularly significant for Malaysia this year, when the country made history and rejected rogue democracy, kakistocracy and global kleptocracy.

But the triumph of good over evil has is not done and complete, until Malaysia transforms from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity; rejects kakistocracy by leveraging on the best values and assets of the diverse races, religions, languages, cultures and civilizations which meet in confluence in Malaysia to elevate Malaysia into a top world class nation; and establish Malaysia as a leading light of democracy and good governance instead of a sham democracy – the mission of a New Malaysia.

This is a mission which cannot accomplished in 100 days or six months, but will take a decade or two.

Let every Deepavali henceforth be a report card of the triumph of good over evil in Malaysia until a New Malaysia is fully born.

I must thank Khairy Jamaluddin for giving a new insight on kakistocracy, where we not only have a Cabinet Minister who cannot differentiate between a chicken egg and a turtle egg but Ministerial wannabes who have the IQ of a carrot!

The triumph of good and evil is a story which resonates with all religions, and should be a common pursuit uniting all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.

The 1MDB scandal is one of the greatest evils to have visited the land since the founding of the nation.

Last Friday, Goldman Sachs Group in its regulatory filing in the United States said US Government probes into its dealings with 1MDB may still result in “significant fines, penalties and other sanctions” apart from the criminal indictments by the US Department of Justice against Jho Low and two former Goldman Sachs bankers, Roger Ng and Tim Leissner over theft of billions of dollars from 1MDB.

What does this mean for Malaysia?

For one, it would mean that former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would be facing more corruption, criminal breach of trust and money-laundering charges apart from the 38 charges which had been levelled against him, as the 38 charges only cover a small section of the 251-page 957-paragragh 1MDB kleptocratic litigation which the US DOJ had filed in the United States court.

The nation must resolve on the first Deepavali after the Day of History of May 9, 2018 to slay the 1MDB beast of evil, the worst man-made catastrophe to visit the land in six decades.

This is the only way forward – to conquer the cancer of corruption in Malaysia to release funds to create jobs and build hospitals, schools and universities for Malaysians so as to invest in the future.

(2018 Deepavali Message by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Monday, 5th November 2018)