2018, Malaysians stood tall for the first time in many years and shocked themselves as well as the world by carrying out a peaceful and democratic transition of power in Putrajaya to give hope to Malaysians and the world not to give up on democracy, however noisy and messy it might be, as a system of governance.
2019 will probably be the most decisive year in the nation’s history which will decide whether the New Malaysia the Pakatan Harapan coalition of DAP, Bersatu, PKR and AMANAH want to build is a work-in-progress or a sheer chimera.
May 9, 2018 allows Malaysians a hitherto unimaginable chance to re-set nation-building policies, but a New Malaysia cannot be built or completed in 100 days, two years or even a five-year general election cycle but will take a decade or two to accomplish.
A New Malaysia is struggling to be born and all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, politics, gender, sex, inside the country or in the worldwide diaspora, must take ownership of and participate in the process of the making of a New Malaysia.
The journey towards a New Malaysia must strike deep roots in 2019 in terms of structural and institutional reforms in 2019 to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity; restore the rule of law; entrench democracy; reform the educational system to make Malaysia a top world-class nation; unite Malaysians of diverse races, religions and cultures and leverage on the assets of the different races, religions, cultures and civilisations which meet in confluence in Malaysia to build a new global civilization.
In short, Malaysians must reach for the world and must compete with the rest of the world instead of among themselves.
From an era of ketuanan Melayu, all Malaysiansn must move to an epoch of ketuanan Malaysian.
Nation building must not be a zero sum game but a win-win formula. We must fight for the rights of the Malays but not at the expense of the non-Malays. We must fight for the rights of the Chinese in Malaysia, but not to the detriment of the non-Chinese. Similarly, we must fight for the rights of the Indians in Malaysia without being a threat to the non-Indians in Malaysia. Similarly for the Kadazans, Ibans and Orang Asli communities in Malaysia.
Let 2020 be the year Malaysians can begin to celebrate the fruits of a New Malaysians.
(2019 New Year Message by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Cameron Highlands on Monday, 31st December 2018)
#1 by SuperStringhg on Monday, 31 December 2018 - 12:11 pm
The First Chance for Malaysia to change, to reform was in 1998 under Anwar Reformasi movement. That failed. The Second Chance for Malaysia to change, to reform was in 2004 under Abdullah Badawi under his slogan “Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang” {Excellence, Glory and Distinction}. This failed too. Pakatan Harapan won the election in 2018 but “UMNO DNA” can still be detected in Bersatu and PKR. Will this Third Chance for Malaysia to achieve “Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang” failed too?
The last 61 years the country survives despite rampant corruptions, nepotism, cronism, poor governance and bad education system because OIL bailed out Malaysia, the next 60 years, when OIL wells will dried up or replaced by renewable energy, what will bail out Malaysia – shouting ketuanan Malayu not going to be helpful, I guessed? Time will tell!
#2 by Bigjoe on Monday, 31 December 2018 - 1:18 pm
There is a lot of Malay leaders in PKR and Bersatu spending way too much effort politicking for their own power, position, that simply disregard the disdain of non-Malays that was the foundation which they rode into power.
These Malay leaders better be warned in all their scheming for power that if they betray the non Malays in their plotting, it will break this country. There will not just be no New Malaysia, there will be no Malaysia at all ultimately.
#3 by winstony on Monday, 31 December 2018 - 9:32 pm
Quote from Malay Mail Online today:
Step down from poll reform panel, former Bersih chair tells PPBM veep – End of quote
Well, well, well.
Looks like the destruction of PH has already begun.
The new kid on the block has been born with very defective DNA and may not last long.
So, all the talk about a New Malaysia will come to naught very soon!