The people of Malaysia created two historic events last year.
First, the historic decision of the fourteen general election of May 9, 2018 when they voted out Datuk Sri Najib Razak as the Prime Minister of Malaysia and ejected UMNO/Barisan Nasional as the Federal Government of Malaysia, replacing it with Pakatan Harapan comprising DAP, PKR, Amanah and Bersatu and making Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad as the Prime Minister for the second time, at the age of 93.
Second, history was also made on 30th November 2018 following the heroic testimony of Orang Asli witnesses when the Election Court in Kuala Lumpur declared the Cameron Highlands election of MIC Vice President C.Sivarraajh as MP null and void because of corrupt election practices and money politics.
Let us make a third history on January 26 by electing a Pakatan Harapan MP for the first time in the nation’s history – signifying that the next general elections in four years’ time will be a contest for Pakatan Harapan to capture the Pahang State government and appoint a new Mentri Besar for the State.
If M. Manogaran can be elected MP for Cameron Highlands in the by-election, then the chance of Pakatan Harapan capturing and forming the Pahang State Government in the next general election in four years’ time, with a Pakatan Harapan Mentri Besar, is very high.
To many, it is unthinkable that UMNO can lose the Pahang State Government and the post of Pahang Mentri Besar.
But only eight months ago, it was unthinkable that UMNO could lose the Federal Government in Malaysia and the post of Prime Minister – but both events occurred.
It is not going to be easy to capture the Pahang State Government, but it is do-able just as it is not easy to capture the Federal Government in Putrajaya but Pakatan Harapan succeeded in doing so.
The Cameron Highlands by-election is therefore the curtain-raiser for the great battle for Pahang state power in the next general election in four years’ time.
(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the launching of the Pakatan Harapan Cameron Highlands by-election operations centre In Brinchang Square, Brinchang on Thursday, 10th January 2019 at 9pm)