The Cameron Highlands by-election is a sign of a new Malaysia where firstly, there is restoration of the rule of law and secondly, there are heroes who are prepared to come forward to expose money politics and corruption.
There would be no Cameron Highlands by-election if there is no change of Federal Government in the 14th General Electionto build a new Malaysia to restore the rule of law and the doctrine of separation of powers among the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary.
More important, there were people’s heroes who were prepared to come forward to expose money politics and corruption, taking the case all the way as witnesses in the High Court of Kuala Lumpur, resulting in the Election Court declaring on Nov. 30 last year that the MIC National Vice President, C. Sivaraajh’s election as Member of Parliament of Cameron Highlands in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 was null and avoid because it was tainted by corrupt election practices of vote-buying.
It was not that the Barisan Nasional did not commit corrupt election practices in the other 78 parliamentary constituencies won by BN, but either there was no adequate evidence or there were no “heroes” who were prepared to be witnesses in election petitions to challenge the legality of General Election results.
This is why the 12 witnesses, eleven of whom were Orang Asli from Cameron Highlands, are the heroes not just of Orang Asli but all Malaysians, for they stand in the very forefront in the struggle for integrity and a clean and incorruptible government.
I met six of these Orang Asli when I visited Kampong Orang Asli Janggap in Pos Sinderut yesterday, and they recounted how frightened and fearful they were when they went to the High Court in Kuala Lumpur and faced the lawyers during cross-examination. But although they were frightened and fearful to come out from the interior Orang Asli kampongs to the imposing Kuala Lumpur Court and faced interrogation by the lawyers of the MIC Vice President, they just told the truth of what happened during the 14th General Election.
The eleven Orang Asli heroes from Cameron Highlands have done a great national service to all Malaysians in causing this by-election, to remind Malaysians the battle for a clean and honest government must include a clean electoral process.
The Orang Asli in Cameron Highlands have also educated Malaysians about the hypocrisy and humbug of the so-called development of the previous Barisan Nasional government, building of “roti canai” roads, i.e. substandard roads because of poor workmanship and corruption which rapidly deteriorate and become unroadworthy as there was only a thin film of cement on top to hide the shoddy work.
I first learnt of the term “roti canai” roads from Orang Asli when I visited Cameron Highlands, and now all Malaysians know the meaning of this term.
The father of “roti canai” roads, the former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is in town as he is campaigning for the Barisan Nasional in the by-election for three days starting today.
Will he travel any of the “roti canai” roads to experience what corruption can do to the development process in Malaysia?
In the 14th General Election, only some 10 per cent of the Orang Asli voters, who comprise 22 per cent of the voters in Cameron Highlands, voted for Manogaran. If we significantly increase the support of the Orang Asli voters for Manogaram, then the chances of his victory in the by-election will be raised.
This is the third achievement which the Orang Asli in Cameron Highlands can accomplish on January 26.
(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at Kampong Orang Asli Dusun Pak Senam, Tanjung Gahai, Jelai on Thursday, 17th January 2019 at 3 pm)
