One of the architects of the DAP’s historic victory in the Sandakan by-election, Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal is right that the Sandakan parliamentary by-election is an endorsement by voters of the Warisan-led Sabah State Government and showed that UMNO is no longer relevant in Sabah.
But the Sandakan by-election has other meanings and implications as well as it is also a ringing endorsement of the Pakatan Harapan Government in Putrajaya and showed that the UMNO-PAS axis is utterly irrelevant in the mission to build a world-class Malaysia
Most powerfully, the Sandakan verdict was a stunning repudiation of the “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who visited various polling centres in Sandakan yesterday morning.
It is pathetic while the great people of Sandakan, regardless of race or religion, voted for a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan, the UMNO leaders were engrossed in the divisive and destructive politics of race and religion, with the Acting UMNO President Datuk Mohamad Hassan declaring at the 73rd UMNO anniversary celebration last night that how the public perceives the Malays is tied to how they perceive UMNO.
Are the UMNO powerbrokers aware that this is the reason why this umbilical cord must be severed, for UMNO is now inextricably intertwined with kleptocracy, cronyism and avarice of UMNO leaders, as illustrated by the shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign and Najib’s pride of place at yesterday’s UMNO anniversary with the participation of PAS leaders.
The advancement of Malay and Islamic rights and interests in Malaysia is now equated with the protection of corruption and the vicious and toxic politics of lies, intolerance, hate and extremism of UMNO and PAS leaders.
This is against the principles of a New Malaysia, a New Sabah and a New Sandakan.
The last three days provide powerful evidence that the second year of Pakatan Harapan/Warisan government in Malaysia and Sabah will be even more meaningful than the first year to build a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan – with Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad first anniversary report card on May 9, the announcement by the new Inspector-General of Police, Abdul Hamid Bador that the police have consented to the formation of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) on May 10 and the historic Sandakan by-election result on May 11!
Pakatan Harapan/Warisan must keep faith with the agenda to build a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan in the next four years, based on the foundation laid in the first year after historic 14th General Election decision of peaceful and democratic change on May 9, 2018.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Sandakan on Sunday, May 12, 2019)