When I read the report of the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad saying in Ankara on the need for Muslim countries like Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan to pool their resources to make Islamic civilisation great again, the question that immediately struck me was:
Is it possible to make Islamic civilisation great again based on klepto-theocracy which misuses Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and which supports thievery and corruption?
This thought was prompted by another report which I had read – the reply of the UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi to PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim which again confirmed Mahathir’s earlier remark about UMNO leaders becoming “dumb and dumber” over the years.
Zahid had earlier insinuated that Mahathir was my stooge and was only doing my bidding. In his reply to Anwar, he insinuated that Anwar has become my stooge. This would mean I have two stooges – Mahathir and Anwar.
How “dumb and dumber” can an UMNO leader get?
Can Islamic civilisation become great again based on such klepto-theocracy, which only peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and which supports thievery and corruption.
Malaysia should contribute to making Islamic civilisation great again, but surely this cannot be done through klepto-theocracy – but only by striving to become the best and achieving excellence in every field of human endeavour.
In fact, Malaysia has the unique opportunity as the confluence of the great cultures, religions and civilisations in the world – Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western – to leverage on and synthesise the best from these cultures, religions and civilisations to build a great Malaysian civilisation as a signal contribution to the international community, apart from contributing to make Islamic, Chinese, Indian, Western civilisations great again.
Dare we dream such big dream for Malaysia – which includes transforming Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the world and a top world-class nation in as many fields of human endeavour as possible?
Why are Malaysians not “reaching for the stars” to achieve greatness for the nation instead of being locked in the sinister and destructive pursuits of creating suspicion, distrust and hatred by pitting race against race, religion against religion, which is the foremost preoccupation of the advocates of klepto-theocracy?
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Friday, 26th July 2019)