Malaysians have a different past but let us unite to forge a common future to make Malaysia a top world-class nation


The past few weeks had been testing times for Malaysians not least for Pakatan Harapan.

For the first time since the historic decision of Malaysians in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 over 15 months ago, questions have been raised as to whether DAP should leave Pakatan Harapan government, to the extent that this was the subject of readers’ comment in a popular news portal.

There is no doubt that there are political forces working to engineer the implosion and disintegration of Pakatan Harapan coalition government in Putrajaya, but those who had plotted to see the end of Pakatan Harapan government by the 62nd National Day on August 31, 2019 are very disappointed that they had failed in their latest stratagem.

They are now reduced to calling on so-called “insurbordinate ministers” to quit or be axed.

They do not realise that the four parties in the Pakatan Harapan had come together despite all odds and different histories in the great patriotic mission to Save Malaysia from becoming a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state, and that the decision of the Malaysian electorate in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 had given the country a chance to reset nation-building policies to become a New Malaysia which is a top world-class nation of unity, freedom, justice, excellence and integrity.

But this is no easy task.

The four parties will be guided by the five pillar-promises of the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto in the 14th General Election to build a New Malaysia so that the country can take its place among the top-ranking countries in the world in human endeavour and excellence, especially as Malaysia is the confluence of the four great civilizations in the world – Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western.

The five pillar-promises of Pakatan Harapan for a New Malaysia are:

· Reduce the people’s burden.
· Institutional and political reforms.
· Spur sustainable and equitable economic growth.
· Return Sabah and Sarawak to the status accorded in Malaysia Agreement 1963; and
· Create a Malaysia that is inclusive, moderate and respected globally.

All Pakatan Harapan leaders have agreed that however difficult it is to fulfil all the pledges of these five pillar-promises, we must do our utmost to implement them.

The Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council has set up a high-powered committee to review the PH Manifesto, and if there are specific pledges which cannot be implemented, we must be frank with the people to identify them and to explain why this could not be done.

A massive amount of work awaits to be done in every field to achieve a New Malaysia – nation-building, political, economic, educational and socio-cultural, but the resetting of nation building policies is no ordinary or easy work and could not be achieved overnight or even be completed in one general election cycle.

What is important is that Pakatan Harapan government must be inexorably set in the trajectory of a New Malaysia as envisioned by the five pillar-promises to develop a top world-class nation of unity, freedom, justice, excellence and integrity.

There are many mine-fields which could destroy the mission of a New Malaysia.

Those who are opposed to “Save Malaysia” mission do not see any need for Malaysia to be saved and for the distortions, abuses of power and injustices of the past six decades to be rectified.

They will do their utmost to ensure the failure of the “Save Malaysia” mission, plotting the implosion and disintegration of Pakatan Harapan, even if the country returns to the trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.

They peddle lies, falsehoods, fake news; incite suspicion, doubt, distrust, fear and hatred; pit race against race, religion against religion to destroy the “Save Malaysia” mission.

They are no different from people who in the name of democracy seek to destroy democracy.

Let Malaysians be optimistic about the future and the mission of a New Malaysia to become a top world-class nation in a decade or two which is respected by the international community as a model plural nation of unity, freedom, justice, excellence and integrity.

Let us all rise above the individual racial and religious enclave of fear, distrust, suspicion, hate of other races and religions to a Malaysian haven of mutual trust and appreciation of each other’s different ethnic, cultural and religious identities.

Malaysians have a different past but let us unite to forge a common future to make Malaysia a top world-class nation.

The latest Bank Negara announcement that the Malaysian economy has recorded a strong growth of 4.9% for the second quarter of 2019 (2Q19) is proof that Malaysia has the makings for world-class achievements.

The Bank Negara announcement is significant for three reasons:

1. Malaysia’s 4.9% GDP growth in 2nd quarter of 2019 exceeded the expectation of 22 economists surveyed by Bloomberg earlier this year, and is the strongest economic expansion of the country since early 2018.

2. Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world with 2Q 2019 growth higher than 1Q 2019.

3. Evidence that Malaysia is capable of world-class performance at a time when there is increasing concern that there could be a global recession.

Let Malaysians have the confidence to issue forth to challenge not only ourselves but the world!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Sunday, 18th August 2019)

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