The hardliners in the Ismail Sabri government who want Malacca and Sarawak general elections this year and believe that there is a possibility of wiping out the DAP or deliver a fatal blow to DAP have won over the moderates who want to uphold the confidence-supply-reform (CSR) memorandum of understanding (MOU) and delay elections.
The hardliners argue that a devastating blow to DAP in Malacca and Sarawak will further the cause of the “race and religion” politics and rhetoric of the political parties in government which had toppled the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government in February 2020.
They did not expect MCA in Barisan Nasional, Gerakan in Perikatan Nasional or SUPP to regain electoral support, but they believe that the disappointments of the DAP voters and the Covid-19 pandemic are a powerful mix which should be fully exploited either to wipe out the DAP or deliver a fatal blow to the DAP’s concept of a Malaysia as a world-class great nation where every citizen, regardless of race, religion or region, can be a full citizen entitled to freedom, justice and development of his or her full capabilities.
The big question in both the Malacca and Sarawak general election is the voter turnout.
With virtually total restriction on campaigning activities and the example of the Sabah state general election in September last year, which sparked the third Covid-19 wave in Malaysia which became the longest Covid-19 wave in the world as the daily new Covid-19 cases and daily Covid-19 deaths are still a long way from the pre-Sabah-general-election days, and the disappointments at the toppling of the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government by the Sheraton Move conspiracy, the voter turnout could be as low as below 40%.
In these circumstances, the DAP face the existential threat of either being wiped out or suffering a fatal blow to the DAP’s Malaysia Dream of building an united and prosperous multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural country which is a world-class great nation in important fields of human endeavour after leveraging on the best values and virtues of the four great civilizations of the world.
If the hardliners succeed in proving themselves right, then they will have powerful arguments to ditch the CSR MOU and have the 15th general election early next year.
This is food for thought for DAP leaders, members and supporters whether in the country and in the Malaysian Diaspora.
(An Open Letter to DAP leaders, members and supporters by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 4th November 2021)