Firstly, let me congratulate the voters of Tanjong for being the bastion of the Malaysian Dream for a free, just, democratic, and prosperous Malaysia for over three decades since 1986 when I first became Member of Parliament for Tanjong.
Secondly, I congratulate Penang DAP for excellent results in the 15th General Election where in four parliamentary constituencies, the opposing candidates to the DAP lost all lost their deposits.
The first is in Tanjong where Lim Hui Ying won with 83.8% of the voter turnout — and the two opposing candidates lost their deposits, one with 8.5% and the other with 6.6% of the votes.
The second is Bagan, where Lim Guan Eng won with 81.2% of the voter turnout — with the three opposing candidates lost their deposits, with 8.9%, 7.8%, and 1.9% of the votes respectively.
The third is Bukit Gelugor where Ramkarpal Singh Karpal Singh won with 82.7% of the voter turnout with the two opposing candidates lost their deposits, with 9.4% and 7.4% of the votes respectively.
The fourth is Bukit Bendera where Syerleena Abdul Rashid won with 79% of the voter turnout with the four opposing candidates lost their deposits, with 10.8%, 8.7%, 1.1%, and 0.5% of the votes respectively.
There are altogether 12 parliamentary seats won by the DAP in the 15GE where all the opposing candidates to DAP lost their deposits.
Thirdly, I want to emphasise that the Malaysian Dream is not for one general election or one generation only, but for the building of a first-rate, world-class, democratic, prosperous, plural Malaysian nation, and not for Malaysia to end up as a failed, divided or kleptocratic state.
The year 2022 is ending with great hopes that with Anwar Ibrahim as the 10th Prime Minister, Malaysians can stop the national decline in the last six decades, turn the country around and make Malaysia great again.
In fact, this was the message I sent to Anwar Ibrahim on Nov. 24, 2022 when the Yang di Pertuan Agong appointed him as the Prime Minister.
Fourthly, we want a Federal Government which puts the interests of the people above everything else, and which is flexible and not rigid, prepared to acknowledge and correct its mistakes.
I welcome the statement earlier today by the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms), Ramkarpal Singh that the government has agreed to look into certain provisions in the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 and will engage with the relevant stakeholders.
I applaud the flexible approach of the Home Minister, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail who had earlier indicated that he had no intention of reviewing SOSMA.
Ramkarpal said he met with Saifuddin and discussed Sosma and the need for it to be further studied to address various aspects which have drawn considerable criticism, such as the provision which limits the granting of bail.
Saifuddin’s agreement with Ramkarpal’s proposal to commence the necessary engagement with all stakeholders should be an example for all Ministers in the Anwar Cabinet.
Fifthly, Malaysians must learn from the lessons of the 15GE where the country was flooded with the toxic politics of lies, fear, hate, race, and religion. If this phenomenon is not checked, it will end with Malaysia as a divided, failed, and kleptocratic state.
This is why I fully supported the speech by Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah not to tolerate attempts to incite racial and religious hatred which would provoke hostilities in Perak.
I had urged that a zero tolerance for incitement of racial and religious fear and hatred in plural Malaysia should be the national policy of the country.
This zero tolerance for the toxic politics of lies, fear, hate, race, and religion must be evident from the start of the Anwar premiership with firm action taken against those who exploit racial and religious differences in plural Malaysia.
In my 57 years of political life, I have travelled to and visited more parts of Malaysia than an average Malaysian, and I can say with conviction that there is no anti-Malay, anti-Chinese, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan, anti-Dayak or anti-Muslim, anti-Buddhist, anti-Hindu or anti-Christianity sentiments on the ground, but certain political personalities and political parties continue to poison the minds of the people that the Malays and Islam are under threat. Where does the threat to Malays and Islam come from?
Unfortunately, this toxic, extremist and divisive politics of lies, fear, hate, race, and religion have not ended with the 15th General Election.
In fact, a prominent political leader had just trotted out such toxic, extremist, and divisive politics of lies, fear, hate, race and religion claiming that in the 15GE, non-Muslims voters turned out in droves at near 98 per cent compared to a mere 60 per cent turnout of Muslims “even though some gave an excuse they were performing the haj or umrah (major and minor pilgrimages to Mecca), while some waited for payment (to vote) and so on”.
If such toxic, extremist and divisive politics of lies, fear, hate, race and religion is allowed free play, plural Malaysia will be destroyed.
Freedom of expression does not mean freedom to tell lies and incite racial and religious fear and hatred.
We must defend responsible freedom of expression but condemn irresponsible toxic, extremist, and divisive politics of lies, fear, hate, race, and religion.
(Speech by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang at the DAP Tanjong thanksgiving dinner at Red Rock Hotel, Penang on Friday, 23rd December 2022)