Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman had hoped that Malaysia, with its multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural characteristics can be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.
Malaysia is at the confluence of four great civilisations — Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian, and Western — and there is no reason if Malaysians can leverage on the values and virtues of the four great human civilisations in the world, why Malaysia cannot be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.
One way for Malaysia to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world” is for for Malaysians of different ethnicities, religions, and cultures to unite to celebrate in each other’s ethnic, religious, or cultural festivities as Malaysian festivities.
We have already honoured the different ethnic, religious, and cultural festivities as national or state holidays, but we have yet to take one step further for Malaysians to celebrate them as Malaysian festivities.
This is the first Chinese New Year I am celebrating after I have announced my retirement from the front-line of DAP leadership. But I have not retired from politics, which is only possible if one leaves this world.
I have spent the most years in Penang celebrating the Chinese New Year — 34 years. I spent 23 Chinese New Years in Batu Pahat (including the first 19 years of my childhood and teens when I was a student in Cheng Siu Chinese primary school, Batu Pahat English School and then Batu Pahat High School), one year in Johor Bahru, four years each in Singapore and Petaling Jaya, 13 years in Malacca, and three years in detention (one year in Muar and two years in Kamunting).
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 want to 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?
We should have a Royal Commission of Inquiry as how Malaysia can, in Tunku Abdul Rahman’s words, be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world” instead of having a Royal Commission of Inquiry into former Attorney-General Tommy Thomas’ book, as the RCI on Tunku’s aspirartions will cover Tommy Thomas’ concerns.
(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Penang on Sunday, 22nd January 2023)