Pakatan Harapan must adopt the formula which succeeded in toppling a seemingly invincible Barisan Nasional in the 14th General Election to vanquish the new  UMNNO-PAS offensive in the  politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion

Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 7 Mac 2019:

Pakatan Harapan perlu menggunakan formula yang telah berjaya menumbangkan Barisan Nasional pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 bagi melawan serangan terbaharu UMNO-PAS yang memainkan politik pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, perkauman dan keagamaan

Pakatan Harapan perlu menggunakan formula yang telah berjaya menumbangkan Barisan Nasional pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 bagi melawan serangan terbaharu UMNO-PAS yang memainkan politik pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, perkauman dan keagamaan.

Jika Pakatan Harapan dapat menewaskan politik pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, perkauman dan keagamaan yang dimainkan Barisan Nasional dan PAS, sekalipun dilakukan secara berasingan, pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 yang lalu, tidak ada sebab mengapa ia tidak boleh sekali lagi digunakan untuk menyerang balas kempen pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, perkauman dan keagamaan yang dibawa UMNO-PAS.

Sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14, UMNO mendabik dada bahawa mereka akan memperolehi kemenangan ekoran yakin dengan kempen pembohongan, berita palsu, kebencian dan ketakutan yang dimainkan mereka antaranya seperti berikut:

bahawa DAP kononnya merupakan parti dominan dalam Pakatan Harapan, dan bahawa tiga parti lain dalam Pakatan Harapan, iaitu PKR, Amanah dan Bersatu hanyalah “budak suruhan” DAP;

bahawa kononnya pemimpin Melayu dalam Pakatan Harapan iaitu Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Azmin Ali dan Mohamad Sabu kononnya hanyalah boneka pemimpin Cina DAP;

bahawa kononnya saya akan dilantik menjadi Perdana Menteri jika Pakatan Harapan menang Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14;

bahawa kononnya orang Melayu akan kehilangan kuasa politik, dan akan pupus, merempat di negara sendiri di bawah kerajaan Pakatan Harapan;

bahawa kononnya saya adalah musuh kepada orang Melayu dan Islam, malah dituduh mengetuai demonstrasi jalanan anti-Melayu di Kuala Lumpur yang mencetuskan rusuhan 13 Mei 1969 di ibu kota sedangkan saya tidak pernah berada di Kuala Lumpur pada waktu itu; dan

berulang kali, saya dituduh sebagai seorang komunis (malah difitnah kononnya mempunyai pertalian darah dengan Setiausaha Agung PKM Chin Peng), malah saya dituduh mahu menjadikan Malaysia sebagai negara kristian sedangkan saya bukan penganut kristian dan paling mengarut saya dituduh sebagai agen kuasa asing!

Namun pembohongan, fitnah dan berita palsu ini tidak mampu menahan kemaraan Pakatan Harapan dalam meraih sokongan satu pertiga pengundi Melayu bagi menumbangkan Barisan Nasional dan membetulkan semula 60 tahun dasar pembinaan negara.

Harapan untuk melihat sebuah Malaysia Baharu seperti yang termaktub dalam manifesto pilihan raya adalah kunci yang telah membawa Pakatan Harapan ke Putrajaya, bagi mentrasformasi Malaysia daripada negara kleptokrasi global kepada negara yang berintegriti; mengembalikan semula kedaulatan undang-undang; mengukuhkan demokrasi; mereformasi sistem pendidikan bagi menjadikan Malaysia sebuah negara bertaraf dunia; merapatkan jurang antara golongan miskin dan kaya serta menyatukan semua rakyat Malaysia yang berbilang kaum, agama dan budaya serta memanfaatkan aset kepelbagaian kaum, agama, dan budaya yang teradun di Malaysia bagi membina sebuah tamadun global baharu.

Sepanjang 10 bulan lalu, rakyat Malaysia sudah mula tertanya-tanya sama ada mereka telah meletakkan harapan palsu kepada Pakatan Harapan dalam membina sebuah Malaysia Baharu yang akan memberi manfaat kepada semua rakyat Malaysia, malah semua masyarakat dan kumpulan di Malaysia.

Jika dalam tempoh empat tahun akan datang, Pakatan Harapan menggunakan formula yang telah membawa kemenangan bersejarah dan keputusan 9 Mei 2018 bagi membina sebuah Malaysia Baharu dan tidak terkeluar daripada landasannya akibat daripada serangan bertali arus dalam bentuk pembohongan tidak berasas, kebencian dan ketakutan yang dimainkan UMNO dan PAS, sokongan popular untuk Malaysia Baharu akan meningkat.

Dengan kekuatan, ketekunan, dan komitmen untuk berlaku adil kepada semua rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum, agama atau wilayah sepanjang proses pembinaan sebuah Malaysia Baharu, tidak ada sebab mengapa Pakatan Harapan tidak mampu mendapat sokongan yang lebih besar daripada pengundi pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 nanti, termasuk meningkatkan lagi sokongan pengundi Melayu ke tahap majoriti.

======================================

Pakatan Harapan must adopt the formula which succeeded in toppling a seemingly invincible Barisan Nasional in the 14th General Election to vanquish the new UMNO-PAS offensive in the politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion.

If Pakatan Harapan can defeat the politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion of Barisan Nasional and PAS, albeit   carried out separately, in the 14th General Election, there is no reason why  it cannot counter the joint UMNO-PAS campaign of lies, hate, fear, race and religion.

Before the 14th General Election, UMNO was confident of victory because it was confident that its campaign of lies, fake news, hate and fear revolving around the following theme, viz:

– that the  DAP was the dominant political party in Pakatan Harapan, and that the other three parties in Pakatan Harapan, viz PKR, Amanah and Bersatu were just stooges at the beck and call of DAP;

– that the Malay leaders in Pakatan Harapan viz Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Azmin Ali and Mohamad Sabu were mere puppets of the of the Chinese leaders of  DAP;

– that I would become Prime Minister if Pakatan Harapan won the 14th General Election;

– that Malays will lose political power and  will perish, becoming strangers in their own land in a Pakatan Harapan government;

– that I was the arch-enemy of the Malays and Islam, even accused of leading anti-Malay street demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur  that sparked the May 13, 1969 riots in the federal capital  when I was never in Kuala Lumpur during the period; and

– at various times, I was accused of being a communist (even the lie that I was a relative to MCP Secretary-General Chin Peng), that I wanted a Christian Malaysia when I am not a Christian and multiple agents of foreign powers!

But these lies, falsehoods and fake news could not prevent Pakatan Harapan from getting the support of one-third of the Malay electorate to achieve the political decision to oust Barisan Nasional from Putrajaya and   an opportunity to reset nation building policies in 60 years.

It is this hope of a New Malaysia as contained in the election manifesto  which propelled Pakatan Harapan to Putrajaya, to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity; restore the rule of law; entrench democracy; reform the educational system to make Malaysia a top world-class nation; close the gap between the rich and the poor and to unite Malaysians of diverse races, religions and cultures and leverage on the assets of the diverse races, religions, cultures and civilisations which meet in confluence in Malaysia to build a new global civilization.

In the past 10 months, Malaysians have begun to wonder whether they have placed false hopes on Pakatan Harapan in the building of a New Malaysia which will be beneficial to all Malaysians as well as to  all communities and groups in Malaysia.

If in the next four years,  Pakatan Harapan adopt  the formula which led to the historic victory and  decision of May 9, 2018 to build a New Malaysia and  not diverted from its course of action by the baseless lies, hate and fear engendered by UMNO and PAS, popular support for a New Malaysia will increase.

With stamina, perseverance and commitment to be fair and just to all Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region in the building of a New Malaysia, there is no reason why Pakatan Harapan cannot  secure even greater electoral support in  the 15th General Election, including the increase of  the support of the Malay electorate to the majority level.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 7th March 2019)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 March 2019, 5:27 pm and is filed under
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Malaysia at the crossroads – be a top world-class nation with an inclusive nation-building policy leveraging on the best qualities of the diverse races, religions, languages and cultures or be relegated to the  trajectory towards  a failed state obsessed by intolerant race and religious politics

Malaysia is at the crossroads – to move forward to be a top world-class nation with an inclusive nation-building policy leveraging on the best qualities of the diverse races, religions, languages and cultures or to  be relegated to the trajectory towards a failed state obsessed by divisive and  intolerant race and religious politics.

This challenge to Malaysian nation-building was highlighted by two recent events  – firstly, the formal union of UMNO and PAS and secondly, the first post-14GE Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting after it had been reduced from 14 to three communal-based  political parties, which decided that there was no consensus to dissolve Barisan Nasional.

The last few months have seen an intensification of the toxicity and viciousness of  the politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion in the country, which were first used in the 14th General Election campaign with three-fold objective:

1. To  demonise the DAP as anti-Malay and anti-Islam;

2. To paint Pakatan Harapan as DAP stooge and puppet, and

3. To incite fear and panic that  Malays will lose  political power, perish and  become strangers in their own land under  a Pakatan Harapan government.

In the first four months after the historic decision of the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018, the UMNO strategists, propagandists and cybertroopers were reeling from the unexpected electoral defeat, and reflected by the results of the first three by-elections after the 14th General Election – Sungai Kadis, Seri Setia and Balakong state assembly constituencies in Selangor.

But the three by-elections saw tentative efforts  to build not only a firmer   UMNO-Selangor compact, but the involvement of MCA and MIC as well.

The Port Dickson parliamentary by-election on October 13, 2018, with the eighth-Prime Minister-designate  Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the Pakatan candidate was  a sequel to the historic 14th General Election victory, as it was a battle of the future versus the past as the second step in the struggle of a New Malaysia to be born to give Malaysians a second chance to reset nation-building policies.

It was occasion for the voters to deliberate what would have become of Malaysia if former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had been right about the outcome of the 14th General Election, when he was so sure not only of winning big, but even to recapture two-thirds parliamentary majority which UMNO/BN lost a decade ago in the 12th General Election in 2008.

No doubt, if Najib had won, Malaysia would have rushed headlong in the trajectory towards a rogue democracy, a kakistocracy where Cabinet Ministers cannot differentiate between turtle eggs from ordinary eggs, a global kleptocracy and a rogue state where the No. 1 law officer of the state was none other than the No. 1 outlaw in the state – designated “MO1” by the United States Department of Justice!

Fortunately, Anwar won handsomely.

In the subsequent fifth and sixth by-elections, in  Cameron Highlands by-election in January and Semenyih on March 2,  the UMNO/PAS strategists, propagandists and cybertoopers seemed to found the magic formula to unleash the most vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion to incite and  create suspicion, distrust, fear and hatred between Malays and non-Malays, and between Muslims and non-Muslims.

The choice before Malaysians is crystal clear – succumb to the toxic and vicious politics of lies, fear, hate, race and religion where race suspects another  race and religion distrusts another religion or recognise our common identity as Malaysians to leverage on the best qualities of our diverse races, religions, languages and cultures while accepting our the differences in our diverse ethnicities, not as a weakness or liabilities but as strength and assets.

I have confidence and faith that the majority of Malaysians, regardless of race and religion,  want an inclusive country for Malaysia to be top world-class nation to compete with the rest of the world  instead of becoming a divisive failed state, torn asunder by the toxic and vicious politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, March 8, 2019)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 March 2019, 6:28 pm and is filed under
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


All Malaysians must uphold the Constitution to respect all religions in Malaysia  but there should be no excessive punishments like the 10-year jail sentence for a social media holder for  insulting Islam and Prophet Mohamad

Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada Ahad, 10 Mac 2019:

Semua rakyat Malaysia harus mendukung Perlembagaan dan menghormati semua agama di Malaysia, namun tidak perlu ada hukuman yang berlebihan seperti hukuman 10 tahun penjara terhadap seorang pengguna sosial media selepas didapati menghina Islam dan Nabi Muhammad

Semua rakyat Malaysia harus mendukung Perlembagaan dan menghormati semua agama di Malaysia, namun tidak perlu ada hukuman yang terlalu berat seperti hukuman 10 tahun penjara yang dijatuhkan oleh Mahkamah Sesyen Kuching terhadap seorang pengguna media sosial kerana menghina Islam dan Nabi Muhammad.

Seperti yang dinasihati Menteri Hal Ehwal Undang-Undang, Hanipa Maidin, pengguna media sosial berkenaan harus merayu keputusan yang dibuat Mahkamah Sesyen Kuching tersebut.

Kemunculan media sosial telah membawa rakyat Malaysia ke sebuah zaman baru, di mana apa sahaja yang diperkatakan mereka di media sosial tidak lagi menjadi satu hal yang peribadi, tetapi sebaliknya boleh dihebahkan secara pantas kepada masyarakat umum.

Rakyat Malaysia harus senantiasa sedar akan penggunaan dan penyalahgunaan media sosial, yang mana boleh membawa impak yang begitu besar.

Rakyat Malaysia, tidak kira orang Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan, Iban atau Orang Asli harus membentuk sikap skeptikal dan sinis terhadap sebarang mesej yang diterima mereka di media sosial, tidak kira di Facebook, Twitter, Instagram atau Whatsapp, dan mempersoalkan setiap mesej tersebut: “adakah ini benar”, dan menyemak kesahihan mesej berkenaan sebelum berkongsi maklumat itu dengan orang lain.

Jika rakyat Malaysia, tidak kira orang Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan, Iban atau Orang Asli mampu membentuk sikap skeptikal dan sinis yang sedemikian dengan menyemak kesahihan setiap mesej, maka mereka tidak akan mudah menjadi mangsa politik toksik dan jahat berbaur pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, keagamaan dan keagamaan yang kini semakin menjadi-jadi di negara ini.

Saya bercakap berdasarkan pengalaman sebagai seorang mangsa media sosial. Baru-baru ini, pembohongan lapuk di media sosial dihidupkan kembali bagi memomokkan saya sebagai seorang yang kononnya anti-Melayu, anti-Islam, komunis, malah, dituduh mempunyai pertalian darah dengan Chin Peng; dituduh mendalangi rusuhan 13 Mei 1969, malah difitnah memimpin demonstrasi di Kuala Lumpur sambil melaungkan slogan anti-Melayu dan anti-Islam sedangkan saya sebenarnya tidak berada di Kuala Lumpur selepas Pilihan Raya Umum 10 Mei 1969.

Sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14, dakwaan politik toksik sedemikian didendangkan menerusi suara-suara songsang yang menuduh bahawa kononnya jika Pakatan Harapan menang pilihan raya tersebut, saya akan dilantik menjadi Perdana Menteri. Apabila fitnah dan pembohongan sedemikian dibuktikan tidak benar selepas 9 Mei 2018, pembohongan dan fitnah baharu pula direka untuk menuduh saya kononnya mempunyai kuasa yang besar dalam kerajaan Pakatan Harapan di Putrajaya, malah dituduh menjadikan Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar Ibrahim, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail dan Mohamad Sabu sebagai boneka.

Jika rakyat Malaysia boleh membentuk sikap skeptikal terhadap apa jua mesej yang diterima mereka di media sosial dan menyemak kesahihannya sebelum berkongsi maklumat tersebut dengan orang lain, ia akan menjadi langkah terpenting dalam menangani masalah penyalahgunaan media sosial di Malaysia.

======================================

All Malaysians must uphold the Constitution and respect all religions in Malaysia but there must be no excessive punishments like the 10-year jail sentence by the Kuching Sessions Court for a social media holder for insulting Islam and Prophet Mohamad.

As advised by the de facto deputy law minister, Hanipa Maidin, the social media holder should appeal against the decision of the Kuching Sessions Court.

The advent of social media has brought Malaysians to a new age, where what they say on the social media is no more private but can be   immediately broadcast in an explosive rate to the public.

Malaysians must be conscious of the uses and abuses of social media, where its effects are magnified in an explosive manner.

Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang

Asli must develop a sceptical and cynical attitude to the messages they receive on social media, whether Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Whatsapp, to ask the important question with regard to every message, “Is this true”, and to check on the veracity of the message before sharing it with the others.

If Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli develop such a healthy attitude of scepticism and cynicism to check on the veracity of each and every message, they will not fall victim to the vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion currently prevailing in the country.

I am talking from experience as a victim of social media. Recently, old social media lies have been resurrected to demonise me as anti-Malay, anti-Islam, a communist, in fact, a relative of Chin Peng; responsible for the May 13, 1969 riots, leading the street demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur shouting anti-Malay and anti-Islam slogans although I was never in Kuala Lumpur after the May 10, 1969 General Election.

Before the 14th General Election, such toxic politics alleged that I will be the Prime Minister of Malaysia if Pakatan Harapan wins the polls. When such lies and falsehoods were proved wrong after May 9, 2018 new lies and falsehoods were manufactured to allege that I am the real power in the Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya and that Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar Ibrahim, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Mohamad Sabu were merely my stooges and puppets.

If Malaysians can develop a healthy scepticism of what they receive on the social media and check their veracity  before they share it with others, it will be a big step to check the abuses of social media in Malaysia.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 10th March 2019)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 10 March 2019, 11:23 am and is filed under
Media
,
nation building
,
Religion
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


DAP’s full support for Anwar’s motion  to condemn Christchurch killing of 50 Muslims and call on all Malaysians to better sensitive and  appreciative the need for respect and  tolerance of diversity of religion and cultures

On behalf of DAP, we express full support for the motion by the MP for Port Dickson (Anwar Ibrahim) condemning the Christchurch attack on two mosques and  killing of 50 Muslims and injury of many others.

The attacks and killings are a blot for humanity as there is no place for terrorism in any religion or country.

We must also place our appreciation to New Zealand Muslim leaders who have reciprocated to the despicable crimes with messages of love, compassion and appreciation for the support they had received.

We pray for the wellbeing, safety and recovery of those affected, and in particular the Malaysians affected by the crime.

Malaysians must be particularly concerned about the senseless Christchurch massacre and be more sensitive and appreciative of the need for respect and tolerance of the diversity of religions and cultures which have increasingly become an international feature.

The advent of social media has brought new challenges to Malaysians to a new age, where what they say on the social media is no more private but can be immediately broadcast in an explosive rate to the public.

Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang

Asli must develop a sceptical and cynical attitude to the messages they receive on social media, whether Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Whatsapp, to ask the important question with regard to every message, “Is this true”, and to check on the veracity of the message before sharing it with the others.

If Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli develop such a healthy attitude of scepticism and cynicism to check on the veracity of each and every message, they will not so easily fall victim to the vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate and fear in any part of the world.

(Speech by MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Dewan Rakyat on Monday, 18th March 2019)

================

Ucapan oleh Ahli Parlimen Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Dewan Rakyat pada hari Isnin18 Mac 2019

DAP menyokong penuh usul Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam mengecam pembunuhan kejam 50 orang Muslim di Christchurch dan menyeru semua rakyat untuk menghormati dan lebih sensitif kepada keperluan toleransi dalam kepelbagaian kaum dan agama dalam negara

Bagi pihak DAP, saya berhasrat untuk menyatakan sokongan penuh terhadap usul daripada Ahli Parlimen untuk Port Dickson dalam mengecam serangan kepada dua masjid di Christchurch yang telah mengorbankan nyawa seramai 50 orang Muslim.

Serangan dan pembunuhan ini adalah merupakan satu titik hitam kepada kemanusiaan kerana tidak ada satu pun tempat untuk keganasan dalam mana-mana agama mahupun negara.

Kita juga patut merakamkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan kepada pemimpin komuniti Muslim di New Zealand yang telah membalas kekejaman ini dengan menyampaikan mesej kasih sayang, belas kasihan, dan penghargaan terhadap segala bantuan yang telah dihulurkan.

Kami disini mendoakan kesejahteraan, keselamatan, dan pemulihan kepada semua yang terkesan, terutamanya rakyat Malaysia yang terkesan daripada jenayah kejam ini.

Rakyat Malaysia haruslah mengambil serius perkara pembunuhan beramai-ramai Christchurch ini, dan lebih sensitif terhadap kepelbagaian agama dan budaya yang kian hari menjadi satu ciri antarabangsa di pelbagai negara.

Media sosial membawa satu cabaran baru kepada rakyat Malaysia, dimana perkara yang hendak dikatakan tidaklah lagi bersifat peribadi, tetapi boleh tersebar dengan amatlah pantas kepada orang ramai.

Rakyat Malaysia, sama ada Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan, Iban, mahupun Orang Asli haruslah mempunyai sikap skeptikal dan sinis terhadap berita-berita yang diterima melalui media sosial, sama ada melalui Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, mahupun Whatsapp yang tidak dapat dipastikan kebenarannya. Kita haruslah bertanya diri sendiri, “Adakah berita ini benar?” dan memeriksa kesahihannya sebelum menyebarkan berita ini kepada orang lain.

Jika rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira kaum, sama ada Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan, Iban, mahupun Orang Asli boleh bersikap skeptikal dan mempersoalkan setiap berita yang diterima, kita tidak akan mudah terpedaya dan menjadi mangsa kepada politik toksik yang penuh dengan pembohongan, kebencian dan ketakutan dari mana-mana sekalipun.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 18 March 2019, 5:23 pm and is filed under
nation building
,
Parliament
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Stephen Wong’s untimely death – loss of a great Malaysian and a great Sabahan

We have lost a great Malaysian and a great Sabahan with the untimely death of Datuk Stephen Wong, Sabah DAP Chairman, DAP Central Executive Committee Member, Sabah Minister for Health and Wellbeing and Sandakan MP.

Wong is a dedicated political worker for the wellbeing and greatness of  Malaysia and Sabah, the very embodiment of the example that it is no contradiction to be one at the same time  a great Malaysian and a great Sabahan.

Wong had served Malaysia and Sabah well since elected as Member of Parliament for Sandakan in 2013 and re-elected in 2018 as well appointed Sabah Minister for Health and Wellbeing in the past ten months.

Before his active role in DAP Sabah, Wong was Sandakan  Councillor and Secretary-General of the Sandakan Chamber of Commerce.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Thursday, 28th March 2019)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2019, 3:07 pm and is filed under
DAP
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Is Malaysia ready for AI?

First of all, let me thank the Chemical Bioprocess Engineering Student Society (BIOSS) for the kind invitation to the closing ceremony of its  5th International Biotechnology Competition and Exhibition (IBCEx 2019).

Let me begin by congratulating  UTM for its recent improved international university rankings – as in January this year,  it was the third among 11 Malaysian universities to be ranked in the Times Higher Education (THE) Emerging Economies University ranking 2019, with University of Malaya (UM) ranked No. 18,  Universiti Teknology Petronas (UTP) ranked No. 60, and Universiti Technology Malaysia (UTM) ranked No. 86; while in the latest inaugural Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2019, it was third among eight Malaysian universities listed in the new university global ranking after USM and University of Malaya.

All Malaysians want want to see Malaysian universities to be ranked among the world’s top universities in the world, and I urge UTM and all Malaysian universities to continue to excel themselves in academic excellence to bring distinction to the country.

Undergraduate years are times when youths should be able to express their idealism, especially when we are living in exciting times, including in your fields of study in the areas of biotechnology.

I am always fascinated by the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in human development. Recently, a study on AI in Malaysia concluded that Malaysia is not ready yet for AI. and that  to succeed in the AI race. Malaysia needs to substantially improve its readiness.

Organizations’ leadership should make AI a core part of their strategy and develop a learning agility culture.  They have to continuously invest in this transformative technology for the long term-term success, sometimes without immediate returns.

Universities are ideal test-beds for the development of the AI strategy and culture.

More than two decades ago, the Multimedia Super Corridor was launched to transform Malaysia into a knowledge economy and to place Malaysia as a leader of the cyber era, but we failed in this regard and we have become a follower instead of a leader or even competitor in the Internet Age, and South Korea is a good example.

Are Malaysians ready for AI?  This is the challenge which must be answered by the new generation of Malaysians, in particularly those in the universities.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the closing of the 5th International Biotechnology Competition and Exhibition 2019 organised by the  Chemical Bioprocess Engineering Student  Society (BIOSS) at UTM Johor Baru on Saturday, 6th April 2019 at 11 am)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 6 April 2019, 2:48 pm and is filed under
science/technology
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Did Ongkili raise 1MDB issue in cabinet, asks Kit Siang

By Geraldine Tong – 1.5.2019 |
Malaysiakini

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has asked whether Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Maximus Ongkili raised the issue of the 1MDB scandal during his tenure as a cabinet minister.

Ongkili was the energy, green technology and water minister from 2013 to 2018.

“Maximus Ongkili was a minister while 1MDB was happening.

“Did he ever raise this issue in the cabinet?” Lim asked in a ceramah at Kampung Sim Sim, Sandakan last night.

He was speaking on the campaign trail for the Sandakan by-election, for which DAP is fielding Vivian Wong.

In his speech, Lim brought up the 1MDB issue as well as investment company Goldman Sachs’ involvement in the scandal.

The Iskandar Puteri MP also asked whether the audience believed former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s claim that he was a victim in the 1MDB scandal.

“Can you believe or not that the prime minister was a victim, that he didn’t know what was happening?” he asked the crowd of about 100 people.

Aside from the 1MDB issue, Lim also praised Vivian’s capabilities.

He pointed out that if the 30-year-old were to win this by-election, she would be the youngest female parliamentarian in Malaysian history.

He noted that Bakri MP Yeo Bee Yin, who is also the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister, is 35 years old.

Vivian is the youngest daughter of incumbent Sandakan MP Stephen Wong, who passed away on March 28.

She will be facing a five-cornered fight for the seat against PBS’ candidate Linda Tsen and three other independents.

Polling day is set to be held on May 11.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 2 May 2019, 11:41 am and is filed under
Election
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Greatest achievement of Pakatan Harapan Government in its first year in office is to end the infamy of Malaysia as a global kleptocracy and the work-in-progress in transforming Malaysia into a nation of integrity

In a week’s time, it will be the first anniversary of the historic May 9, 2018 decision of the Malaysian electorate in the 14th General Election to bring about a peaceful and democratic change of Federal Government for the first time in six decades.

There are those who  want to see the  great Malaysian hopes of the May 9, 2018 decision to bring about a New Malaysia of unity, freedom, justice and prosperity to fail like the Arab Spring at the beginning of this decade, which descended into chaos and disorder with countries like Syria, Libya and Yemen even worse-off than before Arab Spring.

Although the majority of Malaysians had not expected the  14th General Election of May 9, 2018 to produce a change of the Federal Government for the first time in six decades, the euphoria of the historic occasion had unleashed new hopes and expectations that the corruption, abuses of power, injustices  and depredations of the past six decades could be immediately undone overnight.

Pakatan Harapan must remain true and committed to the principal objectives of the PH general election manifesto to reduce  the costs of living, achieve institutional reforms, engineer economic growth,  restore power to Sabah and Sarawak and to build an inclusive and moderate Malaysia.

This is the work not of one hundred days or months but of years and decades. It calls for steadfast commitment to bring about unity, freedom, justice and prosperity to Malaysia and to all Malaysians.

The greatest achievement of the Pakatan  Harapan in its first year in office is undoubtedly to restore pride to  Malaysians in their own country, as Malaysians had previously been ashamed to identify themselves as Malaysians when abroad because of the 1MDB scandal, the ignominy of Malaysia becoming a global kleptocracy and  having a Prime Minister regarded worldwide for the 4Ps – as a pencuri, perompak, penyamun and penyangak.

I myself was disappointed when the Transparency International Corruption Perceptionn Index 2018 was announced at the end of January this year that Malaysia had gone up by only one place to 61 out of 180 countries, maintaining the score of 47 points in the corruption index just like in the previous year, although the former Prime Minister and several prominent personalities including former Cabinet Ministers had been charged for corruption last year.

It is salutary reminder that “one swallow does not make a summer” and that the prosecution of the former Prime Minister and former Cabinet Ministers, however prominent the event, does not itself transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a shining example of a nation of integrity.

As illustrated by the RM6.3 billion FELDA and  RM17.8 billion Lembaga Tabung Haji bailouts respectively, the mission to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a nation of integrity is a work-in-progress, although I expect the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index for next year to show a great improvement in both ranking and score.

But Malaysians must not regard the war against corruption as a “Mission Accomplished”.

When I asked during a ceramah at Kampong Sim Sim in Sandakan two days ago whether Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBD) President, Maximus Ongkili had ever raised or objected to the 1MDB scandal when he was Minister in the Cabinet of  former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak – let alone following the sterling examples of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal who were  sacked from the Cabinet for their princidples – voices were raised that one should not be concerned about the 1MDB issue any more as it is in the courts.

How could this be when the war against corruption at all levels of government is a work-in-progress – and there is no better reminder of this than  the arrest of a Barisan Nasional MP to be charged in court for corruption tomorrow.

It is significant and pertinent that until today, PBS like Najib, had never condemned the 1MDB scandal or expressed regret for bringing Malaysian the odium of a global kleptocracy.

If Ongkili  is not prepared to risk his Cabinet position  to speak out against the 1MDB scandal, which brought ignominy and infamy to Malaysia by being condemned worldwide as a global kleptocracy, what can Sabahans and Malaysians expect if PBS is able to stage a political comeback through the Sandakan by-election?

Would PBS denounce a 2MDB, 3MDB or 4MDB scandal if it is in any future government?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Sandakan on Thursday, 2nd May 2019)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 2 May 2019, 5:46 pm and is filed under
Pakatan Harapan
,
PH Government
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


One reason why I have kept a low publicity profile in the past year – monstrous lies that I am the puppet-master with Mahathir and Cabinet as my puppets and stooges

We live in an unprecedented era of lies and falsehoods – thanks to the advent of the Internet and the social media.

The two latest Whatsapp images I saw represent this  genre of lies and falsehoods –  one portraying   me as a puppet-master pulling the strings of puppets signifying PKR, Bersatu and AMANAH while the other  portraying  me as lording over and censuring Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohmad, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Mohamad Sabu, pictured in submissive poses, laying down the   new  Do’s and Don’t’s, viz: “Saya tak mahu Melayu BERSATU! Saya tak mahu KEADILAN kepada Melayu! Tak perlu tunai AMANAH kepada Melayu!”

These are monstrous lies and falsehoods – picturing me as the greatest threat to Malays and Muslims in the Malay and Muslim constituency, while among the non-Malays and non-Muslims, DAP and I are  condemned as having sold out the rights and interests of non-Malays and non-Muslims.

This appears to be a “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation.

This is in fact one reason why I have kept a low publicity profile in the past year – the monstrous lies that I am the puppet master with the Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad and the Federal Government Cabinet as just my puppets and stooges.

Malaysia seems to have entered a new phase of toxic and vicious politics of racial and religious hatred,  lies and falsehoods which, if unchecked, will lead to unprecedented polarisation, division and disunity in plural Malaysia.

This is why at the ceramah at Kampong Mangkalinau two days ago, I had stressed that the Sandakan by-election on May 11 is important – to build a new Malaysia, a new Sabah and a new Sandakan.

We must keep faith with the  agenda to build a New Malaysia, the very raison d’etre for the historic decision of the Malaysian voters on May 9, 2018. This means the end of the politics of hate, lies and falsehoods which  must be combatted frontally as they have  reached   new levels of monstrosity and turpitude in the past 12 months.

A New Malaysia can only succeed if all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or socio-economic background, are able to develop their potential capabilities to the fullest – paving the way for Malaysia to compete with the rest of the world instead of competing with each other.

We must create a new Sabah, the rationale for the Bill to amend  the Malaysian Constitution in the last meeting of Parliament to restore to Sabah and Sarawak the rights and powers in accordance with Malaysia Agreement 1963.

Unfortunately, the amendment of the Malaysian Constitution, which will represent the first step to restore to Sabah and Sarawak the rights and powers in accordance with Malaysia Agreement 1963, was denied and defeated for the lack of two-third parliamentary support of Members of Parliament.

A vote for Vivian Wong as Member of Parliament for Sandakan will raise the number of Members of Parliament supporting such an amendment of the Malaysian Constitution to 139 MPs – and we have to find nine more MPs to support the Bill for the requisite two-thirds parliamentary majority for such a constitutional amendment to become law.

We need a new Sandakan through the revival of the economy of Sandakan – starting with the upgrading of the Sandakan Airport to international status to draw in tourists from all over the world and promote other economic sectors.

The Sandakan by-election, two days after the first anniversary of the historic decision of May 9, 2018 which effected a peaceful and democratic change of government at the Federal level for the first time in six decades as well in Sabah state, is therefore most significant.

It is a first-year report card to be marked by the voters of Sandakan.

The sacred task to build a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan is work not of one hundred days or months, but of many years and even decades.

An important start in this process have been made in the past year, although some mistakes had been made. Clearly, there is room for improvement in many areas.

What is important and  fundamental is that Pakatan Harapan must remain true and committed to its principal objectives to reduce the costs of living, achieve institutional reforms, engineer economic growth, restore power to Sabah and Sarawak and to build an inclusive and moderate Malaysia.

Let the voters of Sandakan mark the first-year report card of the Pakatan  Harapan Government in the by-election on May 11 and encourage the Pakatan Harapan   to stay true and focussed on its fundamental compact with the voters of Malaysia to build a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Sandakan on Friday, 2nd May 2019)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 3 May 2019, 4:28 pm and is filed under
nation building
,
Pakatan Harapan
,
PH Government
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Is Najib saying that he will not sue anyone for accusing him of killing Altantuya, Teoh Beng Hock, Hussain Najadi or Kevin Morais?

Yesterday, I said that one reason why I have kept a low publicity profile in the past year was because of the unprecedented and monstrous lies and falsehoods in the era of social media, like the latest Whatsapps images portraying   me as a puppet-master pulling the strings of puppets signifying PKR, Bersatu and AMANAH or portraying  me as lording over Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohmad, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Mohamad Sabu, with the vituperative but totally  fictitious and baseless  message:
“Saya tak mahu Melayu BERSATU! Saya tak mahu KEADILAN kepada Melayu! Tak perlu tunai AMANAH kepada Melayu!”

I described this as a
“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t”
 situation, as I am pictured as the greatest threat to Malays and Muslims in the Malay and Muslim constituency, while DAP and I are  condemned by other propagandists and cybertroopers among non-Malays and non-Muslims as having sold out the rights and interests of non-Malays and non-Muslims.

This prompted an instant FaceBook response  by the former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, with the following posting:

“Oh, ye ke?

“Macam seorang itu yang bertahun-tahun memfitnah saya membunuh Altantuya, Teoh Beng Hock, Hussain Najadi dan Kevin Morais?”

This is a singular case of case of admission by the former Prime Minister that he sits atop a highly-funded super infrastructure purveying monstrous lies and falsehoods in the era of Internet and social media, even after he has been evicted from Putrajaya in the 14th General Election.

But firstly,  let me state that I had never in my speeches and statements in  the past, ever accused Najib of murdering Altantunya Shaariibuu, Teoh Beng Hock, Hussain Najadi or Kevin Morais, but that he must not evade responsibility for these deaths as Prime Minister of Malaysia.

I should  ask Najib whether he is saying that he would not sue anyone for accusing him of killing Altantuya, Teoh Beng Hock, Hussain Najadi or Kevin Morais, whether in the past, present or the future?

Anyone in his right senses would have sought to clear his name and reputation if he had been accused by prominent personalities of dastardly deeds like the heinous  crime of murder and kleptocracy, and Malaysians are entitled to know why Najib is an exception.

Vicious and toxic politics of lies and faslsehoods  to create inter-racial and inter-religious hatred  and intolerance is a not a new phenomenon in Malaysian politics  and Najib had been one of its foremost exponents before the 14th General Election, as borne out by testimony in the current Najib corruption trial that millions of ringgit had been spent on “political intelligence” and to launch “black ops” or “special ops”.

Before the 14th General Election at the 7lst UMNO General Assembly in December 2017, Najib blatantly and brazenly resorted to gargantuan lies when he accused the DAP of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam, that “DAP yang terang terang anti-Melayu dan Islam, sebagai tercatat dalam perlembagaan DAP, langsung tidak meyebut Islam sebagai Agama Persekutuan”.

Present at the 71st UMNO General Assembly opening were the leaders of the other 12 Barisan Nasional component parties, such as MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the Sabah and Sarawak component parties, all of whom also did not “tercatat dalam perlembagaan, langsung tidak sebut Islam sebagai Agama Persekutuan”!

Did Najib accuse the other 12 BN component parties, and therefore the Barisan Nasional coalition, as anti-Malay and anti-Islam?

At this pre-14th General Election UMNO General Assembly, Najib also  resorted to the politics of fear and hatred by drumming baseless fears and hate, as when he warned that if Pakatan Harapan wins, “the Malays will be vagabonds, cursed and despised, until they ‘terbangsat’ (become bastards) in their own homeland”.

This was why I commented on Najib’s UMNO Presidential speech on Dec. 13, 2017 and said:

“Najib should know that if Pakatan Harapan defeats the UMNOB/BN coalition in the next general election, the Pakatan Harapan Federal Government will be doing its utmost in the next five years to prove that it is better than the UMNO/BN government in protecting and promoting the rights and interests of all Malaysians, especially the Malays and Islam, and no one will be ‘terbangsat’ in their own land or it will lose the mandate to govern and be repudiated in the subsequent general election five years later in 2023.”

Malaysians will not forget the great  UMNO lie in the last general election that I, and not Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who will become Prime Minister if Pakatan Harapan wins the 14th General Election.

But Najib’s most gargantuan lie is undoubtedly his denial up till today that there is anything amiss with the 1MDB, although the 1MDB scandal is the constant subject of the national and international media like the accummulating news reports on the 1MDB scandal  – whether the expected return to Malaysia of more than RM930 million misappropriated from 1MDB by the US and Singapore authorities, the sale of assets acquired by the stolen 1MDB funds like a mansion in Los Angeles, the return of a pair of diamond earrings and matching diamond ring worth nearly US$1.7 million or the sale of the billion-ringgit superyacht Equanimity.

We  have entered a new phase of toxic and vicious politics of racial and religious hatred,  lies and falsehoods which, if unchecked, will lead to unprecedented polarisation, division and disunity in plural Malaysia.

Such toxic and vicious campaign of lies, falsehoods, hate and animosity  must be stopped.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 4th May 2019)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 4 May 2019, 3:55 pm and is filed under
Fake News
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Welcome Pandikar coming out from the woodwork!

Welcome Tan  Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, though it is a surprise to see you coming out from the woodwork campaigning for PBS at Pulau Berhala in the Sandakan by-election.

You have been quite forgotten after your nine-year  stint as Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1MDB Speaker of Parliament, when you were the darling of the media, enjoying the controversies when you arbitrarily banned parliamentary discussion and probe of the 1MDB scandal and prevented Parliament from playing its role to save Malaysia from the ignominy, iniquity and  infamy of being condemned by the world as a global kleptocracy.

The 13th Parliament could have performed its patriotic duty to save Malaysia from being

condemned by the world as a global kleptocracy, but you stood in the way and did Najib’s every bidding.

But horror of horrors, you now tell the voters of Pulau Berhala that you have never heard of the 1MDB scandal!

It was a surprise that after  being appointed as an UMNO Supreme Council member after the great historic decision of the 14th General Election of May 9, 2018, you quit UMNO last December together with nine of 10 Sabah UMNO Assemblymen, five of six Sabah UMNO MPs and two Senators, as well as former federal minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Salleh Tun Said.

At that time, you joined the UMNO MPs, State Assemblymen and 21 of the 25 divisional heads who left UMNO to pledge full support to the Pakatan Harapan Government under the leadership

of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and the Warisan-led  Sabah State Government under Datuk Seri Shafie

Apdal.

Clearly, your word is not your bond.

Do spare a thought for the 1MDB scandal which you have so easily forgotten.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday 5th January 2019)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 5 May 2019, 8:22 am and is filed under
Financial Scandals
,
Parliament
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Great mistake to think that Najib’s corruption trials and those of a few bigwigs of the former administration signify Malaysia is firmly on the road to  becoming  a top nation of integrity

It is a great mistake to think that the corruption trials of former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and a few bigwigs of the former administration signify that Malaysia is firmly on the road to becoming a top nation of integrity.

Two events over the weekend illustrates such a  dangerous fallacy.

First, the denial by an exalted personality like the former Speaker of Parliament that there was – or that anybody knows or cares about –   the 1MBD scandal when Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia campaigned for PBS  in the Sandakan by-election.

Pandikar had  been singly  responsible for the subversion of the 13th Parliament in preventing it from performing its patriotic duty to save Malaysia from being condemned by the world as a global kleptocracy.

There was neither  a trace of   regret nor a  tinge of contrition from  Pandikar for what he did as the Speaker of the 13th Parliament in suppressing parliamentary debate or probe into the 1MDB scandal, but instead, in perpetuating a furtive attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of Malaysian people by denying that there is such a thing as a 1MDB scandal.

This is a most irresponsible and unpatriotic  particularly at a time when the 1MDB scandal, which shamed Malaysians for nearly a decade in  turning the country into a global kleptocracy, had been exploding all over the world with the  latest news and developments – like the expected return of the first tranche  of more than RM930 million misappropriated from 1MDB by the US and Singapore authorities; the sale of assets acquired by the stolen 1MDB funds like a mansion in Los Angeles, the return of a pair of diamond earrings and matching diamond ring worth nearly US$1.7 million,  the sale of the billion-ringgit superyacht Equanimity or the United States Department of Justice seeking  Goldman Sachs Group Inc to plead guilty as part of any potential settlement over its role in the 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal.

Let me remind Pandikar of the National Anti-Corruption Plan 2019-2023 which states:

“It is apparent that corruption not only ruin the corruptors but it can go beyond to ruin the entire country. Malaysia has come under the spotlight for being coined a kleptocratic country thanks to the greed of several individuals involved in mega scandals namely 1MDB, FELDA, MARA. SRC International, Sabah Water Department and Tabung Haji.  These scandals have seen billions, even trillions, being siphoned off from the country.  Nothing is more frustrating than to learn the state-owned investment company, 1MDB, turned its supposedly profitable investments into a global investment fiasco that lost billions of ringgit.”

At the meeting of Perak State Excos and civil servants, the Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad spoke about  “some, including civil servants, who want to oust the Pakatan Harapan government because of its efforts to combat corruption”.

Mahathir stated that there were those who said the Harapan government was not as good as the previous administration because it rejected the immoral activity.

I must thank Pandikar for finally identifying his role in the 1MDB scandal in his continuing attempt to white-wash the 1MDB scandal,  belonging to the group referred to by the Prime Minister in Ipoh  who felt the Pakatan Harapan government should not continue but that the country should go back to the corrupt government of the past which made Malaysia a kleptocracy.

Pandikar has turned the Sandakan by-election into a touchstone about Malaysia’s commitment to get to the bottom of the heinous 1MDB scandal and to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy to a leading nation in integrity  or to go  back to the old corrupt ways.

Former Attorney-General Mohamad Apandi Ali said  yesterday that concerns that ratifying the Rome Statute would affect the Federal Constitution and Malay rulers led the Attorney-General’s Chambers during his time to reject the treaty during the Barisan Nasional administration.

Apandi, who was appointed Attorney-General in July 2015 when Abdul Gani Patail was summarily sacked from his office when it was rumoured that Gani was preparing to  charge Najib for corruption, should explain why he aided and abetted in the 1MDB scandal.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 6th January 2019)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 6 May 2019, 10:39 am and is filed under
Election
,
Financial Scandals
,
Parliament
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Let Sandakan by-election provide the  great thrust and boost in the start of the second year of Pakatan Harapan federal government and Warisan-led Sabah State Government to continue the agenda of change to create a New Malaysia and a new Sabah

This is the time for report cards for the first anniversary of the historic decision of the 14th General Election of May 9, 2018.

The first anniversary in two days’ time is marked by the appointment of a new Chief Justice and a new Inspector-General of Police, both important and positive developments in the building of a New Malaysia to undertake  institutional reforms  to establish a New Malaysia which  upholds  the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law and to restore institutional independence and professionalism.

There had been ups and downs,  breakthroughs, setbacks and even failures from the Pakatan Harapan promises of the last general election, but what is most important is whether  Pakatan Harapan  remains committed to the promises and agenda for change for a new Malaysia and a new Sabah and prepared to learn from our setbacks and failures.

The two important appointments of the Chief Justice and the Inspector-General of Police, as well as the  earlier appointment of the first Chief Justice from Sabah, represent a good end for the first-year anniversary of the historic, peaceful and democratic change for Malaysia the first time in six decades in Malaysia and first time in 55 years for Sabah.

It is easy to give way to despair at the glacial pace of change, the setbacks and even failures, best expressed by Uncle Yap in his article “New Malaysia: One Year on” in  Malayiakini today, where he said:

“Now Lim is muted, and Anwar does not want to spook the Malays and one year on, the Harapan government continues to prove inept, indecisive and reluctant or incapable of fulfilling its promise of a New Malaysia.

“The shocking  realisation has just dawned on me, if this Harapan government fails, what hope is there for my children and grandchildren?

“Once more, Malaysia, I cry for you.”

Let us not yet cry for Malaysia but work for a New Malaysia and a New Sabah.   We do not want to fail. We want to succeed to build a New Malaysia and a New Sabah.

It had not been a bed of roses but more  a crown of thorns.

But this is the time for stout-heartedness and to renew faith and commitment to build a New Malaysia and a New Sabah, where the talents and capabilities of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or socio-economic background, are developed to the fullest  because of their efforts to build a New Malaysia and a New Sabah so that Malaysians can compete with the rest of the world instead of competing with ourselves.

The establishment of a New Malaysia is not going to be a walk in the park but a formidable challenge requiring great fortitude, courage, stamina and vision.

The Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad said over the weekend that there are people, including some civil servants, who want to oust the Pakatan Harapan government because of its efforts to combat corruption.

In fact, there are people, including some civil servants, who want to oust the Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya and Warisan-led Sabah government because of their efforts to build a New Malaysia and a New Sabah so as to return to the old regimes of corruption, abuse of power and injustices.

This is why the second year of the Pakatan Harapan Government in Putrajaya and the Warisan-led Sabah State Government in Kota Kinabalu is even more important than the first year – which was bogged down by the shocking discovery of the enormity, magnitude and depth of the various financial and nation-building scandals left behind by the Barisan Nasional government.

We  are two days away from  the first anniversary of  May 9, 2018  to Save Malaysia. But even more important will be two days after the first anniversary, on May 11,  when the Sandakan by-election will be held.

Let Sandakan by-election provide the  great thrust and boost for the start of the second year of Pakatan Harapan federal government in Malaysia and Warisan-led State Government  in Sabah to keep faith and to stay strong to  continue the agenda of change to create a New Malaysia and a new Sabah.

Let the Sandakan voters on behalf of all Malaysian voters, through the Sandakan by-election on May 11 give a ringing reaffirmation and  endorsement for a New Malaysia and a New Sabah to reduce the costs of living of the people, achieve institutional reforms, engineer economic growth, restore power to Sabah and Sarawak and to build an inclusive and moderate Malaysia and Sabah.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Sandakan on Tuesday, May 7, 2019)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 7 May 2019, 7:55 pm and is filed under
Election
,
Pakatan Harapan
,
PH Government
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Najib with his new persona Malu Apa Bossku welcome to Sandakan to give Malaysian voters the opportunity to speak up  loud and clear in a parliamentary by-election  that 1MDB scandal and Malaysia as a global kleptocracy are subjects of shame for right-thinking Malaysians

It is reported that former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be the star speaker of the UMNB-PAS by-election campaign for the PBS candidate in the Sandakan by-election on Friday, the eve of the by-election on Saturday.

Najib with his new persona Malu Apa Bossku is welcome to Sandakan to give Malaysian voters the opportunity to speak up loud and clear in a parliamentary by-election that the monstrous 1MDB scandal and Malaysia as a global kleptocracy are subjects of shame for right-thinking Malaysians.

Najib should come to Sandakan to explain why he had never apologised or expressed regret for the 1MDB scandal, which had brought to the country the 3Is of infamy, ignominy and iniquity as a global kleptocracy.

How can Najib strut around the country with a Malu Apa Bossku message when before the historic decision of May 9, 2018 which brought about a change of government for the first time in six decades, Malaysians were so ashamed  of themselves as Malaysians  because of the 1MDB scandal and Malaysia’s epithet as a global kleptocracy when they went overseas that they dared not identify themselves as Malaysians, but claimed  instead that they were from Thailand, Borneo, Indonesia or even Singapore?

May 9, 2018 saved Malaysia from the ignominy of the  1MDB scandal as Malaysians can again hold

their heads high and identify themselves as Malaysians when abroad, as Malaysia is no more condemned as a global kleptocracy by the world after Najib was ousted in the 14th General Election and  charged in court with scores of corruption charges related to the 1MDB.

For the past four years, the world press had produced  reams of reports and days  of air time about the 1MDB scandal; books had

been written and films made about it while at least 10 countries had launched

investigations on the 1MDB scandal.

The U.S. Justice Department  identified

about US$1.7 billion in assets  illegally

acquired through money diverted from 1MDB, including real estate, art, a super-luxury yacht and proceeds from the film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”  Its first charges against individuals were announced in November last year.

Singapore and Switzerland had imposed financial

penalties on several banks for lapses in anti-money laundering controls related to funds all from 1MDB.

It is reported that yesterday and today, law

enforcement officials from the U.S., Malaysia and Singapore, including representatives from the US Department of Justice and the Attorney-General’s Offices in Malaysia and Singapore, had been meeting near Kuala Lumpur to coordinate their legal approaches toward Goldman Sachs Group Inc. over its work raising money for scandal-plagued 1MDB.

Goldman faced scrutiny in all three countries over its role helping 1MDB raise more than US$6

billion in bond sales that generated some US$600 million in fees for the bank.

Malaysia has filed criminal charges against three Goldman entities, while U.S. prosecutors have charged two former bankers at the firm. Singapore is planning to seek a deferred-prosecution agreement with Goldman.

Up to now, some RM1.5 billion misappropriated from 1MDB had been returned to Malaysia by

the US and Singapore authorities.

A check with the Google search engine on the subject “1MDB scandal” produces 1.2 million results in 38 seconds.

Najib however  has continued to deny the

existence of a 1MDB scandal.

His coming to Sandakan on Friday will be an appropriate occasion for him to explain why he

had continued  to deny the existence of the 1MDB scandal.

There are those who say that there is no need to talk about the 1MDB scandal as the courts

must now  decide whether Najib had been

guilty of grand corruption in 1MDB.

These people cannot be more wrong if they suggest that Malaysia is on the road to become a nation of integrity just because Najib and several big-wigs of the former Barisan Nasional government had been charged with corruption offences.

The 2017 Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) released by Transparency International in February 2017, based on a survey of 16 countries in Asia-Pacific made, had the following eight findings:

· 57% of Malaysians think Police is involved in corruption;

· 48% of Malaysians think Local Government Councillors and Tax Officials are involved in corruption;

· 46% of Malaysians think business executives are involved in corruption;

· 45% of Malaysians think Governnment officials are involved in corruption;

· 41% of Malaysians think Members of Parliament and State Assembly members are involved in corruption;

· 41% of Malaysians thank the Prime Minister and the his officials are involved in corruption;

· 33% of Malaysians think that Judges and Magistrates are involved in corruption; and

·  31% of Malaysians think that Religious Leaders are involved in corruption.

Other findings of the 2017 GCB were:

· 60% of Malaysians felt that the level of corruption had increased, while 62% felt that the government was handling the right against corruption badly;

· 53% of Malaysians said the government was ineffective in fighting corruption;

· 41% of Malaysians felt that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was doing BADLY.

Although there had not been any corruption study or survey after the May 9, 2018 historic

decision,  the anti-corruption war has still

to show bite and greater effectiveness in its fight against corruption  whether in the region or the world apart from dealing with “grand corruption” involving the former Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and former Cabinet Ministers.

Najib’s proposed visit to Sandakan on Friday will help in placing the  corruption issue, whether the 1MDB scandal or Malaysia as a global kleptocracy during his premiership, as a centrepiece of the Sandakan parliamentary by-election.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Sandakan on Wednesday, 8th May 2019)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 8 May 2019, 7:45 pm and is filed under
Election
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Let Sandakan by-election represent a national turnaround to the three by-election defeats to give a great boost and support for the start of second year in the agenda for change for a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan

There can be three scenarios to the outcome of the Sandakan parliamentary by-election on Saturday, 11th May 2019:

First scenario – the UMNO-PAS tie-up, using PBS to field a candidate, can win the by-election. UMNO states that it has 10,000 members in Sandakan. If UMNO could mobilise its 10,000 members to vote, and together with PAS, PBS and the support of others, the PBS candidate might be able to poll some 15,000 votes. In such a situation, the UMNO-PAS candidate might win  the Sandakan by-election by a few hundred votes.

Second scenario – DAP candidate Vivian Wong wins the Sandakan by-election with a majority of a few thousand votes, confirming the support of the Sandakan voters for the DAP, Pakatan Harapan and the Warisan-led Sabah State Government.

Third scenario which is unlikely and very challenging, calling virtually for a political miracle, i.e. Vivian Wong wins the Sandakan by-election with an  even bigger majority  than her father, Datuk Stephen Wong in the 14th General Election.  In the last general election Stephen Wong polled 19,094 votes and won with a thundering majority of 10,098  votes. This scenario is unlikely in a by-election which is likely to have a lower voter turn-out, but if it happens, it will be a rare achievement which will  also be a ringing endorsement not only for DAP, Pakatan Harapan and the Warisan-led Sabah State Government, but represent a national turnaround to the recent three by-election defeats  suffered by Pakatan Harapan in the Cameron Highlands, Semenyih and Ratau by-elections and give a great boost and support for the start of second year in the agenda for change for a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan.

Today is a historic day for its marks the first anniversary of  the great decision one year ago in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018, to bring about peaceful and democratic change  in Malaysia to end the six decades of UMNO/Barisan Nasional rule  of corruption, abuses of power and injustices in the country.

What would have happened if the UMNO/BN Government had not been voted out of office a year ago?

It is salutary for all Malaysians to think of this scenario, for Malaysia would have hurtled along the trajectory to become a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state in the very near future, which would be a curse to our children and children’s children.

We now know about  some of the corruption, excesses and abuses of power which were committed under the Najib government, but if there had been no change of government a year ago, Malaysia will be hurtling towards the trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state, pawning the rights and interests of our children and children’s children.

In the 1970s, there was one country which was not only the richest country in Latin America and one of the twenty richest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP higher than Spain and Greece, and 13 per cent lower than that of the United Kingdom. Per capita GDP-wise, it was two-and-half times richer than Malaysia. It had free education and free health care.

Today, some four decades later,  it has become a poor and  bankrupt nation – with a per capita GDP  which is about five times less than that of  Malaysia; suffering  from sky-high inflation which left many of its people unable to afford basic  necessities from food to medicine; with one out of every three patients admitted to a public hospital dying there; chronic water and electricity shortages; some of the slowest Internet connection speeds in the world;  runaway corruption and total breakdown of democratic checks and balances.

The historic decision of May 9, 2018 spared Malaysia the fate of making another dubious history – beating this nation in collapse from a progressive and prosperous country  in a matter decades to become a failed and rogue nation after achieving the infamy of a kleptocratic state under the administration of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Malaysians achieved a great feat saving the nation from the fate of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state, which would have enslaved our children and children’s children.

Our task is now to build a New Malaysia, a New Sabah and a New Sandakan.

This is no easy task, but we must remain strong and steadfast in our vision of justice, freedom and unity to build Golden Age for Malaysia which is in the future and not in the past.

This is finally what the Sandakan by-election is all about.

(Media Conference Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at DAP Sandakan by-election Ops Centre on Thursday, 9th May 2019 at 11 am)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 9 May 2019, 3:55 pm and is filed under
Election
,
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


I am prepared to have a wager with Tok Mat – that Mahathir will keep his word to pass on the Prime Minister’s post to Anwar and will not dissolve Parliament to call for fresh elections instead

At the PBS Sandakan by-election ceramah last night, the UMNO acting president, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not keep his promise of passing on the prime minister’s post to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and that he will sooner dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections instead.

Mohamad even said that the 15th General Election could be called as soon as the end of next year.

Mohamad said he was familiar with Dr Mahathir’s character and from what he knows, the latter will not relinquish the post to Anwar.

Q

“I’ve worked with the grandpa for a long time.

Trust me, I know the man; he won’t give it up.”

Today is the first anniversary of the historic

decision of the Malaysian voters in the 14th General Election of May 9, 2018.

This first anniversary has come as a shock to

UMNO/Barisan Nasional leaders for they had hoped  that the Pakatan Harapan coalition of DAP, PKR, Bersatu and Amanah would crumble and disintegrate in a matter of months.

Now they are hoping that Pakatan Harapan will crumble and disintegrate with Mahathir refusing to pass the Prime Minister’s post to Anwar.

I have more confidence in Mahathir and I am

prepared to have a wager with Mohamad that Mahathir will honour the Pakatan Harapan commitment to pass the Prime Minister’s post to Anwar.

If Mahathir does not pass the Prime Minister’s

post to Anwar and instead dissolve Parliament to call for early 15th General Elections, I will retire from politics and will not contest in the 15th General Election.

If Mahathir keeps to his word and passes the

Prime Minister’s post to Anwar, then Mohamad will withdraw from politics and will not contest in the 15th General Election.

Let us give Mohamad two days to decide whether

to accept this wager with me.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the DAP Sandakan by-election ceramah in Taman Mesra, Sandakan on Thursday, May 9 2019 at 10 pm)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 10 May 2019, 12:46 pm and is filed under
Election
,
PH Government
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Three things which Najib should clarify in his shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” visit to Sandakan

There are many things which the former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should clarify about the monstrous and heinous 1MDB scandal

and other mega corruption scandals  which he should answer  in his shameless “Malu Apa  Bossku” visit to Sandakan today, but there

are three things which he should not avoid as they had just cropped up in the past two days.

Firstly, he should respond to the 509 first anniversary speech by the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad  who said it was “strange” that Najib could still act innocent during the ongoing investigation of the 1MDB scandal and despite the return of some RM1.5 billion misappropriated from 1MDB by the US and Singapore authorities and the criminal and money-laundering investigations by some 10 countries;

Secondly, the revelation by former MACC review panel member, Datuk Lim Chee Wee that Najib was not investigated for corruption when he was Prime Minister because he had sacked Tan Sri Gani Patail as Attorney-General, replacing Gani with Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali,  whose single agenda as AG  was to protect Najib from any

corruption investigation;

Thirdly, the revelation by Deepak Jaikishan in an interview with Al Jazeera that Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor  was the “de facto prime minister” when the Barisan Nasional was still in power.

Deepak, former close friend and business associate of Najib, said:

 “She’s just plain greedy. She wants it all.

“The diamonds, especially the expensive, priceless pieces, were her way of keeping their

money. It’s an easy way for her to siphon off the money and to keep it in a very simple place.”

Let Najib throw light on these three items in his “Malu Apa Bossku” visit to Sandakan today, apart from a multitude of other matters in connection with the 1MDB and other mega

scandals.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Sandakan on Friday, 10th May 2019)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 10 May 2019, 5:50 pm and is filed under
Election
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Sandakan by-election is a national turnaround of political fortunes, wiping out the three Pakatan Harapan  by-election defeats of Cameron Highlands, Semenyih and Rantau and a knockout blow to Najib’s shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign

It is now 7.20 pm. According to the Election Commission website unofficial results, DAP has polled 16,012 votes, PBS 4,491 votes, winning

with a stunning majority of 11,521 votes with the three independent candidates losing their deposit with 126 votes, 178 votes and 788 votes respectively.

Unofficially, Vivian Wong is now the Member of Parliament, winning the Sandakan parliamentary seat with a bigger majority than her father, Stephen Wong, who with a majority of 10,098 votes.

In fact, Vivian Wong has made history as she has won the Sandakan parliamentary seat with the greatest majority in the history of Sandakan.

Even more important, Vivian Wong’s victory in the Sandakan by-election is a national turnaround, wiping out the three Pakatan Harapan by-election defeats of Cameron Highlands, Semenyih and Rantau and a knockout

blow to former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign.

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Sandakan on Saturday, May 11, 2019)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 11 May 2019, 7:41 pm and is filed under
General
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Sandakan by-election not only shows that UMNO is no longer relevant in Sabah but demonstrates that the UMNO-PAS axis is utterly  irrelevant in the mission to build a world-class Malaysia

One of the architects of the DAP’s historic victory in the Sandakan by-election, Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal is right that the Sandakan parliamentary by-election is an endorsement by voters of the Warisan-led Sabah State Government and showed that UMNO is no longer relevant in Sabah.

But the Sandakan by-election has other meanings and implications as well as it  is also a ringing endorsement of the Pakatan Harapan

Government in Putrajaya and showed that the UMNO-PAS axis is utterly irrelevant in the mission to build a world-class Malaysia

Most  powerfully, the Sandakan verdict was a stunning repudiation of the “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who visited various polling centres  in Sandakan yesterday morning.

It is pathetic while the great people of Sandakan, regardless of race or religion, voted for a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan, the UMNO leaders were engrossed in the divisive and destructive politics of race and religion, with the Acting UMNO President Datuk Mohamad Hassan declaring at the 73rd UMNO anniversary celebration last night that how the public perceives the Malays is tied to how they perceive UMNO.

Are the UMNO powerbrokers aware that this is the reason why this umbilical cord must be severed, for UMNO is now inextricably intertwined with kleptocracy, cronyism and avarice of UMNO leaders, as illustrated  by the shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign and Najib’s pride of place at yesterday’s UMNO anniversary with the participation of PAS leaders.

The advancement of Malay and Islamic rights and interests in Malaysia is now  equated with the protection of corruption and  the vicious and toxic politics of lies, intolerance, hate and extremism of UMNO and PAS leaders.

This is against the principles of a New Malaysia,  a New Sabah and a New Sandakan.

The last three days provide powerful evidence that the second year of Pakatan Harapan/Warisan government in Malaysia and Sabah will be even more meaningful than the first year to build a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan –  with Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad first anniversary report card on May 9, the announcement  by the new Inspector-General of Police, Abdul Hamid Bador that the police have consented to the formation of the Independent

Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) on May 10 and the historic Sandakan by-election result on May 11!

Pakatan Harapan/Warisan  must keep faith with the  agenda to build a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan in the next four years, based on the foundation laid in the first year after historic 14th General Election decision of peaceful and democratic change on May 9, 2018.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Sandakan on Sunday, May 12, 2019)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 12 May 2019, 9:30 am and is filed under
Election
,
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Historic Sandakan by-election has pulverised two myths: that PH/Warisan governments are only for one-term and the  invincibility of the shameless  “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign

The historic Sandakan by-election result has pulverised two myths in Malaysian politics – that the Pakatan Harapan/Warisan governments in Putrajaya and Sabah are only one-term governments and the invincibility of the shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign to give a new lease of life to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

At a news conference in Sandakan two days before polling on May 11, I outlined three possible scenarios in the Sandakan by-election:

First scenario – PBS victory because of the UMNO-PAS tie-up and campaign. UMNO claimed to have 9,700 members in Sandakan, and if UMNO successfully mobilised its 9,700 members to vote, with the promised 150% UMNO support by former UMNO bigwig Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, together with the final appearance of Najib in Sandakan in his shameless  “Malu Apa “ new campaign, and the  votes amassed  by the  grand opposition coalition in Sabah, victory for the PBS candidate was on the cards.

Second scenario – DAP candidate Vivian Wong win the Sandakan by-election with a majority of a few thousand votes, confirming the support of the Sandakan voters for the DAP, Pakatan Harapan and the Warisan-led Sabah State Government.

With the low voter turn-out rate on polling day, PH/Warisan leaders  thought that the best the DAP candidate could achieve in the Sandakan by-election  was a small victory with a majority of some two thousand votes.

But it was the third scenario that eventuated  despite the shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign of Najib  in Sandakan on Friday evening and Saturday morning and the “150 per cent UMNO support”.

DAP candidate Vivian Wong created a political miracle despite the low political turnout of 54.4% of the voters compared to 71% of the electorate in  the 14th General Election, with Vivian Wong winning 74.18% of the total votes as compared to 67.97% in the 14th General Election.

Vivian Wong joined a score of parliamentary constituencies where over 95% of the Chinese voters and the majority of the bumiputera voters in the voter turnout voted for her.

The Sandakan by-election was a  rare achievement which is  a ringing endorsement not only for DAP, Pakatan Harapan and the Warisan-led Sabah State Government, but a great boost and support for the start of second year in the agenda for change for a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan.

The future can only better and brighter, as  Pakatan Harapan and Warisan forged ahead to keep faith with the people of Sandakan, Sabah and Malaysia to build a New Sandakan, a New Sabah and a New Malaysia.

The analysis of the Sandakan by-election on the  “twitter finance” website, entitled “Najib ‘Bossku’ turns ‘Cuckoo’ – Sabah Borneo Rejects Extremism and Racism, Becomes PH Fixed Deposit” describes the situation very aptly when it said:

“Unfortunately to the racist UMNO, Sabah is a different animal altogether. UMNO’s campaigning style and race politics – cursing and accusing DAP of being anti-Malay, anti-Muslim and anti-Islam – are not acceptable in the Borneo. In Sandakan, and Sabah for that matter, Chinese, Bugis, Suluk, Bajau, Muslim Bumiputra actually live harmoniously and peacefully for ages.

The “Malaya style politics” promoted by Najib Razak and Mohamad Hasan were not only unwelcome, but was also despised by the local ethnics entirely. Sabah UMNO Chief Bung Moktar Radin had promised to deliver 9,700 UMNO votes for PBS. The corrupt and disgraced Mr. Bung might have even promised free cash to mobilize the crowd to greet Najib at Giant hypermarket.

But judging by Linda’s pathetic 4,491 votes, it appeared that the people of Sabah are smarter than Najib Razak, Mohamad Hasan and Bung Moktar combined. To be fair, the real hero who had contributed to the landslide victory for DAP is none other than Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal. There’s a reason why Vivian thanked his late father and Shafie after the victory.

Without Mr. Shafie and his Parti Warisan Sabah’s effective campaign, some of the Muslim Bumiputra in Sabah could have fallen prey to UMNO racism and PAS extremism campaigns. Yes, in a way, the Sandakan by-election was a personal war between Najib Razak and Shafie Apdal, whom the former premier had sacked and even made to wear the MACC orange suits.

After Shafie was fired as UMNO Vice President for questioning Najib’s 1MDB scandal, he was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Oct 19, 2017 – under Najib administration. The former rural and regional development minister’s house was subsequently raided for alleged misappropriation of RM1.5 billion. However, no money was found.

In comparison, US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) was found in Najib’s personal account. But he was never arrested, until the Barisan Nasional government was toppled last May. When his children’s luxury Pavilion Residences condominiums were raided, an eye-popping RM117 million cash together with RM1 billion worth of 12,000 pieces of jewellery, 567 handbags, 423 watches and 234 sunglasses were found.

Perhaps Bugis, Suluk, Bajau, Muslim Bumiputra and other natives in Sabah have dignity and understood the meaning of shame, unlike UMNO-Malays and PAS-Malays who continue worship Najib Razak despite his ongoing trials. The Sabahan may be poorer and extremely concerned about security and money issues. But they hate race politics and radicalized Islamist even more.

Perhaps Najib and Hasan didn’t get the memo. UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi lost 21 of the 25 UMNO division heads, nine of 10 of its assemblymen, five of six MPs and two senators in the state of Sabah last December, reducing UMNO’s 54 MPs to just 43. They quit just four days after the anti-ICERD demonstration, obviously disgusted and angered by UMNO Peninsular’s excessive racism and extremism.

The fabulous victory in Sandakan for DAP is indeed a sweet revenge for Shafie Apdal. He has proven that in Sabah, he’s the real boss, not the fake “boss” Najib. It was a slap in the face for Najib’s online moniker “Bossku”, despite the amazing fact that the phrase actually originated in Sabah. More importantly, Sabah has become the fixed deposit of Pakatan Harapan.”

On behalf all  Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region,  the voters of Sandakan have replied to Najib’s shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign with a loud and unmistakable rejoinder: “Banyak Banyak Malu!”

Is this the reason why Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor dare not sue businessman Deepak Jakishan or Al Jazeera for the recent Al Jazeera interview “Power and Corruption” which as good as accused both of corruption, with Deepak openly  accusing Rosmah of purchasing  diamonds as a way to “syphon” money, that Rosmah behaved akin to the “de facto prime minister” when the BN was in power,  that Rosmah  received jewellery, money, properties and cars in return for lucrative government contracts and that she counter-checked on her husband “so that she knew exactly how many contracts were awarded that week” and “she wanted a stake of every single contract”?

This was  one of the three issues which I had asked Najib to answer in his shameless  “Malu Apa  Bossku” visit to Sandakan,  but he failed to do so. The  other two issues were:

· His response to the  509 first anniversary speech by the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad  who said it was “strange” that Najib could still act innocent during the ongoing investigation of the 1MDB scandal and despite the return of some RM1.5 billion misappropriated from 1MDB by the US and Singapore authorities and the criminal and money-laundering investigations by some 10 countries; and

· the revelation by former MACC review panel member, Datuk Lim Chee Wee that Najib was not investigated for corruption when he was Prime Minister because he had sacked Tan Sri Gani Patail as Attorney-General, replacing Gani with Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali,  whose single agenda as AG  was to protect Najib from any corruption investigation.

Najib – lets have the answers.

Najib disputed that he suffered a knockout blow  in the Sandakan by-election.  What a pity, the former Prime Minister is now so dazed that he does not know what is a knock-out blow.

He thinks that the “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign is made of gold and diamonds when it is a mere house of cards.

Let Najib continue with his “Malu Apa Bossku” sojourn until he ends up in Sungai Buloh.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Sandakan Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Monday, May 13, 2019)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 13 May 2019, 2:59 pm and is filed under
Election
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


One important lesson for all Malaysians  from the Sandakan by-election –  Never forget the 1MDB scandal or Najib’s kleptocracy if Malaysia is ever to become a nation of integrity and excellence  respected by the world

For the past several months before the Sandakan by-election, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s highly-funded  cybertroopers had been hammering hard on one  theme with the siren song – enough had been said about the 1MDB scandal and Najib’s kleptocracy, the 14th General Election is over and let the courts decide whether Najib was guilty of corruption or not, but for now,  the ball is in Pakatan Harapan’s court and let’s hear what the PH government had achieved to lower the cost of living and bring about institutional reforms.

From January this year, this Siren Song together with the invention of the shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign to create a new persona and new lease of life for Najib, had a upper hand in the social media as evidenced from the three by-election defeats of Pakatan Harapan in Cameron Highlands, Semenyih and  Rantau.

But the shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign could only rampage for five months before it  met its Waterloo in Sandakan.

One important lesson for all Malaysians from the Sandakan by-election is never to forget the 1MDB scandal or Najib’s kleptocracy if Malaysia is ever to become a nation of integrity and excellence  respected by the world.

The expose of the 1MDB scandal and the hauling of Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor, his Ministers like Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, UMNO bigwigs like former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Tan Sri Isa Samad  and Najib’s right-hand men like Arul Kanda Kandasamy, Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and Tan Sri Muhammad Shafie Abdullah represent a clear notice to the world that Malaysia is serious about wiping out the infamy, ignominy and iniquity of a global kleptocracy but inadequate to establish Malaysia as a model nation of integrity – to be included  in the  Top 20 List of countries in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Indices.

Malaysia had ranked from 23 to 62 in 23-year series of annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Indices from 1995 to 2018 (Malaysia’s ranking was No. 61 with a score of 49 out of 100 for 2018).

Dare we dream to be listed in the Top Twenty of  the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index in the next decade?

Malaysians must reject the Siren Song and the shameless “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign and agree that it is a great mistake to think that Najib’s  corruption trials and those of a few bigwigs of Najib’s administration signify that Malaysia is firmly on the road to becoming a top nation of integrity.

Much work to fight corruption and to establish Malaysia as  a nation of integrity to be among the Top Twenty of the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index need to be done.

Malaysians must never forget  what would have happened to Malaysia  if Najib and the UMNO/BN Government had not been voted out of office on that historic day of May 9, 2018 a year ago.

We now know about some of the rampant corruption, excesses and abuses of power which were committed under the Najib government, not just 1MDB, but Felda, Tabung Haji and in  the Defence Ministry.

If there had been no change of government a year ago, Malaysia will be hurtling towards the trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state, pawning the rights and interests of our children and children’s children.

In the 1970s, there was one country which was not only the richest country in Latin America and one of the twenty richest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP higher than Spain and Greece, and 13 per cent lower than that of the United Kingdom. It had free education and free health care.

Per capita GDP-wise, this nation was two-and-half times richer than Malaysia.

Today, some four decades later, it has become a poor and bankrupt nation – with a per capita GDP which is about five times less than that of Malaysia.

It suffered from sky-high inflation which left many of its people unable to afford basic necessities from food to medicine; with one out of every three patients admitted to a public hospital dying there; chronic water and electricity shortages; some of the slowest Internet connection speeds in the world; runaway corruption and total breakdown of democratic checks and balances.

The historic decision of May 9, 2018 spared Malaysia the fate of making another dubious history – beating this nation in the  collapse from a progressive and prosperous country in a matter decades to become a failed and rogue nation after achieving the infamy of a kleptocratic state under Najib.

A year ago, Malaysians achieved a great feat in saving the nation from the fate of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state, which would have enslaved our children and children’s children.

We must never forget or stop talking about the 1MDB scandal or Najib’s kleptocracy, but we must also  keep faith to remain strong and steadfast in our vision of unity, freedom, justice and prosperous  to build a Golden Age for Malaysia which is in the future and not in the past.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 14th May 2019)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 14 May 2019, 3:16 pm and is filed under
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
,
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Election Commission should hold an inquiry whether it had acted unlawfully in  complying with the  directive  by the previous Najib government to illegally transfer military voters to shore up the support for four Ministers – Zahid Hamidi, Hishammuddin Hussein, Ibrahim Sabry Yaakob and S. Subramaniam

The Election Commission should hold an inquiry whether it had acted unlawfully in complying

with the directive by the previous Najib

government to illegally transfer military voters to shore up the support for four Ministers for the 14th General Election – Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi (Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister), Datuk Seri Hishamuddin

Hussein (Defence Minister), Datuk Seri Ibrahim Sabry Yaakob (Minister for Rural and Regional

Development) and Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam (Minister for Health).

Last Wednesday, the Election Commission Chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said the Election Commission is awaiting a full audit report by a special investigation committee on procurement, governance  and finance in the Defence Ministry led by former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang appointed by the new Pakatan Harapan Government.

The Ambrin audit report had  reported that EC officials were complicit in aiding the ministry in the transfer of military voters to camps built in Bera (Pahang), Segamat (Johor), Paloh (Johor) and Hutan Melintang (Perak) in time to

be eligible to vote in the GE14.

Such collusion of EC officials with the Defence Ministry to illegally and undemocratically shore up the support of Cabinet Ministers in the ensuing  14th General Election was not only a flagrant  abuse of power by the Najib government but an impermissible abuse of the democratic process.

However, as saying goes “Man proposes, God disposes”, and  one of the four Minsters could not escape the dragnet in the winds of change which blew strong and wide in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018.

But the three more fortunate former Ministers, Zahid, Hishammuddin and Ismail Sabry Yaakob of the turtle-egg fame should state whether they

welcome an inquiry as to whether their election was unlawful, undemocratic  and should  therefore be declared null and void.

Former Defence Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein made a very intriguing statement when he challenged the  Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu and his  deputy Liew Chin Tong to prove that he

benefitted from land swap deals struck under his tenure.

The former defence minister was responding  to claims that the government lost more than RM500 million in the land swaps.

As far as I am aware, both Mohamad Sabu and Liew Chin Tong have not made any allegation that Hishammuddin had personally benefited financially.

But what was most intriguing was Hishammuddin’s cryptic remark:

“My advice to them both, if they live in glass houses, don’t throw stones.”

Hishammuddin should explain himself what he meant by this remark, which does not appear to be a declaration of innocence, and clearly a statement that his father, Tun Hussein Onn, known for his uncompromising stand against corruption, would have approved.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, 15th May 2019)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 15 May 2019, 8:54 am and is filed under
Defence
,
Elections
,
Hishammuddin
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.