PAS leaders cannot be more wrong, as it is the responsibility of all Malaysian parties in Pakatan Harapan coalition to champion the Muslim/Malay and non-Muslim/non-Malay agendas to demonstrate that Malaysian nation-building is not a zero-sum game

During the nine-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Qingdao – with a two-hour transit in Fuzhou – for my week-long visit to China, my thoughts were on the political upheavals and convulsions in Malaysia, seven months after the historic decision of Malaysian voters  in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018.

Very few had  expected the great political change to take place on May 9, 2018 – in fact, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak not only expected to win the mandate to be re-elected  as Prime Minister, he was sure that  the UMNO/Barisan Nasional coalition would be returned to Putrajaya with a two-thirds parliamentary majority which had been lost for a decade since 200

But now, it would appear that almost everyone  expects the ills, faults and wrongs of the past six decades of UMNO/Barisan Nasional rule to be fixed, if not in 100 days, then in two or five years – which is impossible, as the mission to establish a New Malaysia will take more than a one five-year general election cycle but  would take a decade or two!

What is important is that Malaysia had a chance to make the critical shift to  re-set nation-building policies to save Malaysia from the trajectory towards a sham democracy,  kakistocracy,  divided nation, failed state and global kleptocracy to restore Malaysia as a world top-class nation and a Tiger Economy which is  united, harmonious,  democratic, just and which respects the rule of law and good governance.

Just as not many had  expected a historic change on May 9, 2018, many had  not expected the Pakatan Harapan coalition government to last – least of all,  the smooth transition of the  Pakatan Harapan time-table for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to  take over as the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia from Dr. Mahathir Mohamad during the mid-term.

Initially, UMNO leadership had banked on Pakatan Harapan government to implode and disintegrate in two years – but this timetable of early doom had subsequently been revised to five years, expecting the Pakatan Harapan coalition to collapse in the next 15th General Election.

However, before the duration of five years, UMNO had imploded first, with UMNO losing 18 of the 54 MPs elected on May 9, and with as many as another score set to leave, which will be another UMNO history in 69 years – reducing UMNO to the regional status of PAS or even in having fewer parliamentary seats than PAS.  From the height of UMNO MPs comprising 56.7% of all MPs in 1964 and  49.7% of all MPs in 2004, will UMNO end up with less than 10 per cent of the total number of 222 MPs in Parliament?

This may be the  reason why PAS is already laying claim to be the only party to fight for the Malay-Muslim agenda, with the PAS Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan declaring:

“Last time, it was Umno which fought for the Malay-Muslim agenda, as it was the government, and it also had the strength (in terms of resources and numbers).

“Now, it is no longer the government, and it is bleeding MPs and lawmakers, causing the party’s very structure to collapse.”

But the PAS leaders cannot be more wrong as PAS must not have the monopoly to champion the Malay-Muslim agenda in Malaysia.

This is because in a New Malaysia,  it is the responsibility of all Malaysian political parties in the Pakatan Harapan coalition, whether PKR, Bersatu, Amanah or DAP,  to champion the Muslim/Malay and non-Muslim/non-Malay agendas to demonstrate that any viable and successful nation-building in a plural society  is not a zero-sum game but a win-win formula for all Malaysians.

We are still feeling the reverberations from the historic decision of May 9, 2018, with the cracking up of UMNO, which for six decades have virtually  claimed the divine right to rule Malaysia.

What should be of great concern to Malaysians is the resort to the toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion which culminated in the Anti-ICERD rally of 8th December 2018.

There was both pros and cons to the Anti-ICERD rally  – among the pros, the country is  moving solidly towards a democratic state where the people can speak and assembly peacefully and in accordance with the law; but among the cons, it is a demonstration of  the lengths the practitioners of lies, hate, fear, race and religion are prepared to go to pursue their selfish and petty political interests at the national expense.

I am still waiting for an answer from the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang whether he is launching an international campaign to save Muslims in the world from the Freemason conspiracy, as 99 per cent of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world are living in 179 countries which have ratified the International Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Racial

Discrimination (ICERD), including 55 of the 57 member nations of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Is Malaysia to be the saviour of Muslims in the world, including Muslims in the Islamic heartlands centred in Saudi Arabia, or has Malaysia become the laughing-stock of the world, including the Islamic World?

It is fortunate Malaysia made the historic decision for a peaceful and democratic transition of power on May 9, 2018.

As the former New Straits Times editor-in-chief Dr. Munir Majid has written, the “depth and extent of corruption exposed  have been nothing short of astounding” since May 9, 2018, but the greatest indictment is Munir’s observation:

“Yet, not all Malaysians are ashamed. Not those who supported Barisan even as evidence mounted of pervasive and systemic corruption. Not those who continue to support Barisan, particularly Umno, even now. Not those who were at the peak down to the foothills of the mountains of corruption that was Malaysia.”

Not in UMNO – as illustrated by the implosion in UMNO. Not in PAS – as illustrated by the alacrity of PAS leaders to take advantage of the UMNO implosion.

The monstrous 1MDB scandal, which cast Malaysia to perdition by being condemned  by the world as a global kleptocracy, must be a terrible lesson for all Malaysians, that we must never again allow the nation to be pawned to anyone’s greed for power or wealth and  that the interests of all Malaysians of diverse races and religions and future generations must always take higher priority than the interest of one man or group of persons, however exalted their position or power.

We are coming to the end of the year, a time for reflection and resolution.

Let all Malaysians reaffirm their commitment to a New Malaysia to save the country from the trajectory of a sham democracy, kakistocracy, a  failed state, a divided nation and a global kleptocracy to restore ourselves as a top world-class nation and a tiger economy which is united, harmonious, democratic, just and which upholds the rule of law and good governance.

All Malaysians must develop the Big Picture and Long-Term Perspective with the commitment, stamina and perseverance to stay the struggle  to accomplish the mission whether it takes one or two decades.

We need to give time for more Malaysians to come on board the mission to build a New Malaysia – but we cannot retreat from any of our commitments for justice, freedom, democracy,  integrity and human dignity for all.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Qingdao, China on Monday December 17, 2018)

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Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang di Qingdao, China pada hari Isnin 17 Disember 2018:

Pimpinan PAS salah besar, kerana adalah tanggungjawab seluruh parti rakyat Malaysia di dalam gabungan Pakatan Harapan untuk menjuarai agenda Melayu-Islam dan bukan-Melayu-Islam untuk menunjukkan bahawa usaha membentuk negara bukanlah permainan zero-sum

Sepanjang perjalanan 9 jam dari Kuala Lumpur ke Qingdao – dengan transit selama dua jam di Fuzhou – untuk lawatan seminggu ke China, saya terus memikirkan tentang pergolakan politik di Malaysia, tujuh bulan selepas keputusan bersejarah rakyat Malaysia dalam PRU ke-14 pada 9 Mei 2018.

Tidak ramai yang menjangkakan perubahan politik yang begitu besar pada 9 Mei – malah mantan perdana menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak bukan sahaja menjangkakan akan memenangi mandat untuk dilantik semula sebagai perdana menteri, beliau turut menjangkakan gabungan UMNO-BN akan kembali ke Putrajaya dengan majoriti dua-pertiga yang telah kehilangan selama satu dekad sejak 2008.

Namun kini, nampaknya hampir semua orang menjangkakan segala penyakit, kesilapan dan kerosakan sepanjang enam dekad pemerintahan UMNO-BN diperbaiki, kalau bukan dalam tempoh 100 hari, mungkin dua atau lima tahun – dan ini adalah mustahil, kerana misi membentuk Malaysia Baharu akan mengambil masa lebih daripada kitaran satu pilihanraya umum, bahkan mengambil masa satu atau dua dekad!

Apa yang penting adalah Malaysia memiliki peluang untuk melaksanakan suatu anjakan kritikal bagi membetulkan dasar-dasar pembentukan negara bagi menyelamatkan Malaysia daripada melaju ke arah sebuah demokrasi yang palsu, kakistrokrasi, negara yang berpecah belah, negara yang gagal, dan sebuah kleptokrasi global; demi mengembalikan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara kelas tinggi dan sebuah Ekonomi Harimau yang bersatu-padu, harmoni, demokratik, adil dan menghormati kedaulatan undang-undang serta urustadbir yang baik.

Sepertimana tidak ramai yang menjangkakan perubahan bersejarah pada 9 Mei 2018, ramai juga tidak menjangkakan kerajaan gabungan Pakatan Harapan akan dapat bertahan – paling tidak, transisi lancar jadual Pakatan Harapan untuk membolehkan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengambil alih sebagai perdana menteri kelapan dari Dr Mahathir Mohamad pada pertengahan penggal.

Pada mulanya, pimpinan UMNO begitu yakin bahawa kerajaan Pakatan Harapan akan hancur berkecai dalam tempoh dua tahun – namun jadual kehancuran ini kemudiannya telah disemak semula menjadi lima tahun, dengan harapan bahawa gabungan ini akan tumbang menjelang PRU ke-15.

Namun, belum sempat lima tahun, UMNO telah meletup terlebih dahulu, apabila ia kehilangan 18 daripada 54 Ahli Parlimen yang dilantik pada 9 Mei, dan ramai lagi dijangka meninggalkan parti tu, yang menjadi satu lagi sejarah bagi UMNO dalam tempoh 69 tahun – menjadikan UMNO jatuh martabatnya setaraf PAS sebagai parti wilayah; malah mungkin mempunyai bilangan kerusi yang kurang berbanding PAS. Daripada tahap mempunyai 56.7% Ahli Parlimen pada 1964 dan 49.7% pada tahun 2004, UMNO akan hanya memiliki kurang 10 peratus daripada jumlah 222 orang wakil rakyat di Parlimen?

Ini mungkin sebab kenapa PAS sudah pun mendakwa menjadi satu-satunya parti yang membawa agenda Melayu-Islam, apabila Setiausaha Agung PAS, Takiyuddin Hassan menyatakan:

“Kalau dulu kita lihat dari segi kekuatannya dan jumlah ahli, memang UMNO yang menjuarai perjuangan agenda untuk Melayu Islam, apatah lagi mereka dahulu berada dalam kerajaan.

“Sekarang ini mereka bukan lagi kerajaan dan ketika ini ramai pemimpin dan wakil rakyat mereka meninggalkan parti menyebabkan struktur UMNO di beberapa peringkat sudah runtuh.”

Tetapi pimpinan PAS ternyata sangat salah kerana PAS tidak boleh diberikan monopoli untuk menjuarai agenda Melayu-Islam di Malaysia.

Ini kerana dalam Malaysia Baharu, adalah menjadi tanggungjawab seluruh parti politik rakyat Malaysia dalam gabungan Pakatan Harapan, sama ada PKR, Bersatu, Amanah atau DAP, untuk menjuarai agenda Melayu-Islam dan bukan Melayu-Islam bagi menunjukkan usaha membina negara yang cemerlang dalam sebuah masyarakat majmuk bukanlah suatu permainan ‘zero sum’ tapi merupakan formula menang-menang untuk seluruh rakyat Malaysia.

Kita masih merasakan gema keputusan bersejarah pada 9 Mei 2018 dengan berkecainya UMNO, yang sepanjang 60 tahun telah menuntut hak untuk memerintah Malaysia.

Apa yang serharusnya membimbangkan rakyat Malaysia ialah beralihnya terhadap politik toksik penuh pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, kaum dan agama yang memuncak dalam perhimpunan anti-ICERD pada 8 Disember 2018. Ada pro dan kontra terhadap perhimpunan anti-ICERD itu – antara pro-nya, negara sedang bergerak teguh menuju sebuah negara demokratik di mana rakyat boleh bersuara dan berhimpun dengan aman dan mematuhi undang-undang; namun antara kontra-nya, ia menjadi bukti betapa jauhnya kesanggupan para pengamal politik pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, kaum dan agama demi kepentingan politik peribadi mereka, yang akan membawa padah kepada negara.

Saya masih menanti jawapan daripada Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang sama ada beliau akan melancarkan kempen antarabangsa bagi menyelamatkan umat Islam daripada konspirasi Freemason, memandangkan 99 peratus daripada umat Islam seluruh dunia menetap di 179 negara yang telah meratifikasi ICERD, termasuk 55 daripada 57 negara anggota OIC, seperti Arab Saudi, Indonesia, Turki, Qatar, Emirah Arab Bersatu, Mesir, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestin, Algeria, Maghribi, Afghanistan, Bangladesh dan Pakistan.

Adakah Malaysia menjadi penyelamat umat Islam seluruh dunia, termasuk umat Islam di pusat dunia Islam di Arab Saudi, atau adakah Malaysia telah menjadi bahan ketawa dunia, termasuk dunia Islam?

Mujurlah Malaysia telah membuat keputusan bersejarah memilih perubahan kuasa secara demokratik dan aman pada 9 Mei 2018.

Seperti yang ditulis mantan ketua pengarang New Straits Times, Dr Munir Majid; “tahap rasuah yang telah didedahkan amat mengejut” sejak 9 Mei 2018, namun pemerhatian paling baik Dr Munir ialah:

“Pun begitu, bukan seluruh rakyat Malaysia berasa malu. Bukan mereka yang menyokong Barisan walaupun bukti-bukti menimbun terhadap rasuah yang sistemik dan menjalar. Bukan mereka yang terus menyokong Barisan, terutamanya UMNO, malah sehingga kini. Bukan mereka yang berada di puncak mahupun kaki bukit rasuah yang menggunung di Malaysia.”

Tidak juga di dalam UMNO – seperti yang diperlihatkan dengan meletupnya UMNO. Tidak juga di PAS – seperti yang diperlihatkan melalui kesungguhan pimpinan PAS mengambil kesempatan daripada kehancuran UMNO.

Skandal 1MDB yang begitu besar, yang menghumban Malaysia ke lembah binasa apabila dikutuk dunia sebagai kleptokrasi global, mesti menjadi pengajaran buat seluruh rakyat Malaysia, bahawa kita tidak boleh lagi membiarkan negara digadai demi ketamakan kuasa dan kekayaan sesiapa, dan kepentingan seluruh rakyat Malaysia yang pelbagai kaum dan agama serta generasi masa depan mesti didahulukan berbanding kepentingan individu atau kelompok tertentu, tidak kiralah betapa tinggi pun kedudukan kuasa mereka.

Kita sedang menghampiri penghujung tahun, masanya telah tiba untuk bermuhasabah dan membina azam baru.

Saya menyeru seluruh rakyat Malaysia untuk memperkukuh komitmen mereka terhadap Malaysia Baharu, menyelamatkan negara daripada menuju demokrasi palsu, kakistokrasi, negara gagal, negara pecah belah dan kleptokrasi global, dan memulihkan negara sebagai sebuah negara berkelas tinggi, sebuah Ekonomi Harimau yang bersatu-padu, harmoni, demokratik, adil dan mendaulatkan undang-undang serta urustadbir yang baik.

Seluruh rakyat Malaysia mesti membina perspektif gambaran besar dan berjangka panjang dengan komitmen, stamina dan kegigihan untuk terus berjuang bagi mencapai misi tersebut tanpa mengira ia mengambil masa satu atau dua dekad.

Kita harus memberi masa agar lebih ramai rakyat Malaysia boleh menyertai misi membina Malaysia Baharu – kita tidak boleh mengalah daripada komitmen terhadap keadilan, kebebasan, demokrasi, integriti dan martabat insan untuk semua.

*Lim Kit Siang*

                This entry was posted on Monday, 17 December 2018, 5:41 pm and is filed under
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Congratulations to China on the 40th anniversary of China’s Reforms which led the world in lifting more than 700 million people out of poverty

The visit of the DAP delegation is most significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening Up to the world.

Let me congratulate China on the 40th anniversary of China’s Reform, as during this period, China led the world in lifting more than 700 million people out of poverty.

Over the past 40 years, China has recorded an average annual GDP growth rate of around 9.5 percent, fostered a middle-income population of 400 million and lifted more than 700 million Chinese people out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total.

This is a most impressive world record.

China is no more the “Sick Man of Asia” but  is respected by the world as a first-class nation in many fields of human endeavour.

Malaysia has also launched its Reform programme, which we called the building of a New Malaysia, since the great and historic decision seven months ago when the country changed the Federal Government  in six decades  during the 14th General Election to shift the country away from the trajectory of a sham democracy, kakistocracy, a failed state and global kleptocracy to a world top-class nation and a tiger economy which is united,  harmonious, democratic, just, progressive and prosperous which upholds the rule of law and good governance.

I hope that the re-set of Malaysian nation-building directions and policies can still be on course in next few decades, and that the Malaysian nation can celebrate the 40th anniversary of  its reform programme to build a New Malaysia, which will be in 2058!

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the reception given by the Shandong Provincial People’s Government  to  the DAP delegation to Shandong,  China held at the Shandung Hotel, Ji Nam on Tuesday, 18th December 2018 at 7 pm)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 December 2018, 9:36 pm and is filed under
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Would Najib regard it as “betrayal of principle” if UMNO MPs condemn him and 1MDB scandal as among the greatest catastrophes in the nation’s history

The statement by the former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that UMNO MPs must not abandon UMNO because they must hold on to their principle raise an interesting question whether Najib  would regard it as a “betrayal of principle” if UMNO MPs condemn him and 1MDB scandal as among the greatest catastrophes in the nation’s history!

This question becomes pertinent and relevant with the latest 1MDB salvo from investment bank Goldman Sachs who accused the former Najib government of having lied about its 1MDB dealings.

A Goldman Sachs spokesman said:

“Certain members of the former Malaysian government and 1MDB lied to Goldman Sachs, outside counsel and others about the use of proceeds from these transactions.

“1MDB, whose CEO and board reported directly to the prime minister at the time, also provided written assurances to Goldman Sachs for each transaction that no intermediaries were involved.”

The US Justice Department had estimated US$4.5 billion of 1MDB funds was misappropriated by Najib and high-level fund officials and their associates between 2009 and 2014.

The latest developments in the 1MDB scandal has come at a critical time when UMNO is undergoing an implosion, losing 18 of its 54 MPs elected seven months ago and set to lose even more MPs with continuing upheavals and convulsions in UMNO.

UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, who has refused to resign despite mounting pressures, has warned that  a continuous split within Umno will lead to its collapse.

The Umno president urged party leaders to accept their current situation and not think about saving their own skins.

“In times of defeat, when the party is down, there are those who do not think about what is good for the party, but how to save themselves from being investigated (and) being prosecuted.

“That means we are not steadfast, because we think it is us who need saving, and not the party.”

What a pathetic statement by Zahid, which shows that UMNO MPs were totally unrepentant about aiding and abetting Najib in one of the greatest kleptocracies in the world!

If there is any thought about saving UMNO, then UMNO leaders and grassroots must dissociate and repudiate the kleptocratic government of Najib, the 1MDB scandal and the many 1MDB-like scandals in Felda, Felcra, Tabung Hajib, MARA, etc.

But the UMNO MPs and  leadership are not interested in saving Malaysia from kleptocracy or saving and redeeming UMNO from its kleptocratic past and history, but only in saving their “own skins”, whether in remaining or leaving UMNO!

They are not bothered that Malaysia lost RM47 billion in GDP value to corruption last year alone, as revealed by the Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, or that a similar amount, of about four percent of GDP, was lost to corruption annually since 2013.

RM47 billion is more than the country spends on education and is almost double the amount spent on healthcare in 2017.

This is why whether UMNO MPs leave or stay in UMNO, it makes not much a difference as long as the present UMNO MPs and leadership dare not muster up the courage and patriotism to condemn Najib, the 1MDB scandal and the many other 1MDB-like scandals under their rule.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Qingtao, China on Tuesday, 18th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 December 2018, 11:04 am and is filed under
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Supreme PAS insult to UMNO – If not by UMNO national leaders but definitely to the overwhelming majority of UMNO State, Division and Branch leaders and its over 3 million members

It’s the supreme insult – if not felt by UMNO national leaders, whether former UMNO Ministers, former or present UMNO MPs, but definitely by the overwhelming majority of the UMNO State, Division and Branch leaders and its over three million UMNO members.

Never before had any PAS leader been able to deliver such a supreme insult to UMNO in the past 67 years since the formation of PAS in 1951, when all PAS could do was to play a very marginal role as compared to UMNO.

For instance, the recent 14th General Election was not PAS’ greatest electoral moment, for Hadi had led PAS to a trajectory of decline and his best electoral  performances for parliamentary results  in the  2004, 2008, 2013 and 2018 General Elections were a far cry from the results achieved by PAS under the previous PAS President, Fadzil Noor in the 1999 General Election.

UMNO always had many times more than PAS in terms of parliamentary representation – in fact, in the 1986 GE, UMNO had 83 MPs while PAS had only one MP; while in 2004 GE UMNO had 109 MPs as compared to seven from PAS.

But today, the upheavals and implosion in UMNO might result in UMNO having as many MPs as PAS, or worse, even having lesser MPs than PAS  for the first time in six decades

This the backdrop where the PAS Vice President Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah could deliver the supreme insult of calling on UMNO to dissolve and for its members to join PAS – something completely unthinkable in the past 67 years.

But this situation is completely the  making of UMNO leaders particularly for  their shameful betrayal of the nation and the founders of UMNO by their  blind endorsement of the kleptocracy of the former Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and in particular, the monstrous 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal.

The lack of remorse, repentance and contrition for their betrayal of the nation and UMNO’s founding fathers with their blind support for Najib’s kleptocracy and 1MDB scandal, however, pales into insignificance with the proposal by an UMNO Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam that Najib should be Acting UMNO President and Acting Parliamentary Leader while Zahid Hamidi takes “garden leave”.

The logic behind Adam’s proposal is unfathomable, but it demonstrates how lowly UMNO has fallen, how cut-off  are the UMNO bigwigs from the grassroots, and there is no better confirmation that UMNO deserves the “supreme insult” from PAS.

May be Adam is right, as his proposal is the surest way to ensure that UMNO is written off, once and for all.

(Media Statement  by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang Luoyang, China on Wednesday  19th  December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 19 December 2018, 5:42 pm and is filed under
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To whom would Zahid hand over  his duties as Parliamentary Opposition Leader?  Would Bung Moktar be the acting Parliamentary Opposition Leader?

Bagan Datuk MP Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has  caved in to pressure and announced that he would step aside as Umno president, handing his duties as UMNO President to his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

To whom would Zahid hand over  his duties as Parliamentary Opposition Leader? Would Bung Moktar Radin be the acting Parliamentary Opposition Leader?

Zahid has hinted of the “punishing” conditions imposed on UMNO and the humiliation it suffered in a number of meetings he attended, where he not only faced rejection and  insults, but even “humiliation, as if Umno is as unclean as the faeces of animals deemed haram”.

He said: “If we accepted that humiliation, there were two requests. Firstly, Umno must be dissolved. (Secondly) Umno members must jump to a new party.

“That means Umno’s seven decades of history would be erased, supposedly because people hated Umno so much.”

As a result, he  had to pay a heavy price for his insistence that the party would not be dissolved.

All these indignities and humiliations were brought about by the UMNO leaders themselves, when they  failed UMNO and Malaysia and aided and abetted former Prime Minister and former UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the monstrous 1MDB corruption money-laundering scandal, which brought shame and infamy to Malaysia by being condemned worldwide as a global kleptocracy.

Up till today, there has been no remorse, contrition or repentance among UMNO leaders for this great act of disservice, even treason, to the country!

Zahid himself played an important role in this national shame and infamy, for he was Najib’s right-hand man when  the former Prime Minister launched the “Week of Long Knives” at the end of July 2015 and sacked  Tan Sri Muhyidin Yassin as Deputy Prime Minister and Tan Sri Ghani Patail as Attorney-General as well as subordinated and suborned key national institutions like the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Bank Negara in the greatest corruption in the country –  the massive cover-up of the 1MDB scandal.

Zahid himself even claimed in August 2015 that he had met with the Saudi Arabian royal family on the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal banking account, but he has refused in the past three years to substantiate his statement by revealing whom he had met, resulting in former Cabinet Minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz asking recently whether Zahid had seen “an Arab apparition”?

She rightly asked which Arab has that much money and net assets to donate RM2.6 billion to Najib!

This was why I had suggested that the UMNO General Assembly in Sept. 2018 should condemn and sack Najib from UMNO for the monstrous 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal so as to make a clean break with the 1MDB infamy, as well as publicly apologise for all the lies, falsehoods and fake news unleased by UMNO leaders against the Opposition, in particular the DAP.

Zahid can go on leave and Mohamad Hassan can take over the UMNO President’s duties, but  Najib and the monstrous 1MDB scandal – as well as the other 1MDB-like scandals such as in Felda, Felcra, MARA, Tabung Haji – will continue to hound and haunt UMNO leaders and members unless there is clean and conclusive break with them.

I used to have great admiration for Mohamad Hassan, the former  Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar, as one of the few UMNO leaders who dared to face up to reality and truth and not to live in the world of fantasy like many UMNO leaders.

He was the voice of moderation and reason.

He  broke away from the mainstream UMNO mythology before the 14th General Election which tried  to hold the Malays to ransom by warning that Malays will perish if UMNO was defeated in the 14th General Election.

Mohamad Hasan had  provided the best rebuttal to UMNO leaders’ warnings that the Malays would  perish if UMNO was  defeated in the 14th  general election in his speech at the opening of the Sembrong Division UMNO delegates’ conference in Kluang on 26th August last year.

Mohamad said Umno must woo the Malay voters to get the support of the majority of the people so that BN could win the 14th general election.

He said Umno could no longer think that the Malays needed it but instead it was Umno that needed the Malays in order to survive.

He said:
“The Malays now have many choices such as PAS, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). We (Umno) cannot be complacent saying that the Malays need us.”

Mohamad was not completely right as he failed to mention DAP, as the DAP is a party which will defend and uphold the interests of all Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli.

In Penang and Selangor, which have been ruled by Pakatan governments after the routing of the UMNO/BN in the 2008 and 2013 General Elections, the Malays have been better cared for than in previous UMNO/BN administrations.

But what was most significant was that the myth of the equation that UMNO was Malay and Malay was UMNO, and that UMNO had to remain in power as the party was the only one that Malays could count on to uphold and fight for their rights, had been debunked by none other than Mohamad Hassan himself.

I find it very sad and tragic that Mohamad should now be peddling the lies, falsehoods and poison which he had exposed in his speech at the Sembrong Division UMNO delegates’ conference on 26th August last year, as evidenced by  his leading a walkout from the Negri Sembilan State Assemby over the ICERD issue.

I am still waiting for an answer from the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang on ICERD, and since Mohamad is taking over the mantle of UMNO leadership to lead an AntI-ICERD campaign together with Hadi, probably we can get the answer from Mohamad.

Hadi has said that all Muslims must oppose the ratification of ICERD, alleging ICERD is a “Freemason agenda” with the intention to destroy the religion, nation and society.

Does Mohamad Hassan agree with Hadi?

Will UMNO and PAS launch an international campaign to save Muslims in the world from the Freemason conspiracy, as 99 per cent of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world are living in 179 countries which have ratified ICERD, including 55 of the 57 member nations of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan?

Is Malaysia to be the saviour of Muslims in the world, including Muslims in the Islamic heartlands centred in Saudi Arabia, or has Malaysia become the laughing-stock of the world?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Jinan, China on Wednesday, 19th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 19 December 2018, 8:50 am and is filed under
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Why DAP will not become a second MCA

I was informed of a  FaceBook post about me on the FaceBook of Tan Sri Clement Hii, as follows:

“FOR A BETTER MALAYSIA, HE NEVER  GAVE UP.

“He got agitated when I mentioned people might see DAP as another MCA if it didn’t continue to push for its reform agenda now that it’s part of the ruling coalition. That’s vintage Lim Kit Siang – he won’t want anything to do  with the previous regime which he sees as kleptocratic and spineless.  I first met him in the 70s when I was a budding journalist, and many decades later, I find that he hasn’t wavered in his fight for a better and fairer country.

“Lesser mortals would have given up – Kit Siang spoke up persistently against corruption and other wrongs, was consistently persecuted and twice jailed during his 50 years in the opposition.  The DAP advisor declined to join Tun Dr. Mahathir’s cabinet, to give way to the younger leaders.  If previous mudslingings were to be believed, he would have been appointed PM by now, and gotten a bilion ringgit bribe,  Truth be told, Malaysians have a lot to thank this gentleman for making the dawn of a New Malaysia possible.”

I thank Clement Hii for the compliment, but it bears emphasizing that  the DAP has no intention and will never become MCA2.

There are many reasons why DAP will never become MCA2, but I will cite only five:

1.  DAP is a multi-racial party dedicated to the wellbeing and welfare of all races to be found in Malaysia, and not mono-ethnic as in the case of MCA. We represent all Malaysians, whether Chinese, Malays, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli while the MCA represents or claims to represent  only the Chinese in Malaysia.

2.  DAP leaders fight for the rights and interests of all racial groups so long as they are Malaysians, while MCA fights or claims to fight for the rights and interests of  only the Chinese in Malaysia.  This is why DAP Secretary-General and currently the Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng, sacrificed his political rights in the defence of the rights and  dignity  of an underaged Malay girl in the nineties, when he was disqualified as a Member of Parliament and jailed in Kajang Prison for a year and disenfranchised of his right to vote and to hold elective for five years.  Lim Guan Eng is the only case of a Malaysian political leader who had crossed racial and religious lines to  sacrifice himself.

3.  DAP want its leaders and members to be in politics to serve the nation and not to serve themselves, whether for wealth, titles or position.

4.  DAP leaders are in government because we can play an important role to build a New Malaysia and save Malaysia from becoming a sham democracy, a kakistocracy, a failed state and a global kleptocracy.  DAP leaders, whether in government or outside, will have no hesitation in leaving the coalition government if the objective of a New Malaysia is abandoned.  DAP leaders will never be as spineless as MCA leaders;

5.   DAP politics of multi-racialism is the only way to build a united and successful Malaysia, for the continuation of the politics of mono-ethnicity can never unite a plural Malaysia.

(Media Statement  by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Luoyan, Henan,  China on Thursday, 20th   December 2018)

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A modern-day Lewis Caroll would have found the Malaysian political landscape a fertile field to fire his imagination if he wanted to write Alice in Wonderland 2.0

A modern-day Lewis Caroll would have found the Malaysian political landscape a fertile field to fire his imagination if he wanted to write Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 2.0.

We have the leader  of a political party which for six decades until the recent General Election  had claimed the divine right to govern the country succumbing to pressures to relinquish his post as he has failed to give any direction to his party after a crushing defeat in the last general election.

We have the “acting” leader of this party who had been a moderate and  had eschewed the inflammatory and deceitful politics of race and religion  before the general election transforming himself into a  foremost practitioner of the vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion!

We have as his “deputy” a former Cabinet Minister who could not differentiate between a chicken egg and a turtle egg, illustrating the kakistocracy which Malaysia had suffered in the past decade, run by a half-past six  Cabinet.

We have a leader of a spineless member of the ruling coalition in the past six decades giving me profuse praise and support for the statement that “DAP kwould not be a MCA2”, not realising for a moment that he was in fact slapping his own face and condemning his own party.

We have another leader of another spineless member of the ruling coalition in the past six decades who had been disqualified as a Member of Parliament by the election court for money politics declaring righteously that there is nothing in law preventing him from re-contesting although he did dare to appeal to the Election

Court for his disqualification.

We have the former Prime Minister, the former Deputy Prime Minister, and the bigwigs of the former administration queueing up to be charged in court for a variety of corruption and abuse of power crimes in an unfinished contest as to who would face  the most number of charges  – the former PM with hitherto 35 charges or  the former DPM with hitherto 46 charges.

We have the Police raiding the palatial homes of the former Prime Minister carting away 284 boxes containing luxury handbags and 72 bags filled with jewellery, cash of various denominations, watches and other valuables.

We have a small nation beating the world in having the largest kleptocratic Scandal ih the world as to be condemned by the whole world as a global kleptocracy.

We have a Malaysian who could be a “whale” not only in the United States financial system but exploit the international financial  system to put to shame Middle Eastern royalty and American billionaires.

We have a FLOM who puts the Kings and Queens in the world  to shame in greed and ostentation.

We have an opposition party which condemned 99% of the 1.9 billion Muslims of the world as not true believers of Islam because they live in 159 countries which have ratified the International Convention for the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination.

These and much more.

The modern-day Lewis Caroll may have material to write Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 3.0.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Guangzhou on Friday, 21st December 2018)

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Call on all Pakatan Harapan leaders  to stop making any overt attacks on leaders of other Pakatan Harapan parties without first  discussing and getting green light from their own parties

I fully agree with Bersatu strategist, Rais Hussein’s warning against friendly fire among Harapan politicians, as it could lead to negative perceptions and awful consequences for Pakatan Harapan.

While no one wants any restriction on freedom of speech and expression, which has always been one of our fundamental pre-conditions  for Malaysia to become a democratic society, it is also important to ensure that the cohesion, unity as well as common  sense of purpose of Pakatan Harapan are  not undermined or even destroyed by unbridled speech and expression.

For this reason, I call on all Pakaan Harapan leaders who have raised general concerns about the cohesion, unity and common sense of purpose of Pakatan Harapan because of their criticism or even attacks on leaders from other Pakatan Harapan leaders  to cease and persist and agree to a “SOP” (standard operating procedure) for expression of criticism or even attacks on leaders of other Pakatan Harapan leaders.

I call on all Pakatan Harapan leaders  to stop making any overt attacks on leaders of other Pakatan Harapan parties without first discussing and getting green light from their own parties.

If such a SOP does not work out satisfactorily, the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council should step in to work out a more satisfactory  mechanism for Pakatan Harapan leaders to express their concerns and dissatisfaction whether of speech or performance of leaders from other Pakaran Harapan leaders, so that the objective of Pakatan Harapan to build a New Malaysia is not in any way compromised.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at a Dongzhi Festival reception of the DAP delegation visiting China in Hong Kong on Saturday, 22nd December 2018)

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Briefing and crossing of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge the highlight of the visit of the DAP delegation to China

The highlight of the visit of the DAP delegation to China is undoubtedly the briefing and crossing of the six-lane  Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge – a 55-kilometre (34 mi) bridge–tunnel system which is both the longest sea crossing and the longest fixed link on earth.

In our briefing, we were informed that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) was designed to last for 120 years and built with a cost of 126.9 billion yuan (US$ 18.77 billion).

The cost of constructing the Main Bridge was estimated at 51.1 billion yuan (US$ 7.56 billion) funded by bank loans and shared among the governments of  China, Hong Kong and Macau.

During our eight-day visit, which covered Shandong, Jinan, Luoyang, Guanzou, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, we were particularly impressed by the drive and commitment of the Chinese people to greater achievements and excellence, as represented by HZMB, which is undoubtedly one of human miracles in the world.

The emphasis on human capital as the most important resource of  the nation is worthy of emulation not only by Malaysia, but by all nations of the world.

In this connection, the announcement by the Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to change the school syllabus to improve school-leavers’ employability will be one of greatest challenges for Malaysians in the new year.

The reform of the school curriculum so that national schools will teach everybody all the important subjects that will be useful for the students deserve the support of all Malaysians who want an assured and bright future for future generations.

It time for Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, to unite to make Malaysia great, instead of focussing on lies, fear and hate to divide Malaysians.

There is no reason why with a common dream and a shared vision, Malaysia cannot become a world top-class nation and a show-case to the world of a successful plural society.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Shenzhen on Sunday, December 23, 2018)

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2018 Christmas Message: Let’s build Malaysia  into one of the world’s top  nations where Malaysians can accept and  celebrate the diversities of faiths, and the   peace, tolerance and co-existence among the  diverse religions in the country

Merry Christmas to  all Christians in Malaysia.

Let us celebrate this  first Christmas after the historic decision on May 9, 2018 to bring about a peaceful and democratic transition of power in the six decades of Malaysian history,

Let us unite to Save Malaysia from a global kleptocracy by becoming a leading nation in integrity.

Even better , let us fulfil our destiny to be a world top-class nation in various fields of human endeavour, including becoming  among the world’s top nations where there is peace, tolerance, acceptance and  co-existence among the diverse religions in the country.

The leader of an opposition party has warned Muslims not to  post Christmas greetings on Facebook because there should not  be any acknowledgement of the Christian religion in the country.

He could not be more cock-eyed, extremist and unMalaysian, as Malaysians must celebrate the diversity of races, languages, religions and cultures in Malaysia and leverage on the assets and best qualities of this diversity to be  the foundation for Malaysia’s greatness.

We must  not  deny or detract  in any way from the  rich diversity of races, languages, religions and cultures in Malaysia.

The Sultan of Johore Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s Christmas greeting of a Merry

Christmas to all Christians, wishing all Johoreans celebrating Christmas “love, joy and peace and a wonderful time with families and friends” is in  the full spirit of a New Malaysia which  is inclusive and  all-encompassing of  the diversity of races, languages, religions and cultures which have become Malaysia’s precious heritage.

In his official Facebook posting, Sultan Ibrahim’s festive message was with a framed picture of him and Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah.

Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah are models for Malaysians on the need for religious and cultural  tolerance,  understanding and acceptance  among Malaysians.

All the great religions in the world share common values of love, truth,  justice, compassion and community and we should celebrate the diversity of faiths in Malaysia with their respective Golden Rules, instead of inciting distrust, hate and fear among Malaysians with diverse faiths.

It is shocking that the very  people who are  sowing distrust, hate and fear among Malaysians of diverse faiths are proposing a new political bloc to form an “unity government” as a viable political platform that could offer stability.

But these people talk “unity” but perpetrate disunity among Malaysians to serve their petty political ends while claiming to embrace political Islam – yet they have no objection when Malaysia was condemned by the whole world as a “global kleptocracy”!

They are quite good  in “building castles in the air”, the latest being that the Pakatan Harapan government would only last five years.

I agree with the Bersatu President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that these people will forever be the Opposition.

In my 2018 Christmas Message, let me therefore make the call:  Let us build Malaysia  into one of the world’s top  nations where Malaysians can accept and celebrate their diversities of faiths, and the  peace, tolerance and co-existence among the diverse religions in the country!

(Christmas Message by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Monday, Decemer 24, 2018)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 December 2018, 4:46 pm and is filed under
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Hadi Amanat2 to spearhead the vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion to destroy Malaysia as a tolerant, harmonious and successful plural nation of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures?

On this Christmas Eve, Malaysians are presented with the most shocking example of  the vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion to destroy Malaysia as a tolerant, harmonious and successful plural nation of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures with the primitive warning by the PAS Youth leader and son of PAS President, Mohamad Khalil Abdul Hadi to Muslims not to celebrate Christmas tomorrow or to post Christmas greetings on Facebook because the Christian celebration is against the teachings of Islam and that  there should be any acknowledgement of the Christian religion.

Malaysians are reminded of another recent Hadi pronouncement that all Muslims must oppose the ratification of  the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), alleging ICERD is a “Freemason agenda” with the intention to destroy the religion, nation and society, when 99 per cent of the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world are living in 179 countries which have ratified ICERD, including 55 of the 57 member nations of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Is Malaysia to be the saviour of Muslims in the world, including Muslims in the Islamic heartlands centred in Saudi Arabia, and  launch an international campaign to get the 1.3 billion Muslims to oppose  ICERD as well as   to adopt a hostile attitude to the other great religions of the world, including 2.1 billion Christians, 900 million Hindus and 400 million Buddhists?

Does PAS want to have a world war of religions or a peaceful, tolerant and harmonious world based on the tolerance and peaceful co-existence of all the great religions of the world?

On his website yesterday, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  wished a merry Christmas to the country’s Christians in a message in which he stressed on cultural diversity in Turkey and the historic role of Anatolia in “
harboring those who escaped conflict, persecution, war, and oppression.”

He said: “
We, as the adherents of an ancient tradition that is based on respect for thoughts, beliefs and basic human rights, regard the presence in our geography of different religions and cultures as a valuable asset today as well.

“This understanding, which constitutes the basis of our nation’s peace, security, unity and solidarity, is the greatest power we have that will enable our peaceful co-existence in the future, too.

“I wish that the Christmas, celebrated by our Christian citizens from different denominations, traditions and churches in line with their beliefs, will lead to the strengthening of the climate of solidarity in our country. I wish our Christian citizens and the whole Christian world a merry Christmas.”

Is Hadi, whether the father or son or both, holding to the view that Erd0gan is not a true Muslim?

Is this to be Hadi Amanat2 to spearhead the vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion to destroy Malaysia as a tolerant, harmonious and successful plural nation of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Monday, December 24, 2018)

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Adib Mohd Kassim is not just a Malay hero, but a hero for all Malaysians and must be  honoured as an inspiration to build a new and united Malaysia which can be a  world showcase of a successful plural nation

I was in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province in China, when I heard the sad news of the death of firefighter  Adib Mohd Kassim, and I tweeted as follows:

“Shocked over Adib’s death. He is a Malaysian patriot and hero. His perpetrators must be punished. Let Adib be our inspiration.”

Adib is not just a Malay hero, but a hero for all Malaysians and must be  honoured as an inspiration to build a new and united Malaysia which can be a  world showcase of a successful plural nation.

It will be great if  an annual  Adib Award can  be started on next year’s National Day to honour Adib’s services and  sacrifices as an inspiration for Malaysians to dedicate themselves  to the building of a new and united Malaysian nation which is also  a showcase to the world of inter-racial, inter-religious and inter-cultural  harmony, tolerance and understanding in a plural society.

There are those who want to use Adib’s death to incite racial and religious tensions and unrest in the country.

I do not think this is what Adib would want to see, as he would want to dedicate his life to the building of a united, harmonious, successful and prosperous multiracial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural  Malaysian nation.

(Media statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Christmas Day, December 25, 2018)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 December 2018, 8:56 am and is filed under
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Let Malaysians accept the challenge to make Malaysia one of the top nations in the world in  interfaith dialogue,  understanding and tolerance

The primitive view of the PAS Youth leader and son of PAS President, Mohamad Khalil Abdul Hadi that Muslims should not post Christmas greetings on Facebook because the Christian celebration is against the teachings of Islam and that  there should not  be any acknowledgement of the Christian religion should alert Malaysians to the destructive, vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religious perpetrated by irresponsible, opportunistic and desperado politicians  which will divide and may even destroy Malaysia.

It is a primitive view which is alien to the Malaysian Constitution, the Rukunegara and all the precepts to unite multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia.

How can Malaysia become an Instant Malaysia with such narrow, extremist and primitive thinking?

The Sultan of Johore Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sultan Idris Shah, the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr.Wan  Azizah Wan Ismail, the PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were among the Muslim leaders in Malaysia who have made Christmas greetings on today’s Christmas,  calling on Malaysians to celebrate each other’s holiday festivities.

Have any of them become less of a Muslim as a result of such Christmas greetings to Christians?

Just as non-Muslims do not become Muslims by their Selamat Hari Raya greetings to Muslims, Muslims are not in any way become less of a Muslim in making Christmas greetings to Christians.

It is clear that the Hadi father-and-son couple  have a long way to go to become fully acceptable Malaysian political leaders.

On his website on Sunday, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  wished a Merry Christmas to the country’s Christians in a message in which he stressed on cultural diversity in Turkey and the historic role of Anatolia in “harboring those who escaped conflict, persecution, war, and oppression.”

He said:

“I wish that the Christmas, celebrated by our Christian citizens from different denominations, traditions and churches in line with their beliefs, will lead to the strengthening of the climate of solidarity in our country. I wish our Christian citizens and the whole Christian world a merry Christmas.”

Last week, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, together with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, took part in Christmas celebrations with Christians in Amman.

Have Erdogan, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud

Abbas  become less of a Muslim because of such Christmas greetings and celebrations?

Eleven  years ago, in December 2007, 129 prominent Muslims from all around the world issued Christmas greetings from Amman to the world’s Christians, following up on an October call earlier that  year  for greater dialogue between the two faiths.

The Islamic statement thanked the many Christians who have responded to the October call – entitled “A Common Word”– which was issued by many of the same Muslim leaders. The “Common Word” initiative is supported by the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, headed by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan.

The “Common Word” leaders noted the moral principles shared by the “Abrahamic faiths,” including the determination to uphold the sanctity of human life. The Christmas greeting includes a plea for Christians and Muslims to join to “do their utmost to save, uphold, and treasure every single human life and especially the life of every single child.”

In November, Pope Benedict XVI responded to the Islamic leaders’ message with a letter to Prince Ghazi, inviting him to designate representatives who could participate in further inter-religious talks at the Vatican.

What are Malaysians to make of the primitive view that Muslims cannot give Christmas greetings to Christians?

One reaction by the Islamic Renaissance Front founder Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa is to ask  PAS leader to think whether PAS should buy an island and proclaim it as an Islamic State and live exclusively with their own kind with the same mentality.

But I would react differently and ask Malaysians, whether Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus or other faiths to take such a primitive outburst as a challenge to Malaysians to make Malaysia one of the foremkost nations in the world in  interfaith dialogue, understanding and tolerance.

(Media statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Christmas Day, December 25, 2018)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 December 2018, 11:49 am and is filed under
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My 2018 Christmas Wish – that Pakatan Harapan can win the next few general elections to accomplish the building of  a New Malaysia with the resolution of the inter-party and intra-party PH problems, differences and  conflicts

I am making a Christmas wish today – that Pakatan Harapan will grow from strength to strength to win the next few general elections so as to accomplish the building of a New Malaysia with the resolution of the various inter-party and intra-party Pakatan Harapan problems, differences and conflicts.

I am not a Christian but that does not prevent me from making a Christmas wish, just as my making a Hari Raya wish would not make me a Muslim.

One reason for making this Christmas wish is to elaborate on what I said in Luoyang, Henan last Thursday, where I responded to a FaceBook post from Tan Sri Clement Hii to explain why  DAP would never  become a MCA2.

The five  reasons I had  given why  DAP will never become MCA2 include DAP leaders fighting for the rights and interests of all racial groups so long as they are Malaysians, while MCA fights or claims to fight for the rights and interests of only the Chinese in Malaysia; that  DAP want its leaders and members to be in politics to serve the nation and not to serve themselves, whether for wealth, titles or position; and that DAP politics of multi-racialism is the only way to build a united and successful Malaysia unlike the  mono-ethnic politics of MCA.

My statement that in such circumstances, the DAP would have no hesitation in leaving the coalition government if the objective of a New Malaysia is abandoned as  DAP leaders will never be as spineless as MCA leaders sent the Opposition into sixes and sevens, feeding on their fevered imagination.

On the one hand, there was the attempt to provoke the DAP to quit Pakatan Harapan with one PAS leader alleging that I was “bluffing” about quitting the government, and on the other hand, a MCA leader urging the DAP to “grow a backbone” to exit the government.

Most comical of all was the statement by a  MCA leader professing hurt at my statement that the DAP will never become a MCA2, “hitting the jackpot” without realising it in  claiming that DAP did not qualify to be MCA2.

One reason why the national education curriculum needs an overhaul is because we are producing political leaders who do not understand a simple statement – reading what is not there at all.

I never said that DAP was quitting Pakatan Harapan. All I said was that the DAP would not be like the MCA leaders who were most famous for being spineless, and that DAP leaders, whether in government or outside, would  have no hesitation in leaving the coalition government if the objective of a New Malaysia is abandoned.

I have said many times that a New Malaysia is struggling to be born, and it will require the contribution and participation of Malaysians, both inside the country and among the Malaysian Diaspora worldwide, to ensure that this chance to re-set nation building policies is not wasted or does not fail, for there is not going to be another chance.

It will take more than 100 days, two years or even one five-year general election cycle to take its full shape and form and might even take a decade or two.

This is why all Malaysians must develop a Big Picture and Long-term Vision perspectives and for my Christmas wish today that Pakatan Harapan will grow from strength to strength to win the next few general elections so as to accomplish the building of a New Malaysia with the resolution of the various inter-party and intra-party Pakatan Harapan problems, differences and conflicts.

Malaysians want a New Malaysia which is united, democratic, just, progressive and prosperous, a world top class nation which is capable of leveraging on the best of the diverse races, languages, cultures and civilisations that meet in confluence in Malaysia so as to gain international respect and admiration as a successful nation which leads the world in integrity, human excellence and achievement, and not scorned as a global kleptocracy hurtling towards a kakistocracy and failed and rogue state status.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskiandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Christmas, Tuesday, 25th December 2018)

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Are the thinking of PAS leadership under Hadi so fixed and frozen that they are  immune to arguments, facts and truth as illustrated by PAS leadership’s continued  opposition to local government elections and support of Najib’s global kleptocracy?

I am taken aback to read of the speech by the PAS President, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in London where he told a Malaysian audience that he opposed local government elections because local elections must be inclusive so that the  cities are not dominated by just one race.

He said:

“When an election is contested only by residents (and does not include those who serve the residents), it is certain that big cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, Seremban, and Johor Bahru would be dominated by DAP Chinese…

“If only one race is in power, then a situation like in (May 13) 1969 may arise again, we don’t want that.”

I am taken aback because I had an exchange with Hadi on the very issue  of local government elections three years ago, where I  asked him why he was parroting the line that DAP was being chauvinist in wanting to have local government elections.

In my response to Hadi’s press conference in Batu Pahat where he was quoted as calling the DAP “chauvinist” for trying to restore local council elections, I expressed in Ipoh on  13th July 2015 my “amazement” at Hadi’s lack of “originality and creativity” over the issue.

I gave four reasons to debunk Hadi’s puerile and baseless allegation, viz:

Firstly, that it was a blatant lie to insinuate that DAP wanted to seek full control of the country through the restoration of the third vote, suggesting that it was a post-13GE grab for political power by the Chinese at the expense of the Malays on the ground that 60 per cent of the state assembly seats in the country were already under the DAP control.

Such lies were  most preposterous and utter nonsense for three reasons:

(i) DAP did not control 60% of the state assembly seats in the 13GE, as all the three Pakatan Rakyat parties of DAP, PKR and PAS (until PR was killed at the PAS Muktamar on June 3, 2015) did not even win 50% of the total state assembly seats in the 13th General Election. The total number and percentage of state assembly seats won by the three PR parties in the 13GE were 229 seats or 45% of the total of 505 state assembly seats in the country.

(ii) The DAP had never been a party for the Chinese or any one race or religion, as right from our establishment in 1966, DAP had been committed to the goal of being a party for Malaysians of all races and religions. In fact, DAP was the first Pan-Malaysian political party in Malaysia, with branches in all the states in the country.

(iii) Restoration of local government had been the objective of DAP ever since its formation in 1966. I made at least two major speeches in Parliament on the restoration of local government during the three-year resumption of Parliament from 1971-1974 – my first term as an elected MP.

Secondly, it was utterly misleading and irresponsible to suggest that restoration of local council elections would benefit the Chinese at the expense of the Malays. This was ignoring the local government restructuring and the process of Malay urbanization in the past five decades, resulting in Malaysia having 148 local authorities, about 90% of which have Malay majorities of over 50% of the population, while only two per cent or three of the 148 local authorities have Chinese majorities, leaving a balance of 13 with plurality of races, seven of which are Chinese-dominant and six Malay-dominant.

Thirdly,  support of local government elections did not make one a “communist” or “chauvinist” as local government elections were also held in Indonesia, Turkey and Iran. Was Hadi suggesting that Presidents Jokowi and Erdogan and former Iranian President Ahmadnejad or Indonesia, Turkey and Iran were  “communist” or  “chauvinist”?

Fourthly, the allegation DAP had unilaterally and arbitrarily sought the restoration of the third vote in violation of Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework was baseless. In actual fact, the restoration of local government elections was in both the Pakatan Rakyat national manifesto and the Selangor PR state manifesto for the 13th General Elections.

I had said then that PAS and DAP had parted ways in Pakatan Rakyat because of the repeated violation of the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework and Hadi’s contempt for the PR consensus operational principle, wanting to exercise a veto power over decisions adopted unanimously by the PR Leadership although PAS was attended by the then  PAS Deputy President, Mohamad Sabu.

There was no answer or response from Hadi for the simple reason that I was speaking facts and the  truth, and Hadi could not counter any of my arguments.

This is why I am shocked that Hadi has gone to London to trot  out the very same arguments which I had debunked three years ago.

In fact, the argument that the restoration of local council elections would benefit the Chinese at the expense of the Malays is even more untenable today.

As I had said three years ago, based on the 2010 Census, out of the 148 local authorities in Malaysia (comprising three City Halls, nine City Councils, 37 Municipal Councils and 99 District Councils), only two per cent or three of the local authorities have Chinese majorities, namely Sibu (Chinese 63.4% Malay/bumiputra 35.7% Indians 0.4% Others 0.5%); Kuching Selatan (Chinese 62.5% Malay/bumiputra 36.4% Indians 0.6% Others 0.5%) and Pulau Pinang (Chinese 56.4% Malays 33.7%; Indians 9.5% Others 0.4%).

Local authorities with Malay majorities of over 50% of the population number 132 or 89.2% of the 148 local authorities, with the balance of 13 having a plurality of races with seven Chinese dominant and six Malay dominant.

In the 2020 Census to be held in about  a year’s time, there would be further changes in the racial composition of the demography of the local authorities in favour of the Malays, because of the higher birth rates among the Malays compared to the non-Malays.

The restoration of the 53-year suspension of local government elections is an important building block not only for democracy but also for plural nation-building in Malaysia.

It has nothing to do  whatsoever with the 3Rs of race, religion or rulers, but is concerned with the 3Rs of “Rates, Roads and Rubbish” although the scope of local government responsibility has now  expanded by leaps and bounds worldwide, such as including community services like libraries and parks, tourism, urban renewal, community health services, accessible transport and pollution control.

Elected local government is to empower citizens with the democratic right to participate in the third tier of democratic governance to take ownership of the decision-making process about their immediate environs – serving as a training ground for citizens in the direct experience of democratic governance at the grassroots level.

Will the Hadi PAS leadership stop looking at local government elections from the lens of toxic and vicious politics of lies, hatred, fear, race and religion and from the point of view of local government democracy?

Or are the thinking of the Had PAS leadership so fixed and frozen that they are  immune to arguments, facts and truth as illustrated by PAS’ continued  opposition to local government elections and support of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s global kleptocracy?

Has the Hadi PAS leadership such a paralysing effect on the freedom of thought of the million PAS members that they could impose their views on the PAS membership, even with fallacious arguments which run counter to the facts or the  truth – whether on continued opposition to local government elections and in  aiding and abetting Najib  in the international 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal and global kleptocracy?

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 26th December 2018)

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Kenyataan Media (2) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada Rabu 26 Disember 2018:

Adakah pemikiran kepimpinan PAS yang diketuai Hadi begitu jumud sehinggakan mereka tuli dengan hujah, fakta dan kebenaran seperti yang ditunjukkan oleh penentangan PAS terhadap pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dan sokongan yang dinyatakan mereka terhadap bekas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang terlibat dalam kleptokrasi global.

Saya terkejut apabila membaca ucapan oleh Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang di London di mana beliau memberitahu rakyat Malaysia di sana yang beliau menolak pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan kerana berpendapat ia harus bersifat inklusif supaya kawasan bandar tidak dikuasai oleh hanya suatu kaum sahaja.

Beliau berkata:

“Bila penduduk tertentu kuasai bandar, sudah tentulah bandar-bandar besar, seperti Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Pulau Pinang, Seremban, Johor Bahru semua dikuasai kaum Cina DAP.

“Kalau satu kaum saja yang menguasai akan timbul 13 Mei balik, kita mengalami peristiwa berdarah 13 Mei.”

Saya terkejut kerana tiga tahun lalu saya dan Hadi pernah bertukar pandangan berkenaan isu pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan, di mana saya bertanya kepada beliau mengapa beliau mendakwa DAP bersifat cauvinis kerana mahukan pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dilaksanakan.

Dalam respons saya kepada sidang media Hadi di Batu Pahat di mana beliau dipetik sebagai menyifatkan DAP “cauvinis” kerana mahu menghidupkan semula pilihan raya majlis tempatan, saya melahirkan rasa hairan dalam kenyataan di Ipoh pada 13 Julai 2015, mengenai kurangnya daya “kreativiti dan keaslian” pemikiran Hadi berhubung isu itu.

Saya berikan empat sebab bagi menjawab tuduhan tidak berasas Hadi, seperti berikut:

Pertama, adalah satu pembohongan apabila mendakwa bahawa DAP kononnya mahu mengawal sepenuhnya negara menerusi pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan, dengan membuat andaian yang ia adalah cara untuk kaum Cina menguasai politik pasca Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) atas alasan 60% kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) diwakili DAP.

Pembohongan itu mengarut dan tidak berasas atas tiga sebab:

(I) DAP tidak mengawal 60% kerusi DUN pada PRU13, kerana tiga komponen Pakatan Rakyat yang terdiri daripada DAP, PKR dan PAS (Sehingga PR dibubarkan pada Muktamar PAS pada 3 Jun 2015) menang kurang 50% kerusi DUN pada PRU13. Keseluruhan jumlah dan peratusan kerusi DUN yang dimenangi tiga komponen PR pada PRU13 adalah sebanyak 229 kerusi atau 45% daripada 505 keseluruhan kerusi DUN.

(ii) DAP tidak pernah menjadi parti untuk kaum Cina atau mana-mana kaum atau agama tertentu, kerana sejak penubuhannya pada 1966, DAP komited terhadap matlamat untuk menjadi sebuah parti rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum atau agama. Malah, DAP adalah parti politik Pan-Malaysia pertama di Malaysia, dengan cawangan di seluruh negeri.

(iii) Menghidupkan semula pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan merupakan objektif DAP sejak penubuhannya pada 1966. Saya menyampaikan sekurang-kurangnya dua ucapan utama di Parlimen berkenaan pengembalian kerajaan tempatan semasa tiga tahun sidang Parlimen dari 1971 hingga 1974 – iaitu penggal pertama saya dilantik sebagai Ahli Parlimen.

Kedua, adalah mengelirukan dan tidak bertanggungjawab apabila mengatakan bahawa pengembalian semula pilihan raya majlis tempatan akan menguntungkan kaum Cina dan meminggirkan kaum Melayu. Kenyataan ini tidak mengendahkan hakikat mengenai penstrukturan semula kerajaan tempatan dan proses urbanisasi kaum Melayu sejak lima dekad lalu, di mana Malaysia mempunyai 148 pihak berkuasa tempatan, kira-kira 90% yang mana mempunyai majoriti kaum Melayu melebihi 50% populasi, sementara hanya dua atau tiga peratus daripada 148 pihak berkuasa tempatan mempunyai majoriti kaum Cina, sementara baki 13 terdiri daripada pelbagai kaum, tujuh daripadanya didominasi kaum Cina sementara enam kaum Melayu.

Ketiga, sokongan terhadap pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan tidak menjadikan seseorang itu “komunis” atau “cauvinis” kerana pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan juga dijalankan di Indonesia, Turki dan Iran. Adakah Hadi mengatakan bahawa Presiden Jokowi dan Erdogan dan bekas Presiden Iran Ahmadnejad atau Indonesia, Turki dan Iran bersifat “komunis” atau “cauvinis”.

Keempat, dakwaan bahawa DAP secara sepihak dan sesuka hati mahukan pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dimasukkan dalam Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat adalah tidak berasas. Hakikatnya, pengembalian pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan ada dalam manifesto kebangsaan Pakatan Rakyat dan manifesto negeri PR Selangor untuk PRU13.

Sudah saya katakan bahawa PAS dan DAP berpisah daripada Pakatan Rakyat kerana pencabulan terhadap Rangka Kerja Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat dan penghinaan Hadi terhadap prinsip operasi konsensus PR, kerana mahu menggunakan kuasa veto ke atas keputusan yang dipersetujui sebulat suara oleh kepimpinan PR walaupun PAS ketika itu dikendalikan oleh bekas Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu.

Tiada jawapan ataupun respons daripada Hadi kerana sememangnya saya bercakap berdasarkan fakta dan kebenaran, dan Hadi tidak mampu membalas hujah saya.

Ini sebabnya mengapa saya terkejut apabila Hadi ke London untuk menggunakan hujah sama yang mana telah saya jawab sejak tiga tahun lalu.

Malah, hujah bahawa pengembalian pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan akan menguntungkan kaum Cina dan merugikan kaum Melayu amat tidak masuk akal jika diambil kira situasi sekarang.

Seperti yang saya katakan pada tiga tahun lalu, berdasarkan Bancian 2010, daripada 148 pihak berkuasa tempatan di Malaysia (terdiri daripada tiga Dewan Bandaraya, sembilan Majlis Bandaraya, 37 Majlis Perbandaran dan 99 Majlis Daerah, hanya dua atau tiga peratus pihak berkuasa tempat mempunyai majoriti kaum Cina, iaitu Sibu (Cina 63.4% Melayu/bumiputra 35.7% India 0.4% Lain-lain 0.5%); Kuching Selatan (Cina 62.5% Melayu/bumiputra 36.4% India 0.6% Lain-lain 0.5%) and Pulau Pinang (Cina 56.4% Melayu 33.7%; India 9.5% Lain-lain 0.4%).

Pihak berkuasa tempatan dengan majoriti kaum Melayu melebihi 50% jumlah populasi adalah sebanyak 132 atau 89.2% daripada 148 pihak berkuasa tempatan, dengan baki 13 lagi terdiri daripada pelbagai kaum, dengan tujuh didominasi kaum Cina dan enam didominasi kaum Melayu.

Dalam Bancian 2020 yang akan dilaksanakan kira-kira setahun akan datang, akan berlaku lebih perubahan komposisi kaum mengikut demografi pihak berkuasa tempatan dalam memberi kelebihan kepada orang Melayu. Ini disumbang oleh kadar kelahiran tinggi kaum Melayu berbanding bukan Melayu.

Pengembalian semula pilihan raya tempatan setelah 53 tahun digantung adalah penting dalam pembinaan bukan sahaja demokrasi, namun pembinaan negara plural di Malaysia.

Ia tidak ada kena mengena dengan kaum, agama, atau Raja-raja, sebaliknya tentang merit, jalan raya dan sampah (Rates, Roads and Rubbish) walaupun skop tanggungjawab kerajaan tempatan kini sudah lebih meluas dan pesat berkembang, ermasuk perkhidmatan komuniti seperti perpustakaan dan taman, pelancongan, pembaharuan bandar, perkhidmatan kesihatan komuniti, sistem pengangkutan yang baik dan kawalan pencemaran.

Kerajaan tempatan yang dilantik akan memperkasakan masyarakat dengan hak demokratik bagi membolehkan mereka menyertai pentadbiran demokratik pada tahap ketiga dalam menjadi sebahagian elemen penting proses pembuatan keputusan berkenaan dengan persekitaran mereka – memberikan mereka pengalaman pentadbiran demokratik di peringkat akar umbi.

Bolehkan kepimpinan PAS yang diketuai Hadi berhenti melihat pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dari kaca mata politik toksik dan jahat yang berbaur pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, perkauman dan keagamaan, sebaliknya daripada pandangan demokrasi kerajaan tempatan?

Atau adakah pemikiran kepimpinan PAS yang diketuai Hadi begitu jumud sehinggakan mereka tuli dengan hujah, fakta dan kebenaran seperti yang ditunjukkan oleh penentangan PAS terhadap pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dan sokongan mereka terhadap bekas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang terlibat dalam kleptokrasi global.

– Lim Kit Siang

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 26 December 2018, 12:24 pm and is filed under
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Is the PAS official stand on Christmas represented by the PAS Secretary-General or the PAS Youth Leader and Hadi’s son?

Is the warning by the PAS Youth Leader and the son of the PAS President, Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi, warning Muslims not to post Christmas greetings on Facebook because the Christian celebration is against the teachings of Islam and that  there should not  be any acknowledgement of the Christian religion the official stand of PAS or is it merely the personal view of the son of the President?

This question arises after the PAS Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan sent out festive greetings in conjunction with Christmas after Khalil’s warning.

Who has the bigger say in PAS – the PAS Secretary-General or the PAS Youth Leader who is also the son of the PAS President?

What is the stand of the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, the PAS Mursyidul Am Hashim Jasiin and the PAS Dewan Syura on this issue?

Yesterday, I pointed out that  in Malaysia, the Sultan of Johore Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sultan Idris Shah, the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr.Wan  Azizah Wan Ismail, the PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and outside Malaysia, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and the Palestinian President Mohmoud Abbas gave Christmas greetings and partake in Christmas celebrations.

Are they any less a Muslim as a result?

An ally of the Muhamad Khalil Hadi, in an attempt to distract attention from the controversy sparked by the primitive warning of the PAS Youth Leader, has claimed that “Amanah Kit Siang” is more dangerous than Amanat Hadi.

I am most flattered for two reasons, firstly, that there is an Amanat Kit

Siang without my knowing it or anybody else knowing it; and  secondly,  that some 15 years after Hadi had dismissed me as “expired medicine” which had “outlived its usefulness”, I am still capable of conjuring the image of  an “Amanat Kit  Siang”.

Did this PAS leader consult Hadi before making such a statement, which would make the PAS President look so  foolish as long ago as 15 years ago!

But such gambit cannot hide the fact that the PAS leadership had failed to answer many  pertinent questions.

Here is one such question:

PAS President Hadi has said that all Muslims must oppose the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), alleging ICERD is a “Freemason agenda” with the intention to destroy the religion, nation and society.

However, some  99 per cent of the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world are living in 179 countries which have ratified ICERD, including 55 of the 57 member nations of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Is PAS going to  be the saviour of Muslims in the world, including Muslims in the Islamic heartlands centred in Saudi Arabia, and launch an international campaign to get the 1.3 billion Muslims to oppose ICERD?

It is sad and pathetic that more and more  PAS leaders are showing their primitive mindset – like the PAS Selangor Ulama who shared a video of an Indonesian pop band shortly before being swept away by the recent tsunami.

Such primitive mindset may have some influence, like on the UMNO President Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, who has gone of “garden leave”, as to influence his thinking as evidenced by his parliamentary utterance, but it does not raise the stocks of the PAS leaders among thinking Malaysians.

PAS leaders would learn more  from the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who spoke at a Christmas hi-tea reception yesterday and shared her experience studying at convent schools, thanking her nun teachers for inculcating good values that shaped her into being a better person or the  touching Malaysiakini article by writer Fa Abdul, “My first Sunday mass before Christmas”, for it is clear that what  is sorely lacking  among these  PAS leaders is the four-lettered word “love” to stem the distrust and hate in our society.

Eleven years ago, in December 2007, 129 prominent Muslims from all around the world issued Christmas greetings from Amman to the world’s Christians, following up on an October call earlier that year for greater dialogue between the two faiths.

The Islamic statement thanked the many Christians who have responded to the October call – entitled “A Common Word”– which was issued by many of the same Muslim leaders. The “Common Word” initiative is supported by the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, headed by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan.

The “Common Word” leaders noted the moral principles shared by the “Abrahamic faiths,” including the determination to uphold the sanctity of human life. The Christmas greeting includes a plea for Christians and Muslims to join to “do their utmost to save, uphold, and treasure every single human life and especially the life of every single child.”

Is there an Amanat Kit Siang?

If there is, let it be the following: Let  Malaysians, whether Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus or other faiths resolve that one of the objectives of a New Malaysia is to make Malaysia one of the foremost nations in the world in interfaith dialogue, understanding and tolerance.

Will PAS support this objective?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, December 26, 2018)

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Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada Rabu 26 Disember 2018:

Yang mana satu pendirian rasmi PAS berhubung ucapan Krismas? Adakah daripada Setiausaha Agung PAS atau Ketua Pemuda PAS merangkap anak Hadi?

Adakah peringatan yang dikeluarkan oleh Ketua Pemuda PAS merangkap anak Presiden PAS, Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi, supaya orang Islam tidak membuat ucapan Krismas di Facebook kerana sambutan penganut agama Kristian itu bertentangan dengan akidah Islam merupakan pendirian rasmi PAS atau sekadar pandangan peribadi anak presiden parti itu semata-mata?

Soalan ini timbul selepas Setiausaha Agung PAS Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan membuat ucapan Krismas, meskipun Khalil mengeluarkan peringatan tersebut.

Siapakah yang mempunyai kuasa lebih besar dalam PAS – Setiausaha Agung PAS atau Ketua Pemuda PAS yang juga anak Presiden PAS?

Apakah pendirian Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Hashim Jasin dan Dewan Syura PAS berhubung isu ini?

Semalam, saya menarik perhatian tentang ucapan Krismas yang ditujukan oleh Sultan Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sultan Idris Shah; Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad; Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; Presiden PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan di luar Malaysia, antaranya Presiden Turki, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Raja Jordan Abdullah II dan Presiden Palestin Mahmoud Abbas.

Adakah mereka bukan orang Islam sejati kerana membuat ucapan Krismas?

Sekutu Muhamad Khalil Hadi, dalam cubaannya untuk mengalihkan perhatian daripada kontroversi tersebut, mendakwa kononnya “Amanah Kit Siang” lebih bahaya daripada Amanat Hadi.

Saya berbangga dengan kenyataan itu atas dua alasan, pertama, saya sendiri tidak tahu akan kewujudan “Amanat Kit Siang”; dan kedua, kira-kira 15 tahun selepas Hadi menyifatkan saya sebagai “ubat habis tempoh”, saya masih berdiri di sini dan dikatakan membawa “Amanat Kit Siang”.

Adakah Pemimpin PAS tersebut ada terlebih dahulu meminta nasihat daripada Hadi sebelum mengeluarkan kenyataan sedemikian, yang mana boleh membuatkan Presiden PAS berkenaan dilihat dungu kerana pernah mengatakan yang saya tidak lagi relevan pada 15 tahun lalu!

Namun, muslihat sedemikian tidak boleh menutup hakikat bahawa kepimpinan PAS gagal menjawab banyak persoalan penting yang berbangkit.

Antara soalannya adalah:

Presiden PAS Hadi berkata semua orang Islam harus menentang ratifikasi Konvensyen Antarabangsa Mengenai Penghapusan Segala Bentuk Diskriminasi Kaum (ICERD) kerana mendakwa ia adalah agenda Freemason dengan niat untuk memusnahkan agama, negara dan masyarakat Islam.

Pun begitu, kira-kira 99 peratus daripada 1.3 bilion orang Islam di dunia tinggal di 179 negara yang telah meratifikasi ICERD, termasuk 55 daripada 57 negara ahli Pertubuhan Persidangan Islam (OIC), seperti Arab Saudi, Indonesia, Turki, Qatar, Emiriah Arab Bersatu, Mesir, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestin, Algeria, Maghribi, Afghanistan, Bangladesh dan Pakistan.

Adakah PAS mahu menjadi penyelamat orang Islam di dunia, termasuk orang Islam di negara Arab Saudi, dan melancarkan kempen antarabangsa bagi mendesak 1.3 bilion orang Islam menentang ICERD?

Adalah mengecewakan apabila begitu ramai pemimpian PAS menunjukkan set minda primitif – seperti Ulama PAS Selangor yang berkongsi video kugiran pop Indonesia sejurus sebelum bencana tsunami membadai negara itu.

Pemimpin PAS sepatutnya belajar daripada Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, yang berucap pada resepsi minum petang sempena sambutan Krismas semalam dan berkongsi pengalamannya menuntut di sekolah convent, sambil berterima kasih kepada guru biarawati beliau kerana mengajarkannya nilai-nilai murni yang membentuk jati dirinya atau daripada artikel yang ditulis oleh Fa Abdul dan disiarkan di Malaysiakini bertajuk “My first Sunday mass before Christmas”, kerana jelas apa yang kurang dalam kalangan pemimpin PAS adalah kasih sayang.

Sebelas tahun lalu, pada Disember 2007 di Amman, 129 intelektual Islam terkemuka dari serata dunia mengucapkan Krismas kepada seluruh warga dunia, sebagai seruan perpaduan antara kedua-dua agama tersebut melalui dialog yang diadakan pada Oktober tahun itu.

Kenyataan ucapan tersebut, turut menyelitkan ucapan terima kasih kepada penganut Kristian yang menyambut baik seruan Oktober tersebut yang diberikan tajuk “A Common Word”. Inisiatif “Common Word” itu disokong oleh Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, yang diketuai oleh Putera Jordan Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal.

Pemimpin “Common Word” memahami prinsip moral yang dikongsi oleh “agama Ibrahim”, termasuk tekad untuk mengangkat kesucian kehidupan manusia. Ucapan Krismas itu juga turut merayu agar penganut Kristian dan Islam bersatu untuk “menyelamatkan, mengangkat dan menghargai setiap kehidupan manusia, terutamanya kehidupan setiap kanak-kanak”.

Adakah wujud Amanat Kit Siang?

Jika ada, ia akan membawa seruan ini: Seruan supaya seluruh rakyat Malaysia, tidak kira yang beragama Islam, Kristian, Buddha, Hindu atau agama lain, bertekad dengan satu objektif Malaysia Baharu iaitu untuk menjadikan Malaysia sebuah negara yang mempunyai persefahaman agama dan toleransi yang kukuh.

Adakah PAS akan menyokong objektif ini?

– Lim Kit Siang

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 26 December 2018, 8:05 am and is filed under
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Offends all sensitivities  that  Najib as  the leading kleptocrat for  1MDB and other 1MDB-like scandals in Felda, Felcra, MARA and Tabung Haji and  who is facing 58 corruption charges  with his wife could have the equanimity to  troll Mujahid over his open letter to Nurul Izzah

The social media is abuzz with comments and fun over Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa’s letter to Nurul Izzah Anwar who recently resigned from all her government and PKR positions, especially with the use of the poetic Malay term of  “kekanda” and “adinda”.

Even Mujahid is enjoying himself, who purposely chose such a form of language to get his  message across.

But what jars the general merriment is the trolling by former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

 “
Drama
,” wrote the former prime minister.

In a short post on Facebook, accompanied by his smiling picture, Najib asked:
“How many nights have you not slept?

“If you still cannot sleep, read prayers invoking God to let you sleep in peace.”

This  trolling  from the from the leading kleptocrat for  1MDB and other 1MDB-like scandals in Felda, Felcra, MARA and Tabung Haji and  who is facing 58 corruption charges  with his wife offends all sensitivities that he  could have the equanimity to  troll Mujahid over his open letter to Nurul Izzah.

Najib has said that he had to borrow money in order to pay for his expenses and bail money for the 39 corruption and criminal charges with bail amounting to around RM6 million – not to mention the bail money for his wife, Datin Rosmah Mansor.

No sense of compunction or contrition that under his tenure, Malaysia suffered the infamy, ignominy and iniquity of a global kleptocracy – which is what is premiership will be associated with and  remembered by.

Yet he claims to have the peace of mind and equanimity about sleeping, to the extent he could offer Mujahid advice how to have peace of mind.

Najib is really taking Malaysians as numbskulls and nincompoops!

(Media Statement (3) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 26th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 26 December 2018, 6:14 pm and is filed under
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Apology to Wee Ka Siong – I did not realise his intellectual capabilities and standards are  as low as other MCA leaders

I must apologise to the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Wee Ka Siong as I had not realised that his intellectual capabilities and standards are as low as the other MCA leaders.

When I lamented on  Tuesday that  the national education curriculum needed an overhaul as it  was producing political leaders “who do not understand a simple statement,  reading what is not there at all”, I had not included him in the category.

Last Thursday, I had said in Luoyang, Henan that the DAP will never become MCA2 as DAP leaders will not be as spineless as MCA leaders and that DAP will not hesitate leaving the Pakatan Harapan coalition government if the objective of New Malaysia was abandoned.

I observed in Kuala Lumpur on Christmas Day that my Luoyang statement sent the Opposition into sixes and sevens, feeding on their fevered imagination, with a PAS leader trying to provoke the DAP to quit Pakatan Harapan, while one MCA leader urged the DAP to “”grow a backbone” to exit the government and another MCA leader “hit the jackpot” and unconsciously condemned all MCA leaders with the statement that DAP did not qualify to be MCA2.

I had thought that Wee was above these puerile tactics, but Wee publicly jumped into the pit to show that he was on the same level as the other MCA leaders.

Actually, Wee “out-classed” the other MCA leaders when he asked why I did a “U-turn”?

Are there other  MCA leaders who could see such  a non-existent  “U-turn”, and  if so, for everyone of then to declare themselves?

Wee asked whether I was afraid of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. At the other end of the spectrum of the new toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion, the UMNO and PAS political desperadoes would be asking Mahathir why he  is afraid me!

Is this going  to be the new politics of the Opposition in Malaysia?

This is a variation of the of the toxic politics of lies, fear, hatred, race and religion before the 14th General Elections – with  one extreme end screaming that if Pakatan Harapan wins the general elections Malay rights would be wiped out while  at the other extreme end, warnings that non-Malay rights would be eliminated.

This is not the way to build an united, harmonious, just, democratic, progressive and prosperous society – but to destroy Malaysia as a top world-class nation and condemn it to a future of  a sham democracy, kakistocracy, a failed state and a global kleptocracy.

Wee pretends to be a brave man in calling me a coward!

Can  Wee  tell Malaysians what he did as a Minister in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to save Malaysia from becoming a global kleptocracy?

The year 2018 which ends in four days’ time has been described as “Year of Anti-Corruption sweep in Malaysia”, with vivid images of the former Prime Minister Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor, the former Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi , and Cabinet Ministers and Barisan Nasional grandees trudging up and down the courts to face corruption charges; as well as the police leaving Najib’s condominium at Pavilion Residences, Bukit Bintang carting away  284 boxes and 72 bags filled with expensive items and RM116 million in cash and valuables, including branded handbags  such as Hermes and Birkin, jewellery and watches.

What was Wee’s contribution to make 2018 “The Year of Anti-Corruption Sweep in Malaysia”?

Wee was one of those leaders who aided and abetted Najib in the monstrous 1MDB scandal and Malaysia becoming a global kleptocaracy – yet he has the impudence and impudence  to pretend that MCA stands for integrity!

There are those who say that its enough talk of 1MDB scandal, that we should stop focusing on corruption and 1MDB scandal as these matters should be left to the courts to decide, and that the country should turn to more important matters.

Does Wee agree?

In fact, the battle against  kleptocracy as typified by the 1MDB scandal and the other 1MDB-like scandals in FELDA, FELCRA, TABUNG HAJI and MARA has only started.

Behind the main culprits in the 1MDB, FELDA, Felcra, Tabung Haji, MARA and other scandals, there is an entourage of enablers and those who chose to remain complicit.

Behind every major corruption, there is often an entire institution that lacks the moral courage to find fault which includes the Najib Cabinet, the 13th Parliament and the various national institutions which were suborned and undermined during the Najib premiership.

Does Wee agree that the time has come to demand accountability from all the  “enablers” of Malaysia becoming a global kleptocracy, especially through the monstrous 1MDB scandal – starting with Wee himself?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 27th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 27 December 2018, 11:10 am and is filed under
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In the spirit of “zero tolerance for corruption”, all who had aided and abetted Najib in his kleptocratic rule must apologise to all Malaysians in the next three days if they are  not to carry the cross of “enablers of Najib kleptocracy” into the  new year

In the spirit of “zero tolerance for corruption”, which must be the trademark of the “New Malaysia” after the historic May 9, 2018 decision for a peaceful and democratic transition of power in Putrajaya, all who had aided and abetted former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his kleptocratic rule as illustrated by the monstrous 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal and the other 1MDB-like scandals in Felda, Felcra, Tabung Haji and MARA, must apologise to all Malaysians in the next three days if they are not to  carry the cross of “enablers of Najib kleptocracy” into the new year.

Those in the frontline who aided and abetted  the monstrous crimes of kleptocracy in the Najib premiership, the enablers of Najib kleptocracy, are foremost  the Ministers in the  Najib Cabinet, the Members of Parliament in particular the Speaker of the 13th Parliament who helped Najib to suppress the 1MDB scandal and Najib kleptocracy from being debated in Parliament, and the Barisan Nasional  political leaders who had received 1MDB funds from Najib.

They have three days to make a clean breast of their past as enablers of Najib  kleptocracy, and to  declare and demonstrate their regret and contrition for not standing up to the crime of global kleptocracy and failing the nation – or they will carry the cross of being enablers of Najib kleptocracy into the new year.

It is a terrible indictment on what is left of the three Barisan Nasional coalition of UMNO, MCA and MIC as well their former political parties that  in the past seven months – whether in Parliament or outside –  none of them had conceded that the 1MDB scandal was a national catastrophe or  repudiated Najib for the monstrous kleptocracy when he was Prime Minister, and to express their apologies and contrition for their role as “enablers” of Najib kleptocracy.

Everyone of the BN MPs, including MCA’s sole MP Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, have been tarred with Najib’s kleptocracy, and they have not repented. The same applies to the PAS MPs as well.

In fact, in during the 50-day meetings this year of the 14th Parliament, not a single one of the Barisan Nasional MPs whether UMNO, MCA or MIC – and this includes the PAS MPs – had given a speech on the 1MDB corruption scandal, although  it is the single biggest global scandal  confronting Malaysia.

Can these Opposition MPs explain why?

Furthermore, all political parties and politicians, including MPs of the 13th Parliament, should return to public coffers any funding and donations they had received from the 1MDB scandal.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 28th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 28 December 2018, 4:48 pm and is filed under
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