18 year-olds voting and standing for election, police who are friends of people and working towards transforming Malaysia into a nation of integrity are signs of New Malaysia-in-the-making

Fourteen months after the historic decision of the 14th General Election on  May 9, 2018 to save Malaysia from a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state, a New Malaysia is taking shape.

Three recent events showed that we are moving in a direction where 18-year-old Malaysians can vote and stand for elective office, police are to be regarded as friends and not bullies or oppressors of the people with the establishment of the Independent Police Complaint and Misconduct Commission and Malaysia is being transformed from a kleptocracy state into a leading nation of integrity.

The basic reason why Malaysia had lagged behind countries like United States, Philippines, France, New Zealand, Denmark, India, Hong Kong, Jordan, Pakistan, Morocca, Saudi Araba and Japan, which had lowered the voting age from 21 years to 18 years in past 48 years since I first raised the issue in Parliament in 1971  is because past governments were  afraid of the youth, whom they regard as anti-establishment and anti-government.

The 12-day meeting of July 2019 Parliament ended  yesterday with the presentation of the long-awaited Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill.

The IPCMC bill is remarkable for three reasons:

Firstly, the police must be commended for embracing the IPCMC as an oversight body 14 years after it was first mooted by Police Royal Commission of Inquiry in 2005.

Advocates of klepto-theocracy will insinuate that this is the result of the dominance of  the Pakatan Harapan government by  the DAP, which is falsely maligned as a  “Chinese, Christian and Communist” party when we are a Malaysian party for all Malaysians.  Look at the composition of the Police Royal Commission established by Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi in 2004 – the chair was the former Chief Justice, Tun Dzaiddin Abdullah, deputy chair was former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar, while the members included  two former Chief Justices Tun Salleh Abas and Tun Zaki Tun Azmi,   former Petronas Chairman Tan Sri Azizan Zainal Abidin, former High Court judge Datin  Paduka Zaleha Zahari, former journalist Datuk Kadir Jasin and former Malaysian Bar President Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari. Were these distinguished personages  all influenced by the “Chinese, Christian and Communist” DAP in 2005?

Secondly, concern that the IPCMC Bill will be a watered down version of the IPCMC recommendation of the Dzaiddin Royal Commission had not been borne out, as the IPCMC bill has retained  almost intact the proposals of the Police Royal Commission to  be an effective oversight body of the police to ensure that the police are the friends of the ordinary law-abiding Malaysians and not bully or oppressor.

The third feature of the IPCMC Bill is the three-month period for public feedback and consultation before the IPCMC Bill is presented to Parliament for second and third readings.

I hope that all bills will henceforth be made public beforehand to allow for feedback and consultation before they are debated and decided by Parliament.

The third memorable  event was the meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption yesterday, which has resulted the announcement by the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that steps are being taken to ensure that major public service appointments like the  chairmen and members of the Election Commission, Judicial Appointments Commission and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) as well as the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will be referred to the parliamentary select committee.

Mahathir also announced that the Freedom of Information Act will be drawn up to replace the Official Secrets Act 1972.

Mahathir further said after the meeting that 15% or 17 initiatives out of the 115 initiatives outlined in the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) have already been implemented –  nine in the field of political governance, two for public sector administration, three for the legal and judicial sector, one for law enforcement and two for corporate governance, he said.

Out of the 22 initiatives given priority in the NACP, 32% or seven initiatives had been resolved involving three in the governance sector, one for administration , two for public acquisition and one for corporate governance.

The National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) should present an  annual report to Parliament on the progress of the NACP, which should be examined by the parliamentary committees tasked with the subject of anti-corruption.

The transformation of Malaysia from a global kleptocracy to a leading nation of integrity in  the world should be regarded as one of the challenges of the 14th Parliament, which must break with the ignominious record of the 13th Parliament in aiding and abetting Malaysia becoming a global kleptocracy.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Friday, 19th July 2019)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 19 July 2019, 11:55 am and is filed under
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Endorsement of Mahathir’s call to Pakatan Harapan parties to stop infighting or risk Pakatan  losing power

Sokongan terhadap seruan Mahathir supaya parti komponen Pakatan Harapan berhenti bergaduh sesama sendiri ataupun berisiko hilang sokongan

Saya menyokong seruan Perdana Menteri dan Pengerusi, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yang menggesa parti komponen Pakatan Harapan untuk berhenti bergaduh sesama sendiri jika tidak mahu kehilangan sokongan dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-15 kelak.

Kejayaan bersama empat parti politik Pakatan Harapan dalam menumpaskan kerajaan Barisan Nasional dan kekal teguh bersama sebagai satu pakatan sepanjang 14 bulan yang lepas adalah suatu keajaiban.

Kita cuma perlu lihat kembali ke tahun 2016, di mana Barisan Nasional telah berjaya memenangi Pilihanraya Negeri Sarawak pada bulan Mei dan kemudiannya menang besar dalam Pilihanraya Kecil Sungai Besar dan Kuala Kangsar pada bulan Jun — di mana masa hadapan politik negara kelihatan kelam dan peluang untuk menolak Dato’ Seri Najib Razak dan rejim Barisan Nasional daripada menjunamkan negara ke arah sebuah negara kleptokratik yang gagal kelihatan mustahil.

Namun begitu, Pakatan Harapan berjaya — memberikan satu amanah dan tanggungjawab yang lebih besar untuk semua pemimpin PH untuk menjayakan sebuah Malaysia yang baharu yang telah dijanjikan, dengan menggubal semula polisi negara bagi membentuk satu Malaysia yang bersatu-padu, cemerlang, berkebebasan, adil, dan berintegriti, sebuah negara yang terulung yang disegani di mata dunia.

Pendokong ideologi klepto-teokrasi yang mendoakan kegagalan Pakatan Harapan dan Malaysia Baharu mahu melihat perpecahan di dalam PH — apabila perkara ini tidak berlaku, mereka mendoakan kerajaan ini hanya kekal selama setengah penggal pula.

Walaupun kini sudah mentadbir kerajaan persekutuan selama 14 bulan, Pakatan Harapan masih dalam proses membiasakan diri dalam pentadbiran.

Untuk kejayaan Malaysia Baharu, Pakatan Harapan mestilah membiasakan dirinya menjadi satu pakatan kerajaan yang bersifat natural, bagi membolehkan kita memenangi PRU15 dan PRU-PRU yang seterusnya untuk memenuhi misi Malaysia Baharu ini.

Semalam saya telah katakan, transformasi Malaysia daripada sebuah kleptokrasi global kepada satu negara berintegriti yang terulung adalah merupakan salah satu cabaran terbesar Pakatan Harapan. Sepantas kilat, ajen-ajen pemutar puak klepto-teokrasi menuduh saya mengatakan yang kerja transformasi ini sudah selesai dan Malaysia kini adalah negara berintegriti yang disegani di mata dunia.

Saya mesti tegaskan, belum, kita belum sampai ke tahap itu lagi. Proses ini masih panjang perjalanannya, tetapi sekurang-kurangnya kita berada di laluan yang betul untuk mencapai cita-cita ini.

Kajiselidik Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research yang baru diterbitkan menunjukkan sentimen secara umum rakyat terhadap hala tuju negara telah bertambah baik, meningkat sebanyak 4 mata peratus berbanding dengan suku tahun yang lepas.

Mereka yang merasakan negara kini berada di hala tuju yang bertepatan meningkat daripada 34% pada bulan Mac 2019 kepada 40% pada bulan Jun 2019. Sebaliknya, mereka yang merasakan negara kini berada pada hala tuju yang salah turun daripada 46% pada bulan Mac 2019 kepada 38% pada bulan Jun 2019.

Sentimen orang Melayu mengenai hala tuju negara meningkat sebanyak 7 peratus, kepada 31% daripada 24% pada bulan Mac lepas.

Sentimen orang Cina juga meningkat sebanyak 10 peratus kepada 53% jika dibandingkan dengan bulan Mac.

Namun begitu, walaupun sentimen di kalangan rakyat daripada suku kaum Melayu dan Cina meningkat, sentimen di kalangan rakyat daripada kaum India telah menurun. Kajiselidik tersebut menunjuk yang sentimen mereka terhadap hala tuju negara menurun daripada 63% pada bulan Mac kepada 45%.

Saya percaya kerajaan Pakatan Harapan boleh menjadi satu pakatan kerajaan yang natural, jika pemimpin-pemimpin parti dapat meyakinkan semua rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira kaum, agama, tempat tinggal, atau status sosio-ekonomi, yang negara kita kini berada di arah yang tepat untuk membina satu Malaysia yang baharu, dan lima tunggak utama yang dijanjikan dalam PRU yang lepas kekal menjadi panduan hala tuju pembangunan negara.

Lima tunggak utama ini adalah:

– Meringankan beban rakyat

– Reformasi institusi dan politik

– Menggalakkan pembangunan ekonomi yang mampan dan saksama

– Mengembalikan status Sabah dan Sarawak seperti mana yang diberikan dalam Perjanjian Malaysia 1963

– Mencipta satu Malaysia Baharu yang inklusif, moderat, dan disegani di mata dunia

Semua pemimpin Pakatan Harapan perlu bermuhasabah dengan apa yang dikatakan Tun Dr Mahathir semalam:

“Mandat yang diberikan oleh rakyat kepada kita adalah untuk membaikpulih apa yang telah dirosakkan dan membetulkan apa yang salah mengenai negara kita ini.

“Kita perlu bertanya diri sendiri, sama ada kita akan terus diberikan mandat ini jika kita masih tidak berhenti bergaduh sesama sendiri. Tanpa menyedari, yang kita mungkin akan kehilangan mandat ini kerana pergaduhan sesama sendiri.”

Semua pimpinan Pakatan Harapan mestilah sedar akan persoalan yang ditimbulkan oleh Mahathir ini — jika kita hilang mandat mentadbir ini, kita akan diukur berdasarkan apa yang telah kita capai dengan amanah dan tanggungjawab yang telah diberikan kepada kita.

(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Gelang Patah pada hari Sabtu 20 Julai 2019)

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

I endorse the call by the Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan Chairman, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to Pakatan Harapan parties to stop infighting or risk Pakatan  Harapan losing power in the 15th General Election.

It is indeed a miracle that the four different political parties in Pakatan Harapan had achieved the feat of toppling the Barisan Nasional government and had survived  intact as  one coalition in the past 14 months.

We need to look back to 2016, when the Barisan Nasional had won the Sarawak state  general election in May and the two by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar in June  with landslide victories – and remember the gloom and doom in the political arena and how impossible the odds were to topple Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister and  the seemingly invincible Barisan Nasional coalition to  Save Malaysia from hurtling towards the trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.

But despite such odds, Pakatan Harapan succeeded – making it the greater  responsibility and challenge of all the Pakatan Harapan leaders to fulfill the promise of a New Malaysia they pledged to build in the reset of nation-building policies to create a Malaysia of unity, excellence, freedom, justice and integrity – a top world-class nation respected by the international community.

The new proponents of klepto-theocracy who want Pakatan Harapan and New Malaysia to fail had expected the PH coalition to disintegrate and implode in a matter of months – and when this did not happen, they are hoping now for a half-term Pakatan Harapan government instead.

Although 14 months in power as the Federal Government, Pakatan Harapan is still not a natural government coalition.

If New Malaysia is to succeed, Pakatan Harapan must become a natural government coalition winning not only the 15th General Election but the subsequent general elections to complete the mission of New Malaysia becoming a top world-class nation respected by the international community.

Yesterday, I said that the transformation of Malaysia from a global kleptocracy to a leading nation of integrity in the world is one of Pakatan Harapan’s greatest challenges, and the agents of klepto-theocracy immediately distorted it to say that I claimed that Malaysia has become a leading national of integrity in the world.

No, we are not there yet. It is a work-in-progress. But at least, we are set on the path towards that objective as a leading nation of integrity as distinct from the previous national trajectory towards a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.

Take note of the latest survey of the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research which indicated that overall sentiments on the direction of the country has improved over the months, jumping four percentage points as compared to the previous quarter.

Those who felt that the country was headed in the right direction increased from a low of 34% (March 2019) to 40% in June 2019, while conversely, those who felt the country was headed in the wrong direction also fell to 38% from 46% in March 2019.

Malay sentiments on the direction of the country rose seven points to 31% from a low of 24% in March 2019.

Chinese sentiments towards the country’s direction also rose 10 points to 53% between March and June 2019.

But while Malay and Chinese sentiments showed an improvement, Indian sentiments have taken a dip.

The survey showed that Indian sentiments on the direction of the country fell to 45% from 63% in March 2019.

I believe that the  Pakatan Harapan coalition government can be the natural government coalition if Pakatan Harapan leaders can convince Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or socio-economic status, that the trajectory towards a New Malaysia is on track, and that the five pillar- promises towards the building of a New Malaysia, as contained in the Pakatan Harapan election manifesto in the 14th General Election remain our lodestar and guiding principle.

The five pillar-promises of a New Malaysia are:

· Reduce the people’s burden.

· Institutional and political reforms.

· Spur sustainable and equitable economic growth.

· Return Sabah and Sarawak to the status accorded in Malaysia Agreement 1963.

· Create a Malaysia that is inclusive, moderate and respected globally’

All Pakatan Harapan should heed what Mahathir said yesterday:

“The mandate to rule that has been entrusted to us by the people is to repair what has been broken and right what has been wronged in the country.

“We need to ask ourselves, if we will continue to be given the people’s mandate if we continue to fight among ourselves. Without realising, because of our infighting, we end up losing power.”

All Pakatan Harapan leaders must  be conscious of the question  Mahathir posed to  all Pakatan Harapan parties – if we were to lose power, we will be measured by how much we have achieved in fulfilling the responsibilities and trust given to us!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, 20th July 2019)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 20 July 2019, 12:56 pm and is filed under
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July Parliament made great  strides in institutional reforms but the pace is still too slow and unsatisfactory and more should be attempted in next Parliamentary meeting beginning in Octobert in keeping with the  New Malaysia pledge of Pakatan Harapan

The July meeting of Parliament which ended on Thursday made great strides in institutional reforms – starting with the motion requiring Members of Parliament to publicly declare their assets, followed by  the historic constitutional amendment to lower the voting age from 21 years to 18 years (which to me is a 48-year dream come true as I had first raised this subject in Parliament in 1971) and ending with the first reading of the long-awaited Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill giving the civil society three months for public feedback and consultation.

A day after the ending of the 12-day meeting of July meeting on July 18,  the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad announced  after a meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption that the Freedom of Information Act will be drawn up to replace the Official Secrets Act 1972 and that major public service appointments like the chairmen and members of the Election Commission, Judicial Appointments Commission and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) as well as the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will be referred to the parliamentary select committee.

These are impressive institutional reforms which were never attempted by the Barisan Nasional administration before but the pace of institutional reform is still too slow and unsatisfactory and more should be attempted in the next Parliamentary meeting which will meet for 36 days from October 7 to December 5, 2019.

The international weekly, the Economist, in its latest edition, carried an editorial
“Malaysia’s government should scrap repressive laws while it still can – Time to bury the tools of oppression”
stressed that no reform is more important than restoring civil liberties.

Referring to the panoply of repressive laws in the country, the Economist leader said:
 “Happily, Malaysia is currently run by a coalition that is not inclined to use these sweeping powers.”

It said:
“To be fair, when it comes to civil liberties, PH is streets ahead of UMNO.”

But it also warned that
 “If PH does not get the economy going, it may wind up in opposition for a few years; if it does not refurbish Malaysia’s democracy, it may be out of office for a generation.”

Coincidentally, former Malaysian ambassador Dennis Ignatius also wrote of a “growing sense that this government – born out of a deep yearning for change – is slowly drifting back to politics as usual”.

He wrote:

“Increasingly, there’s a sense that the reform agenda – which once so excited the nation and inspired thousands of ordinary citizens, some from abroad, to activism in support of PH – has stalled. And it has stalled because of a lack of political will, incompetence and infighting.”

He asked:
“How long are they going to keep pleading for more time or blaming recalcitrant civil servants or the so-called ‘deep state’ for their own failure to carry through on some of these reforms or fulfil their own promises?”

These are salutary and welcome reminders that while it is utopian to believe that six decades of abuses of power, corruption and injustices could all be undone in a year or  two, it is legitimate and understandable for Malaysians to expect a greater urgency and faster pace in institutional reforms and that the Pakatan Harapan government must convince Malaysians that it is fully committed and is on tract to achieve the goals of a New Malaysia, transforming the country into a top world-class nation respected by the international community for our unity, excellence, freedom, justice and integrity.

A battle for the soul of Malaysia is now taking place, whether for or against the objectives of a New Malaysia.  The proponents of klepto-theocracy, with their  arsenal of lies, falsehoods, hate and fear, pitting race against race and religion against religion, who want to foster a divided and broken Malaysia,  are the real enemies of the mission and dream of a New Malaysia.

Malaysia in post-14th General Election is facing the most toxic and vicious politicking in the nation’s history.

There is a dangerous tendency of late, where politics had been contaminated by the vicious and toxic politics of lies, fear, hate, race and religion, where instead of building tolerance, trust and confidence among the diverse races, religions, languages and cultures that meet in confluence in Malaysia, there is an insidious attempt to breed suspicion, distrust and hatred among the diverse races, religions, languages and cultures so as to poison the well of Malaysian nation-building

I myself had been the most demonized character in Malaysia for the past half a century.

I have been accused of being Chinese, Christian and Communist. I was even  accused of being a relative of Chin Peng; responsible for the May 13, 1969 riots, leading the street demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur shouting anti-Malay and anti-Islam slogans although I was never in Kuala Lumpur after the May 10, 1969 General Election; painted as quite a devil, a puaka, even jembalang; that I am anti-Malay, anti-Islam and at various times even anti-Indian, anti-Chinese educated Chinese , anti-English-educated Chinese; an agent of KGB, CIA, MI6 and even Australian Intelligence.

Yes I am a Chinese but more than anything else, I am a Malaysian. I am not a Christian nor am I a Communist, or we must have the most incompetent Special Branch in the world as to unable to identify a Communist in Parliament for the past four decades when  in actual fact,  the Malaysian Special Branch is acknowledged as among the best in the world.

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

In the Malay social media, I am painted as the arch-villain and the greatest threat to  the Malays and Islam, while in the Chinese social media, I am painted as utterly unprincipled and opportunistic who had sold out  the rights and interests of the Chinese community and am prepared to be a “lap dog” of the Malay leaders in Pakatan Harapan government.

How one person can perform so many contradictory roles, I do not know – but this is the stuff of the most toxic and vicious politicking in the nation’s history in post-14th General Election.

I have often been asked what is the difference between DAP as part of Pakatan Harapan government today and DAP in the first four decades of our Opposition days.

There is one major difference. In the first four decades of our Opposition beginning, we needed only to think of the interests of the DAP. Today, we must think of the interests and success of the Pakatan Harapan Government which comprised four political parties and  of which we are part.

We cannot be as outspoken and articulate as in the first four decades of DAP history, when we are in the Opposition. Now that we are part of a coalition government, we must use internal channels to try to resolve our differences.

This means that our we may not agree with how certain issues are being handled, like the Teoh Beng Hock  or Pastor Koh and Amri Che Mat cases, but we have to use internal channels to articulate our viewpoints.

What is vital and important is that we must never forgo our principles and objectives to reset nation-building policies to build a New Malaysia.

I shudder to think of what Malaysia would be like today and in the coming decades if on May 9, 2018, we had not succeeded in Saving Malaysia, effected a peaceful and democratic transition of power and Datuk Seri Najib Razak had continued as Prime Minister.

We would not only have 1MDB global scandal, we would have 2MDB, 3MDB and 4MDB scandals to become a Super Global Kleptocracy.

As the latest issue of the Edge has put it, “Don’t throw away the dividends from May 9, 2018”!

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the DAP Gelang Patah dinner in Skudai on Saturday, 20th July 2019 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 21 July 2019, 4:10 pm and is filed under
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Thanks to  Zahid for latest  proof of the toxic politics of lies, falsehoods, race and religion to incite fear, suspicion, distrust and hatred  among Malaysians in the  script of klepto-theocracy, even resorting to  the most stupidest of lies and falsehoods

I thank the UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi for providing the latest  proof of the toxic politics of lies, falsehoods, race and religion to incite fear, suspicion, distrust  and hatred among Malaysians in the script of klepto-theocracy, even resorting to the most stupidest of lies and falsehoods.

I must confess that I was taken aback by Zahid’s rejoinder to Bersatu Chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s claim that UMNO practised a culture of becoming “dumb and dumber”, with Zahid’s assertion that Mahathir was being “fooled”: by the DAP.

Was Zahid suggesting that Mahathir was obeying a DAP directive when addressing 1,215 delegates of Bersatu’s Extraordinary Gneeral Meeting on Saturday, when Mahathir   advised Bersatu to avoid being caught in a cycle of self-serving leaders who will prevent others with more capability to rise and succeed them as happened to UMNOI?

Was  Zahid saying that Mahathir’s reason for UMNO’s eventual downfall when the people moved to reject self-serving leaders was the invention and creation of DAP, and that Mahathir did not have the IQ to think and analyse things on his own?

Mahathir had said:
“In order to preserve his position, an Umno branch chief is not keen to allow others who are more capable to be members. The only ones who can join are those dumber than him.

“But one cannot live forever, so when this branch leader passes away, his successor will be even more stupid, until eventually the branch becomes a dumb branch.”

Was  Zahid saying that Mahathir was only parroting what DAP had told him about UMNO branches becoming “dumb and dumber”?

It is not my practice to respond to the lies and falsehoods which irresponsible and opportunistic proponents of klepto-theocracy have poured out against me, but I want in this instance to clarify that I have no knowledge whatsoever that UMNO leaders have become “dumb and dumber” over the years, and I concede that Mahathir have  greater knowledge on this matter as he had been UMNO President for 21 years.

In fact, Mahathir has admitted that the rot had started since the time he helmed UMNO as its President, and sad to say, the best example of this process of the rot in the calibre of UMNO leadership is none other than Zahid himself, who could even say such a stupid thing as to attribute to DAP the origin  of the analysis that UMNO leaders are becoming “dumb and dumber”.

As if to immortalise his position as the “dumb and dumbest” UMNO President in 73 years, Zahid has put these words in his FaceBook about Mahathir: “Elok sekiranya berpisah kongsi dengan DAP. Parti itu menjadikan PH sebagai boneka mereka. Saya kira eloklah beliau bermuhasabah & berusaha berhenti daripada diperbodohkan oleh DAP dlm Pakatannya sendiri.”

Zahid is providing a living example of UMNO  leaders being “dumb and dumber” and unable to be wise in evaluating, patient and loyal in the political struggle.

Otherwise, how could the UMNO  leaders allow Zahid to return from garden leave to resume the mantle of UMNO President, when he has made history in the Malaysian courthouse with a total of 87 criminal charges related to corruption?

Zahid has even beaten the former UMNO President and former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who faced 42 criminal charges, and is singly responsible for bringing to Malaysia to the infamy, ignominy and iniquity of a global kleptocracy.

Zahid also  beat the former Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman who faced 51 charges and the former “First Lady” Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor with 20 criminal charges.

Zahid appears to be  in good company as Najib is newly appointed as Adviser of  Barisan Nasional, and nobody can say whether it is Zahid or “Bossku” who has the final say about the direction of Barisan Nasional and klepto-theocracy.

Has  Zahid forgotten  what he said when he announced taking garden  leave as UMNO President seven months ago?

Zahid had referred to “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 was as unclean as the faeces of animals deemed haram”.

Were these UMNO  indignities and humiliations a vindication of what Mahathir said about UMNO branch leaders become “dumb and dumber” or was Zahid parroting what DAP was telling him  – as if  DAP is not only directing Mahathir but also directing Zahid as the grand puppet-master in Malaysia?

In actual fact, whether UMNO Branch chiefs are  getting “dumb and dumber” is no business of DAP and not within my ken.

But can Zahid explain why he is dragging  DAP into  the picture in this debate with  Mahathir?

Is this because  UMNO leaders have become “dumb and dumber” over the years?

The best evidence that UMNO leaders are getting “dumb  and dumber” over the years is their continued silence – even now –  on the 1MDB scandal –  when the whole world had been condemning Malaysia for becoming a global kleptocracy as a result of the 1MDB scandal!

Would a leadership that is not becoming “dumb and dumber” showed no sense of remorse or contrition for the global kleptocracy of the 1MDB scandal, especially after the United States Department of Justice had filed a 250-page large kleptocratic forfeiture litigation for US$1.7 billion of over US$4.5 billion of 1MDB-linked assets?

Mahathir had led the campaign against Najib’s 1MDB scandal. Nobody would suggest that   the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein, would have  kept quiet over the 1MDB scandal?

Is this another  sign that UMNO leaders have become “dumb and dumber” over the decades?

Another test whether UMNO leaders have become “dumb and dumber” is whether UMNO leaders in the first six decades of its history would have agreed to promote klepto-theocracy, which has  no respect for facts or truth, and where “Malu Apa BOSSku” is the very symbol of a campaign which has lost the  sense of right and  wrong and totally bereft of  moral values as to able unable to feel any  shame for “kleptocracy at its worst” 1MDB scandal?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Monday, 22nd July 2019)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 22 July 2019, 10:14 am and is filed under
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Call on AG Tommy Thomas to call up the papers to drop the prosecution’s cross-appeal to reinstate Haris Ibrahim’s jail sentence on his  sedition  conviction  so that Haris will not become  become a second  Wan Ji

The Attorney-General Tommy Thomas should call up the papers and drop the prosecution’s cross-appeal to reinstate a jail sentence against Haris Ibrahim to ensure that Haris will not become a second Wan Ji.

Pakatan Harapan had made a specific Promise 27 in the 14th General Election to revoke the Sedition Act 1948 among other oppressive laws, and unless and until this promise is fulfilled by legislation in Parliament, the Attorney-General should review all sedition cases pending before the courts.

Haris’ appeal to quash a Kuala Lumpur High Court ruling which substituted Haris’ eight-month jail sentence for sedition with a RM4,000 fine is set for hearing by the Court of Appeal on August 26.

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, 23rd July 2019)

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Opposition of asset declaration motion in Senate yesterday was another display of the opportunistic, irresponsible and unprincipled politics of klepto-theocracy against the realisation a New Malaysia of unity, excellence, justice, freedom and integrity

Yesterday, the Senate followed a similar move by Dewan Rakyat and passed the motion compelling members of the Upper House to declare their assets, with 34 Senators in support and 23 Senators who voted against it.

It was another display of the opportunistic, irresponsible and unprincipled politics of klepto-theocracy against the realisation of a New Malaysia of unity, excellence, justice, freedom  and integrity pledged by the Pakatan Harapan government.

The advocates of klepto-theocracy want the nation to return to the past trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state and they are doing their utmost to achieve this objective by breeding suspicion, distrust and hatred among the races and religions instead of building tolerance, trust and confidence among the diverse people in Malaysia.

All the UMNO, PAS, MCA and MIC Senators acted as one unit to vote against the motion in Senate yesterday  and Malaysians were given another opportunity to see  the extent the

proponents of  klepto-theocracy are prepared to go to ensure that Malaysia does not take the path to become a clean and incorruptible Malaysia with zero tolerance for corruption.

I would have thought that after more than 14 months after being surprisingly rejected by the Malaysian voters in the 14th General Election, these elements would be doing their utmost be dissociate themselves from the kleptocratic past of the 1MDB scandal and demonstrate that they are for a clean and incorrupt government.

But the reverse seems to be taking place. They have not only shown no remorse or contrition for their past support, whether by acts of commission or  omission, for the past kleptocratic government, they seem to be gloating about their past leading to their disgraceful rejection yesterday of the Senate motion for Members of Parliament to declare their assets.

Back in September 2018, the proponents of klepto-theocracy in the Senate tasted its first fruits of victory, when it voted out the repeal of the Anti-Fake News Act which had earlier been enacted by the  kleptocratic administration of Datuk Seri Najib Razak to stifle criticism and dissent.

Until the Barisan Nasional was thrown out of Putrajaya on May 9 last year, the 1MDB was “fake news” although it consistently made international headlines for the past few years.

In January 2017, I typed “1MDB” into the Google search engine, and I got 255,000 search results in 0.42 seconds.  I just typed “1MDB” into the Google search engine, and I got 6.62 million results in 0.34 seconds!

That is “fake news” for the advocates of klepto-theocracy!

How long are these advocates of klepto-theocracy going to hold out in the Senate to block the forces for change and integrity?

They were hoping that the Pakatan Harapan Federal Government will crumble and collapse in a matter of a few months, as then the forces of klepto-theocracy can hold their position in the Senate.

But some of them have awakened up from their illusion and are accepting that the Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya will not only serve its full term, but could win the 15th General Election whether in 2022 or 2023.

The  numbers of the proponents of klepto-theocracy in the Senate  can only diminish with the passage of time and it will not be long  when they become an irrelevant minority!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, 23rd July 2019)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 23 July 2019, 12:46 pm and is filed under
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Klepto-theocracy is a political doctrine in Malaysia  which misuses Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehoods

I have been asked what is the meaning of this term “klepto-theocracy” which I been using for the past week.

In a nutshell, klepto-theocracy is a political doctrine in Malaysia which misuses Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehoods.

A most recent example of this new political hypocrisy is about the declaration of assets, with the  PAS, UMNO, MCA and MIC MPs in both Houses of Parliament opposing the motion requiring MPs to publicly declare their assets.

The PAS President said declaring assets is a communist, socialist concept that may have been dreamt up by DAP while the PAS Deputy President said it was  unIslamic to declare assets, until it was pointed out that the latter  had in 2015 dared the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to declare his assets!

The misuse of Islam to support kleptocracy was best illustrated over the ICERD issue.

The  PAS President had never answered my question as to what he really meant when he said that all Muslims must oppose the ratification of the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) when the Covenant had been ratified by countries representing 99% of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world, including countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, UAB, Algeria, Pakistan, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Out of the 57 countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) States, 55  have ratified ICERD, except for Malaysia and Brunei.

Was there a suggestion that somehow the 99% the world’s 1.9 billion Muslims, who live in 55 of the 57 OIC countries, have been misled and are not true Muslims?

If ratification of ICERD means condemnation of the Muslims to a life of injustice and oppression, why had  48 of 50 countries where Muslims make up a majority of the population  ratified ICERD?

The PAS President is the Vice President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.  Had he ever called on 55 of the 57 OIC countries to repudiate their ratification of ICERD, which condemned Muslims in  these countries to a life of injustices and oppression,   and if not,  why not?

But the most reprehensible instance of the misuse of Islam for the cause of klepto-theocracy is the support given to Najib for his 1MDB kleptocracy and his “Malu Apa BOSS-ku” campaign.

This is why the poem, “
An Evil Stalking the Land
”, I had said:

“But klepto-theocracy has come as a new evil stalking the land

“Block the reset of nation-building policies

“Sow distrust and hatred among Malaysians

“Pit race against race, religion against religion.”

It is noteworthy that Muslim preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin believed that it was his criticisms against a political party for misusing Islam for political ends  that led to a standoff at a mosque in Malacca  where he was preaching.

He said he had criticised the leadership of this political party abusing Islam for political ends and they were unable to answer his criticisms.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, 24th July 2019)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 24 July 2019, 5:23 pm and is filed under
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Thanks again to Zahid for latest proof of  the meaning of “klepto-theocracy” – the political alliance based on misuse of Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehoods

I must thank the UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi for the latest proof of the meaning of “klepto-theocracy” – the political alliance based on misuse of Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehoods.

After the UMNO Supreme Council meeting yesterday, Zahid said that UMNO will not “open the door” of negotiation and co-operation with any party that has a relationship with DAP.

He said:
 “There will be no negotiation any party in the Pakatan Harapan coalition as long as they share the power with DAP.”

The question Zahid should ask is who will co-operate with a party which is headed by a President who is making history in having a total of 87 criminal charges related to corruption?

Or the further question, who will co-operate with a political coalition whose advisor was the person who had brought infamy, ignominy and iniquity to Malaysia because of the international 1MDB scandal, condemned   in an international conference by the US Attorney-General  as “kleptocracy at its worst”  and who is on trial for 42 criminal charges relating to corruption, abuse of power and money-laundering?

The answer is a simple and straightforward  – only the advocates of kleptocracy and klepto-theocracy!

It is only the advocates of kleptocracy and klepto-theocracy who will swoon at the popularity of a global kleptocrat’s “Malu Apa BOSS-ku” campaign and believe that this is the recipe for victory in the 15th General Election.

It was only early this week that Zahid had provided the latest proof of the toxic politics of lies, falsehoods, race and religion to incite fear, suspicion, distrust and hatred among Malaysians in the script of klepto-theocracy, even resorting to the most stupidest of lies and falsehoods.

This was  Zahid’s rejoinder to Bersatu Chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s claim that UMNO practised a culture of becoming “dumb and dumber”, with Zahid making the most ludicrous insinuation  that Mahathir was obeying a DAP directive when the Prime Minister advised Bersatu extraordinary general meeting to avoid being caught in a cycle of self-serving leaders who will prevent others with more capability to rise and succeed them as happened to UMNOI?

I will like to know how many in UMNO, PAS, MCA and MIC believe in such garbage?

Dare they identity themselves?

Instead of countering Mahathir’s statement that UMNO leaders were becoming “dumb and dumber”, Zahid’s reply only confirmed Mahathir’s analysis.

It is  significant that Zahid had not answered my question on Monday.

I had referred  to Zahid’s  reasons  when he announced taking garden leave as UMNO President seven months ago, when he had referred to “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 was as unclean as the faeces of animals deemed haram”.

I had asked Zahid whether these UMNO indignities and humiliations  were a vindication of what Mahathir said about UMNO branch leaders become “dumb and dumber”?

I had also asked why Zahid must drag DAP into the picture, as whether UMNO Branch chiefs are getting “dumb and dumber” was no business of DAP and not within my ken – as he is again doing yesterday when announcing the klepto-theocracy political alliance in Malaysia.

I had contended that the best evidence that UMNO leaders were getting “dumb and dumber” over the years is their continued silence – even now – on the 1MDB scandal – when the whole world had been condemning Malaysia for becoming a global kleptocracy as a result of the 1MDB scandal!

Will Zahid now  take a stand to denounce the 1MDB  scandal or he is prepared to sink or swim with the 1MDB scandal?

Would a leadership that is not becoming “dumb and dumber” showed no sense of remorse or contrition for the global kleptocracy of the 1MDB scandal, especially after the United States Department of Justice had filed a 250-page largest kleptocratic forfeiture litigation for US$1.7 billion of over US$4.5 billion of 1MDB-linked assets?

There are examples galore about the political hypocrisy of klepto-theocracy, which has arisen after the 14th General Election to win the hearts and minds of Malaysians.

A most recent example of this new political hypocrisy is about the declaration of assets, with the  PAS, UMNO, MCA and MIC MPs in both Houses of Parliament opposing the motion requiring MPs to publicly declare their assets.

The PAS President said declaring assets is a communist, socialist concept that may have been dreamt up by DAP while the PAS Deputy President said it was  unIslamic to declare assets, until it was pointed out that the latter  had in 2015 dared the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to declare his assets!

The misuse of Islam to support kleptocracy was best illustrated over the ICERD issue.

The  PAS President had never answered my question as to what he really meant when he said that all Muslims must oppose the ratification of the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) when the Covenant had been ratified by countries representing 99% of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world, including countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, UAB, Algeria, Pakistan, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Out of the 57 countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) States, 55  have ratified ICERD, except for Malaysia and Brunei.

Was there a suggestion that somehow the 99% the world’s 1.9 billion Muslims, who live in 55 of the 57 OIC countries, had been misled and are not true Muslims?

If ratification of ICERD means condemnation of the Muslims to a life of injustice and oppression, why had  48 of 50 countries where Muslims make up a majority of the population  ratified ICERD?

The PAS President is the Vice President of the International Union of Muslim

Scholars.  Had he ever called on 55 of the 57 OIC countries to repudiate their ratification of ICERD, which condemned Muslims in  these countries to a life of injustices and oppression,   and if not,  why not?

But the most reprehensible instance of the misuse of Islam for the cause of klepto-theocracy is the support given to Najib for his 1MDB kleptocracy and his “Malu Apa BOSS-ku” campaign.

This is why in  the poem,
 “An Evil Stalking the Land”,
 I had said:

“But klepto-theocracy has come as a new evil stalking the land

“Block the reset of nation-building policies

“Sow distrust and hatred among Malaysians

“Pit race against race, religion against religion.”

Malaysians must Save Malaysia a second time in the 15th General Election.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Thursday, 25th  July 2019)

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444 days after the historic change of government of May 9, 2018, it is time for a major review of Pakatan Harapan promise of a New Malaysia and 14GE Pakatan Harapan Manifesto

444 hari sejak pertukaran kerajaan bersejarah 9 Mei 2018, tiba masanya untuk menilai semula janji Malaysia Baharu Pakatan Harapan dan Manifesto PRU14 Pakatan Harapan

Rakyat Malaysia, termasuklah pemimpin Pakatan Harapan haruslah menyedari dan mengakui kekecewaan sejumlah besar penyokong PH yang telah mengundi untuk perubahan di dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-14 pada 9 Mei yang lepas, yang kini merasakan kerajaan Pakatan Harapan kini telah kembali mengikut jejak langkah kerajaan Barisan Nasional yang kita tumbangkan.

Saya percaya yang mereka sebenarnya silap, tetapi pada masa yang sama, kita mestilah boleh menyampaikan mesej dan meyakinkan mereka yang kekecewaan mereka ini adalah satu kesilapan dan kerajaan Pakatan Harapan sentiasa komited dalam memperbetulkan hala tuju negara ke arah suatu Malaysia yang baharu.

Majalah The Economist, dalam edisinya yang bertarikh 18 Disember 2018, menamakan Malaysia bersama dengan Ethiopia dan Armenia sebagai tiga negara tersenarai pendek sebagai “negara yang menerima tepukan” — kerana rakyat Malaysia yang “telah memecat Perdana Menteri yang tidak dapat menjelaskan kenapa terdapatnya USD700 juta di dalam akaun banknya”.

Namun begitu, edisi terkini majalah tersebut menzahirkan kekecewaannya terhadap apa yang dilihatnya sebagai kelambatan pelaksanaan reformasi dan berkata: “Jika PH tidak berjaya membangkitkan ekonomi negara, mereka mungkin akan melihat diri mereka menjadi pembangkang semula; dan jika mereka tidak memperbaiki demokrasi Malaysia, mereka mungkin akan menjadi pembangkang untuk bergenerasi lamanya.”

Malaysia kini berada di satu persimpangan, untuk mara kehadapan sebagai sebuah negara bertaraf dunia dengan polisi pembangunan negara yang inklusif yang memanfaatkan kepelbagaian budaya, kaum, agama, dan bahasa ataupun untuk mundur ke belakang, menjadi sebuah negara kleptokratik yang obses dengan politik perkauman dan agama yang memecah-belahkan perpaduan negara.

Marilah kita renung kembali pencapaian PH dalam 14 bulan yang lepas ini yang boleh dikatakan satu permulaan yang baik. Di mana PH telah membuat beberapa pelantikan yang teramat penting untuk menjayakan reformasi institusi, politik, dan demokrasi Malaysia Baharu, yang antaranya termasuklah:

– Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat sebagai Ketua Hakim Negara, menggantikan Richard Malanjum yang telah bersara pada 2 April

– Datuk Mohamad Ariff bin Md Yusof sebagai Speaker Dewan Rakyat

– Tommy Thomas sebagai Peguam Negara

– Azhar Azizan Harun ataupun yang lebih dikenali sebagai Art Harun sebagai Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya dan Dr Azmi Sharom sebagai Timbalan Pengerusi SPR

– Hamid Bador sebagai Ketua Polis Negara

– Datuk Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus sebagai Gabenor Bank Negara Malaysia

– Zulkifli Zainal Abdin sebagai Ketua Angkatan Tentera

– Ismail Bakar sebagai Ketua Setiausaha Negara

– Syed Zaid Albar sebagai Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Sekuriti

– Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid sebagai Auditor-General

– Tan Sri Abdul Kassim Ahmad sebagai Ketua Pengarah GIACC

– Latheefa Koya sebagai Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM, menggantikan Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull

PH juga telah berjaya meminda perlembagaan persekutuan untuk merendahkan had umur mengundi daripada 21 tahun kepada 18 tahun walaupun usul pindaan perlembagaan untuk memulihkan taraf Sabah dan Sarawak telah gagal kerana ketiadaan sokongan dua pertiga Dewan Rakyat.

RUU IPCMC yang telah lama dinantikan juga telah dibentangkan untuk bacaan kali pertama pada sesi Parlimen yang lepas, memberikan masa selama tiga bulan kepada persatuan awam untuk memberikan maklumbalas dan pendapat mereka.

Kita boleh berdebat sama ada lebih banyak reformasi boleh dijalankan.

444 hari sejak pertukaran kerajaan yang bersejarah ini, kini masanya untuk Pakatan Harapan menilai semula manifesto dan janji-janji PH dalam PRU14 yang lepas.

Berikan PH ruang untuk berterus-terang dengan rakyat Malaysia dan mengakui, kalau ada, yang sesetengah janji yang dibuat itu adalah hampir mustahil untuk dilaksanakan dan saya percaya rakyat Malaysia akan menghargai usaha ini daripada kita cuba untuk menyembunyikannya.

Marilah juga kita menilai dan menyemak kembali, mana-mana janji yang kita tidak berjaya tunaikan dalam masa 100 hari atau pun dalam tahun pertama dan kita yakinkan rakyat Malaysia yang kita kini berada dalam hala tuju yang tepat untuk membina Malaysia Baharu dan 5 tunggak utama yang dijanjikan dalam Manifesto PRU14 Pakatan Harapan masih lagi menjadi panduan polisi kita.

Lima tunggak utama ini adalah:

– Meringankan beban rakyat

– Reformasi institusi dan politik

– Menjana pembangunan yang mampan dan saksama

– Pemulihan taraf Sabah dan Sarawak seperti mana yang diperuntukan dalam Perjanjian Malaysia 1963, dan

– Mencipta satu Malaysia Baharu yang inklusif, moderat, dan dipandang tinggi di mata dunia.

Satu penilaian semula secara menyeluruh terhadap manifesto PH untuk menambah keyakinan rakyat bertambah penting dengan penurunan had umur mengundi daripada 21 tahun kepada 18 tahun — kerana untuk memenangi hati golongan muda, kita mestilah bersikap berterus-terang dengan mereka mengenai matlamat kita untuk suatu Malaysia dimana kemakmuran dikongsi bersama sambil menggalas sokongan mereka dengan idealisme dan visi kita.

(Ucapan Pembukaan oleh Timbalan Pengerusi Kaukus Reformasi dan Tadbir Urus Parlimen Lim Kit Siang di Simposium Ekonomi Malaysia “Ekonomi Malaysia: Kini dan Masa Hadapan” di Parlimen pada hari Jumaat 26 Julai 2019)

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

Malaysians, including Pakatan Harapan leaders, must recognise the disappointment and disillusionment of large segments of PH supporters who had voted for the historic change of government in the 14th General Election  on May 9 last year, who believed that the Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya had gone back to the bad old ways of the previous Barisan Nasional government.

They are wrong, but what is more important is that we must be able to communicate and convince them that their disappointment and disillusionment while understandable are completely misplaced and that Pakatan Harapan remains as committed as ever in resetting the nation-building process to build a New Malaysia and is making progress in this direction.

The Economist, in its edition dated Dec.18, 2018, named Malaysia together with Ethiopia and Armenia in the three-nation finals list in its “ovation country of the year 2018” – for Malaysian voters who
“fired a Prime Minister who could not adequately explain why there was US$700 million in his bank account”.

The latest edition of Economist, however, expressed its disappointment with the pace of reform and said:
“If PH does not get the economy going, it may wind up in opposition for a few years; if it does not refurbish Malaysia’s democracy, it may be out of office for a generation.”

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

Let us acknowledge that we have made a good start in the last 14 months to build a New Malaysia where Malaysia can become a top world-class nation in every field of human endeavour.

The PH had made several good and important appointments to pave the way for far-reaching institutional, political and democratic reforms for a New Malaysia, including:

· Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat as Chief Justice, taking over from Richard Malanjum who had retired on April 2,

· Datuk Mohamad Ariff bin Md Yusof as Speaker of Parliament;

· Tommy Thomas as Attorney-General;

· Azhar Azizan Harun or better known as Art Harun as Chairman and Dr. Azmi Sharon as Deputy Chairman of Election Commission;

· Hamid Bador as Inspector-General of Police;

· Datuk Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor.

· Zulkifli Zainal Abdin as Chief of Armed Forces;

· Ismail Bakar as Chief Secretary;

· Syed Zaid Albar as Security Commission Chairman;

· Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid as Auditor-General

· Tan Sri Abdul Kassim Ahmad as Director-General of National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption;

· Latheefa Koya as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner succeeding Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull.

The PH has amended the Constitution to lower the voting age from 21 years to 18 years although an amendment of the Constitution to fulfil the PH Manifesto pledge to restore powers to Sabah and Sarawak was defeated for lack of two-thirds parliamentary majority.

The long-awaited IPCMC Bill has been presented for first reading and the civil society given three months for public feedback and consultation.

We can argue whether more reforms could not be done.

444 days after the historic change of government of May 9, 2018, it is time for a major review of Pakatan Harapan promise of a New Malaysia and 14th General Election Pakatan Harapan Manifesto.

Let PH be frank with the people and admit where we have promised the impossible for I believe Malaysians will appreciate our frankness with their support and confidence largely intact.

Let us also identify the programmes and proposals which we cannot achieve in 100 days or in one year, provided we can convince our core supporters that the trajectory towards a New Malaysia is on track, and that the five pillar- promises towards the building of a New Malaysia, as contained in the 14GE Pakatan Harapan election manifesto remain our lodestar and guiding principle.

The five pillar-promises of a New Malaysia are:

· Reduce the people’s burden;

· Institutional and political reforms;

· Spur sustainable and equitable economic growth;

· Return Sabah and Sarawak to the status accorded in Malaysia Agreement 1963; and

· Create a Malaysia that is inclusive, moderate and respected globally.

A major review of the PH Manifesto to regain public confidence is all the more imperative and important with the lowering of the voting age from 21 years to 18 years – for to win them to our side, we must be frank with the young generation on the objective of a New Malaysia with shared prosperity, while gaining their support with our ideals and vision.

(Opening Remarks by Deputy Chairman of Parliamentary Caucus of Reform andf Governance Lim Kit Siang at the Malaysian Economic Symposium “Malaysian Economy: Present & Future” in Parliament on Friday, 26th July 2019 at 9 a.m)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 July 2019, 9:49 am and is filed under
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Is it possible to make Islamic civilisation great again  based on klepto-theocracy which misuses Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and supports thievery and corruption?

When I read the report of the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad  saying in Ankara on the need for Muslim countries like Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan to pool their resources to make Islamic civilisation great again, the question that immediately struck me was:

Is it possible to make Islamic civilisation great again based on klepto-theocracy which misuses Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and which supports thievery and corruption?

This thought was prompted by another report which I had read – the reply of the UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi to PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim which again confirmed Mahathir’s earlier remark about UMNO leaders becoming “dumb and dumber” over the years.

Zahid had earlier insinuated that Mahathir was  my stooge and was only doing my bidding. In his reply to Anwar, he insinuated that Anwar has become my stooge. This would mean I have two stooges – Mahathir and Anwar.

How “dumb and dumber” can an UMNO leader get?

Can Islamic civilisation become great again based on such klepto-theocracy, which only peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and  which supports thievery and corruption.

Malaysia should contribute to making Islamic civilisation great again, but surely this cannot be done through klepto-theocracy – but only by striving to become the best and achieving excellence  in every field of human endeavour.

In fact, Malaysia has the unique opportunity as the confluence of the great cultures, religions and civilisations in the world – Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western – to leverage on and synthesise the best from these cultures, religions and civilisations to build a great Malaysian civilisation as a signal contribution to the international community, apart from contributing to make Islamic, Chinese, Indian, Western civilisations great again.

Dare we dream such big dream for Malaysia – which includes transforming Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the world and a top world-class nation in as many fields of human endeavour as possible?

Why are Malaysians not “reaching for the stars” to achieve greatness for the nation instead of being locked in the sinister and destructive  pursuits of creating suspicion, distrust and  hatred by  pitting race against race, religion against religion, which  is the foremost  preoccupation of the advocates of klepto-theocracy?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Friday, 26th July 2019)

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Everyone of the 20 Senators who were absent in the Constitution Amendment Bill vote should explain absence, apologise for   being on French leave  without legitimate reason or should resign from the Senate

Everyone of the 20 Senators who were absent in the Constitution Amendment Bill vote on the historic lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 years on Thursday should explain his or her  absence, apologise for being on French leave without legitimate reason or should resign from the Senate.

The lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 years is probably the first important national contribution of the present batch of Senators, and those who had taken French leave without legitimate reason must apologise for their gross dereliction of duty or resign from the Senate.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, 27th July 2019)

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Proponents of klepto-theocracy  in  attack mode  with more lies and falsehoods as  accusing me of condemning  Muslims as  thieves and corrupt

Yesterday, while supporting the  idea  proposed by Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad  in Ankara that Muslim countries like Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan pool their resources to make Islamic civilisation great again, I made the point that it is not  possible to make Islamic civilisation great again based on klepto-theocracy – the political doctrine which misuses Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and which supports thievery and corruption.

This elicited an immediate attack by the proponents of klepto-theocracy, pouring out  more lies and falsehoods as   accusing me of condemning Muslims as thieves and being corrupt.

Only simpletons and the  retarded will believe in such garbage, for there are Muslims who are thieves and corrupt just as there are non-Muslims  who are thieves and corrupt.

A person becomes a thief or is corrupt not because of his religion but despite his religion  – in fact if he is a pious follower of Islam or the great religions of the world, the last thing he would do is to become a thief or corrupt – as  he had disregarded the basic  teachings of Islam and the great religions of the world to be good, pious, virtuous and God-fearing.

I support the idea of Malaysia contributing to the effort to make Islamic civilisation great again. In fact, I would go further, as I had  said:

“In fact, Malaysia has the unique opportunity as the confluence of the great cultures, religions and civilisations in the world – Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western – to leverage on and synthesise the best from these cultures, religions and civilisations to build a great Malaysian civilisation as a signal contribution to the international community, apart from contributing to make Islamic, Chinese, Indian, Western civilisations great again.”

Why have the proponents of klepto-theocracy launched a tirade against me for my statement yesterday?

Are they against the revival of a great Islamic civilisation?

Do they believe that the Malaysian population would become  “dumb and dumber” over the years as to believe in such political garbage peddled by their cybertroopers?

It is interesting to note that Pakistan has welcomed the idea of a Muslim renaissance with the co-operation of Pakistan, Turkey and Malaysia.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a tweet welcomed such a Muslim renaissance.

Qureshi also tweeted,
“I was privileged to be part of the Ministerial meeting of the three countries on the sidelines of OIC’s Makkah Summit.

“This important trilateral initiative will go a long way in fostering unity, cooperation and development across the Muslim world.”

Can  the  proponents of klepto-theocracy explain why they disagree that to  make Islamic civilisation great again, there must be no misuse of Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred or  support of thievery and corruption, but only by striving to become the best and achieving excellence in every field of human endeavour?

Do the proponents of klepto-theocracy  realise that to make the Islamic civilisation great again is not to  propose a clash of civilisations as it  is not antithetical to an era of golden age for  all civilisations – Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western!

Western Renaissance was born out of Islamic Renaissance.

The Islamic Golden Age was a period of cultural, economic and scientific flourishing in the history of Islam.

The memorable words of the Holy Prophet of Islam,
 “Go in quest of knowledge even unto the distant China”
, awakened a spirit of enquiry among the Arabs.

The great orientalist Philip K. Hitti, acknowledged the greatness of Arab culture in his History of the Arabs: –
  “Between the middle of the 8th and the beginning of the 13th centuries… the Arab speaking peoples were the main bearers of the torch of culture and civilization throughout the world. Moreover they were the medium through which ancient science and philosophy were recovered, supplemented and transmitted in such a way as to make possible the renaissance of western Europe.”

Are Malaysians prepared to stop misusing Islam and the other great religions to foster the revival of the Golden Age of Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western civilisation?

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, 27th July 2019)

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Support for severest action against person or  persons responsible  for Facebook post insulting Prophet Mohammad or any religion in the country to send the unmistakable message that racial and religious harmony are top priorities of Pakatan Harapan government

I support the severest action to be taken against person or persons responsible for any Facebook post or any social media posting insulting Prophet Mohammad or any religion in the country to send the unmistakable message that racial and religious harmony are top priorities of the Pakatan Harapan Government.

A recent Facebook post insulting Prophet Mohammad had resulted in the lodging of hundreds of police reports, and the Police together with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) are trying to track down the account owner by the name of Wendy Loong.

It would be even more reprehensible and deplorable if the Facebook post insulting Prophet Mohammad or any religion is the work of agent provocateurs to create political issues, and the guilty persons must be brought to book for undermining racial and religious harmony in the country.

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, 27th July 2019)

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Is UMNO under Zahid prepared to  declare that klepto-theocracy or the misuse of Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehood is totally against the Malaysian Dream to unite Malaysians to build a top world-class nation respected and admired by the world?

UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi has become a classic case of a political leader whose  statements frequently  boomerang on him, raising the question posed by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad about UMNO leaders becoming “dumb and dumber” over the years.

His latest and second smacking of PKR President, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim again had this boomerang effect on himself.

Zahid said UMNO rejects any offer to co-operate with Anwar as long as he is in “cahoots” with DAP.

Zahid may suffer from short memory.

It was only a week ago that Zahid insinuated that the Prime Minister and Bersatu President Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was a stooge of DAP in saying that UMNO practised a culture of becoming “dumb and dumber”.

I must be a Master Machiavelli to be pulling the strings on two stooges, Mahahthir and Anwar, and going by this logic, Zahid must refuse to  have anything to do with both of them.

However, PAS President, Haji Hadi Awang said yesterday that his party will work to keep Mahathir as Prime Minister for the full term, denying any handover of power to Anwar as agreed by the Pakatan Harapan consensus in January 2018.

There is a great contradiction here – it was only months ago when UMNO and PAS leaders were working on the assumption that the Pakatan Harapan coalition would disintegrate and implode within months, giving Hadi the hope to become Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister, which was the reason why Hadi  caused the collapse of Pakatan Rakyat in 2015  as DAP did  not agree with Hadi as Prime Minister-designate of Pakatan Rakyat.

What a political comedown – from expecting to kick “DAP stooge Mahathir” out as Prime Minister to “working to keep Mahathir for the full term”!

I must congratulate UMNO and PAS leaders for their inability to see the irony and contradiction they have trapped themselves, but that is another story.

I want to ask Zahid whether he will now obey the PAS President’s new line to work to keep Mahathir as Prime Minister for the full term?

I advise Zahid to heed the advice of the Yang di Pertuan Agong who said in an interview before his installation on Tuesday that he wants to see a Malaysia whose citizens are united and living in a peaceful, stable and harmonious country.

I fully support the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s hopes.

Would Zahid also support the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s aspirations?

If so, is UMNO under Zahid prepared to  declare that klepto-theocracy or the misuse of Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehood is totally against the Malaysian Dream to unite Malaysians to build a top world-class nation respected and admired by the world?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 28th July 2019)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 28 July 2019, 9:02 am and is filed under
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Tribute to DAP Veterans – New Scenarios and challenges  require fresh strategies but the political  principles and objective to build a top world-class Malaysian nation   remain the same

I want to pay tribute to DAP Veterans tonight.

Apart from me, the oldest DAP leader present tonight is the former DAP National Publicity Secretary and former MP for Seputeh Liew Ah Kim.

It took DAP 42 years of democratic political struggle to taste the first fruits of success and be a major part of the Penang State Government and part of Selangor and Perak (though for one year) state governments.

It required another 10 years (or 52 years after the DAP’s formation in 1966) before the DAP became part of the Malaysian Federal government coalition of Pakatan Harapan, retain our positions in the State Governments of Penang and Selangor, and a coalition partner in the state governments of Perak, Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johore and Sabah.

We have come a long way  in the past 53 years, contesting initially in the by-elections in Kampong Baru (Selangor)  Tampoi, Segamat Utara (Johore) and Serdang (Selangor) before contesting in the first national general election in 1969.

In the over  five decades of the DAP’s political struggle, many DAP leaders, cadres and activists have contributed their share of the “blood, sweat and tears” so that we are today part of the Federal Government and eight State Governments of Penang, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johore and Sabah.

We pay tribute to the veterans of DAP, without whom DAP and Malaysia  will not be what they are  today.

We have new political scenarios and challenges  which require fresh strategies but the political principles and objective of the DAP remain constant and unchanged – a Malaysia where every Malaysian, regardless of race, religion or region, can feel proud to be a citizen, with Malaysia recognised internationally as a top world-class nation.

From our very start in 1966, we are a political party not for the Chinese, Indians, Malays, Kadazans, Ibans, Orang Asli but for all Malaysians.

DAP veterans have still a role to play – to help the new generation of DAP leaders to overcome  the challenges of today so that Malaysians can have a better tomorrow.

One of our objectives in New Malaysia after winning federal power in Putrajaya on May 9, 2018 is to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the world.

By this, I mean Malaysia must be able to occupy the top 30 places in the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) instead of oscillating between No. 50 to No. 62 under the premiership of Datuk Seri Najib

Razak, and getting worse placing with increasing years.

Malaysia will not be able to improve on its TI CPI ranking as to be placed within the bracket of the first 30 nations by the 15th  general election in 2023,  but I expect annual improvements in both the TI ranking and score every year leading to the target of Malaysia in the  top 30 nations’ bracket hopefully by before the 16th General Election in  2028.

I may not be around to see Malaysia achieve this goal of Malaysia being ranked within the top 30 nations in TI CPI, but this is a goal worth struggling for and achieving.

I have been accused by the proponents of  klepto-theocracv that  I had accused all Muslims as corrupt.

How could this be, when in  the recent  2018 TI CPI, there are five Muslim countries which preceded Malaysia which was  ranked No. 61 – namely Brunei 31, Qatar 33, Oman 53, Jordan 58 and Saudi Arabia 59!

It is most unfortunate that after the 14th General Election of May 9, 2018, the advocates of “klepto-theocracy” have arisen to get Malaysians to use race and religious lens to see developments in the country, instead of using Malaysian spectacles and perspectives.

We must not allow the divisive and destructive doctrine of “klepto-theocracy” to succeed or Malaysia will forever remain a divided nation, with race pitted against race and religion against religion, trapped in  the trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state!

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the  DAP Veterans Club Dinner held at Kepala Batas, Penang on Saturday, 27th July 2019 at 9 pm)

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If Pakatan Harapan loses the 15th General Election, then its kaput for a New Malaysia as a top world-class nation as this  is a mission that will take a decade or two –  definitely more than one general election cycle

Tonight’s event is a historic event in Sarawak, even more so as we want it to achieve “history to history” to  mark Pakatan Harapan making history in the 14GE when we achieved federal power in Putrajaya  to making history in the 12GE in Sarawak to control Petrajaya and form the Sarawak State Government in the 12th Sarawak State General Election.

In the 12th Sarawak State General Election which must be held by mid-year of 2021, Pakatan Harapan must convince Sarawakian voters to join in the venture to create a New Sarawak in tandem with the Federal promise to build a New Malaysia.

Last Friday, at the Malaysian Economic Symposium in Parliament which was co-organised by the Parliamentary Caucus on Reform and Governance, the Backbenchers’ Club and the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, I said that 444 days after the historic peaceful and democratic change of government in Putrajaya on May 9, 2018 –  the first time in six decades – it is time for a major review of Pakatan Harapan Manifesto and  promise of a New Malaysia.

We have made the crucial and critical shift  in the 14th General Election from the trajectory of  a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state and headed in a new direction, resetting nation-building policies  to build  a New Malaysia of unity, excellence, justice, freedom and integrity to Malaysia to become a top world-class nation.

But there is no guarantee of success that we  can inexorably reach the goal of a New Malaysia, for this is work of a decade or two and we can always be hijacked and the nation-building direction diverted along the way.

There is no way that a New Malaysia  can be achieved by 2023 in one general election cycle.

I cannot overemphasise that the  mission for a New Malaysia can be blocked, diverted  or sabotaged before its accomplishment   For instance, if Pakatan Harapan loses the 15th General Election, then its kaput for New Malaysia and Malaysia as a top world-class nation.

What we are attempting is not a “revolution” where we can  chop the heads of those in the old regime and build a new administration with the “revolutionaries”.

This is not the way of democracy, where there is a clear distinction between the political leadership and the government administration, requiring the new government to bring along the old administration to effect the transition, reforms and changes in the country.

To use another  analogy, we are trying to scale  the mountain  of a New Malaysia, whether Mount Murud, the highest mountain in Sarawak, or Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Malaysia, or even Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, but we want to reach the top of the mountain of a New Malaysia, to become  a top world-class nation of unity, excellence, freedom, justice and integrity while the advocates of “klepto-theocracy” want Malaysia to  slide down the slippery slope to the ravine of a  failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.

Those opposed to a New Malaysia had earlier nursed illusions that the four-party coalition in Pakatan Harapan will disintegrate or implode in a matter of months, and when the first anniversary of the PH government passed without mishap, the time-span was increased to a half-term – but the latest indication  is that the these prophets of doom for Pakatan Harapan have come to accept that the Pakatan Harapan government is likely to serve its full term and the attention has shifted to  how  best to exploit the internal PH contradictions and divisions.

Malaysia will head back to a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state if the coalition of klepto-theocracy – which strives on the misuse of Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and which supports thievery and corruption – gains  the upper-hand in the Malaysian landscape.

We have made a good start in the last 14 months to build a New Malaysia where Malaysia can become a top world-class nation in every field of human endeavour but we must acknowledge widespread  disappointment and disillusionment of the people that nothing much has changed or  that more reforms could have been instituted.

Let us  be frank with the people and admit if  we have promised the impossible for I believe Malaysians will appreciate our frankness with their support and confidence largely intact.

I believe Malaysians want to share in the scaling of the mountain of a New Malaysia instead sliding down the slippery slope to the ravine of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.

I will give one example tonight. One of our objectives is to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the world.

By this, I mean Malaysia must be able to occupy the top 30 places in the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) instead of oscillating between No. 50 to No. 62 under the premiership of Datuk Seri Najib

Razak.

Malaysia will not be able to improve on its TI CPI ranking to within the first 30 nations by the next general election in 2023 but I  expect annual improvements in both the TI ranking and score every year leading to the target of Malaysia in the  top 30 bracket and hopefully by before the 16th General Election in 2028.

I may not be around to see Malaysia achieve this goal of Malaysia being ranked within the top 30 nations in TI CPI, but this is a goal worth struggling for and achieving – and will be a hallmark of the New Malaysia we want to build.

Malaysia is set for a sea-change in the battle against corruption under Pakatan Harapan government, which will be impossible under a government which had previously brought Malaysia to the international infamy, ignominy and iniquity of a global kleptocracy because of the international 1MDB scandal.

Our challenge is to invite the people to  continue to build a New Malaysia and a New Sarawak and to join us in this sacred mission scale the mountain of a New Malaysia and a New Sarawak – instead of ending up in the ravine of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic Sarawak and Malaysia.

Let us invite all Sarawakians and  Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, to join in this great venture to scale the mountain of a New Malaysia  and a New Sarawak of unity, justice, freedom, excellence  and integrity so that we do not fall back down the slippery slope to the ravine of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state and mortgage the future of generations to come.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the  Sarawak Pakatan Harapan Dinner in Kuching on Sunday, 28th  July 2019 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 29 July 2019, 10:08 am and is filed under
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Is Zahid nuts?

The  question everyone is asking after the UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s speech at the Ipoh Barat UMNO Division yesterday is: “Is Zahid nuts?”

Zahid was very macho and exclaimed  that UMNO’s opponents will have to cross the dead bodies of its party members if they want to try and dissolve the party.

In my 53 years in politics, which involved two imprisonment under the Internal Security Act, dragged to court for a variety of charges including under the Official Secrets Acts, and being the  victim of the worst and longest, and continuing,  demonization campaign against any politician in the nation’s history, the thought of the dissolution of UMNO had never crossed my mind.

In fact, the thought of dissolution of other political parties, like MCA, MIC and Gerakan, had never entered my mind.

If I had never entertained the thought of the dissolution of marginal  parties like MCA, MIC or Gerakan, why should I have thought about the dissolution of UMNO?

Why am I saying these things?

Very simple. Zahid and other proponents of klepto-theocracy had accused Mahathir of being my stooge and that I am the puppet-master.

Zahid said he had met Mahathir last year, who reportedly told him to dissolve Umno as it no longer represented the Umno that was.

Was Zahid’s account true?

If Zahid is right that Mahathir  is my stooge, I must protest when I next meet Mahathir and ask why he suggested UMNO’s dissolution when such a notion had never entered my mind!

But Zahid’s colourful language hides a very misleading reality, that the UMNO that he leads is a political party which the first four Presidents of UMNO, Datuk Onn Jaffar, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak  and Tun Hussein Onn would have found  totally unrecognisable.

Onn left UMNO on an issue of principle, when his call to UMNO to open its door to all races was rejected. Tunku Abdul Rahman sold his house in Penang to fund the running of UMNO. Tun Razak berated his children for wanting a swimming pool to be built at Seri Taman, the Prime Minister’s residence while Tun Hussein Onn is famed for his integrity and meticulousness.

It is completely unthinkable that anyone of these four Presidents of UMNO would have been hauled to court whether for 42 or 87 charges of corruption, abuses of power and money-laundering – and this fact alone shows that UMNO under Zahid is a very different UMNO under Onn, Tunku, Razak and Hussein..

Talk about crossing their dead bodies before any talk of dissolution – but where to find these “dead bodies” if the UMNO President, his immediate  predecessor  and other UMNO bigwigs are sharing cells  in Sungai Buloh Prison?

What is most meaningful is the fact that Zahid as the present UMNO President is not prepared to  declare that klepto-theocracy or the misuse of Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehood is totally against the Malaysian Dream to unite Malaysians to build a top world-class nation respected and admired by the world!

I do not think that apart from his immediate predecessor as UMNO President, all the past UMNO Presidents would have any qualm in condemning any misuse of Islam or religion to peddle lies, falsehoods, intolerance, bigotry and hatred as well as to support thievery and corruption.

This is the difference of UMNO today from that of UMNO yesterday.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 29th July 2019)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 29 July 2019, 2:24 pm and is filed under
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“Deep State” an important reason why institutional and political  reforms for a New Malaysia not as rapid as they should be

Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah has reiterated that the deep state in Malaysia is out to undermine the Pakatan Harapan government.

The “deep state” is in fact an important reason why institutional and political reforms for a New Malaysia are not as rapid as they should be.

The deep state will be even more assertive and obstructive if it is convinced that the Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya is a transient and temporary one and would, as had earlier been hoped for by UMNO leaders, implode and disintegrate in a matter of months – a time-span which is now expanded to a half-term though the consciousness seemed to have seeped in that the Pakatan Harapan government  will serve out its full term and may even win the next 15th General Election in 2023.

As I said at the Pakatan Harapan Sarawak dinner last Saturday,

“We have made the crucial and critical shift in GE14 from the trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state, and are heading in a new direction, resetting nation-building policies to build a New Malaysia of unity, excellence, justice, freedom and integrity.

“But there is no guarantee of success to reach the goal of a New Malaysia, for this is work of a decade or two, and we can always be hijacked and the nation-building direction diverted along the way.

“There is no way that a New Malaysia can be achieved by 2023 in one general election cycle. I cannot overemphasise that the mission for a New Malaysia can be blocked, diverted or sabotaged before its accomplishment.

“What we are attempting is not a ‘revolution’ where we can chop off the heads of those in the old regime and build a new administration with ‘revolutionaries’.

“This is not the way of democracy, where there is a clear distinction between the political leadership and the government administration, requiring the new government to bring along the old administration to effect the transition, reforms and changes in the country.”

The battle for the hearts and minds of the deep state can only be won if the deep state is convinced that the Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya  is stable, cohesive and committed to the five pillar-promises for a New Malaysia  as contained the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto in the 14th General Election, and that Pakiatan Harapan will  be the government for the next few general election cycles – that they can slow down but cannot stop the emergence of a New Malaysia.

Early this year, the perception spread that the Pakatan Harapan government is not a viable government because of three by-election victories by the proponents of “klepto-theocracy”, but this misleading perception was pulverised by the historic landslide victory of Pakatan-Warisan in the Sandakan parliamentary by-election in May this year.

This is a lesson for the deep state, for it  must accept that the aspirations for a New Malaysia is the aspiration of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, and that the will of the people in a democratic Malaysia must prevail.

In my speech in Kuching, I had spoken of the Pakatan Harapan’s objectives to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the world – and my hope that Malaysia will improve every year in both the ranking and score of  the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI)  until it occupies the top bracket of the 30 leading nations in integrity  instead of oscillating between 50th and 62nd  ranking of the TI CPI  under the premiership of Najib Abdul Razak.

In Ipoh  this May, the  Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there were some people, including civil servants, who wanted to oust the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government because of its efforts to combat corruption and who felt that the PH government was not as good as the previous administration because it rejected the immoral activity.

Mahathir said:
“There are some who feel that the government is not as good as the previous one because this government does not allow bribes.

“There are some who feel this government should not continue but (the country) should go back to a corrupt government which benefits them.”

Mahathir said when the leaders and government elected by the people in the general election were corrupt, many parties would become victims, including future generations.

At the same time, all the government’s plans to develop and build the nation to once-again become an “Asian Tiger” would not be realised.

Mahathir said:
“We realise that the previous government was toppled because of corruption, even though they felt that bribery would get them the support of the people, but in the end, the people overthrew them even though they were offered all sorts of bribes.”

We want a deep state to support the emergence  of a New Malaysia instead of one seeking to block and defeat institutional, political and governance reforms without which they could be no New Malaysia.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Pantai Remis on Tuesday, July 30, 2019)

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IGP’s assurance that police “doubling efforts” to find Indira’s daughter  long overdue as this case  is major blot on police professionalism

The assurance of the Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador that the police are “doubling efforts” to find Indira Gandhi’s daughter Prasana Diksa is long overdue as this case is a major blot on police professionalism.

Hamid said he was taking a personal interest in the case and hopes for “a happy ending.”

He said:
 “I can assure Malaysians that I am taking a personal interest in this. I want a happy ending to this episode.

“It’s very sad and touches the hearts of Malaysians. We are talking about a mother (separated) from her daughter.

“I have asked my men to double their effort. The team is working on something, but I cannot reveal what.”

Indira’s ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah took Prasana when she was just 11 months old, and unilaterally converted all his three children to Islam in 2009.

A lengthy legal battle between Riduan and Indira ensued, involving both the syariah and civil courts.

Indira’s two eldest children now live with her, but the whereabouts of Prasana and her father remain unknown.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, 30th July 2019)

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Economic performance of Pakatan Harapan government in past year not doing too badly despite the prophets of gloom and doom as well as  legacy problems of past administration

Despite the picture of gloom and doom painted by the advocates of  klepto-theocracy as well as the legacy problems of the last administration, the economic performance of the Pakatan Harapan government in the past year had not been doing too badly.

The latest  OECD 2019  Economic Survey of Malaysia released last week has this to say about the Malaysian economy:

“Malaysia’s economy is doing well, but social and governance challenges must be addressed.

“The new government prioritises inclusive growth and improving trust in public institutions.

“Further progress towards the planned target of high-income country status by 2024 will also require focusing on productivity growth with structural reforms to move up the value chain and improve skills.

“Ensuring environmental protection will improve the quality of growth.”

It forecasts growth is set to moderate in the near term, mainly due to slowing global trade.

It said:

“The rising cost of living has been a source of concern for large segments of the population.

“Progress could be made by providing a more targeted support, boosting entrepreneurship, improving productivity and employability among the low-income households.

“Fiscal policy needs reform. Building up fiscal space and ensuring medium-term sustainability will require increasing the low level of tax revenue.

“Improving budget process transparency and strengthening public debt management are key to fiscal accountability.

“Human capital development is needed to boost productivity and promote inclusive growth. Labour market imbalances hinder productivity and make it more difficult to climb up the value chain.

“Investment in education and training would help under-qualified workers. Policies to stimulate the demand for high-level skills would support those who are over-qualified.”

The Edelsmann Trust Global Barometer recently reported  that public confidence in the government had risen to 60 in 2019 from 46 in 2018, he said.

The Asian Corporate Governance Association also put Malaysia’s position in the Corporate Governance Watch as rising three rungs from seventh place in 2016 to fourth place in 2018.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, meanwhile, reported that the 2019 Democratic Index had improved from 59 (2018) to 52, while the 2019 Media Freedom Index placed Malaysia on the first rung among South-East Asian countries being on 123rd rung out of 145 nations in the world, he said.

In  the World Bank ease of doing business, Malaysia’s position had risen nine rungs from 24th in 2018 to 15th in 2019.

Despite these improved public perception on the seriousness of the government in tackling problems on corruption, integrity and governance, Pakatan Harapan Ministers and Deputy Ministers must not lose sight of the reality of widespread disappointment and disillusionment over the fulfilment of Pakatan Harapan General Election promises, which requires a major review of Pakatan Harapan Manifesto and the New Malaysia objective.

I am particularly drawn by the key recommendations  of the OECD Economic Survey Malaysia  2019, as among them are the following:

· Lower the school starting age to at least 5 and make secondary schooling compulsory.

· Provide incentives and implement rotation schemes to attract more qualified and experienced teachers to disadvantaged schools.

· Continue efforts to reduce teacher administrative workload so that teachers can spend more time preparing lessons or participating in mentoring or professional development activities.

· Adopt a more student-centred teaching approach and put more emphasis on developing communicational skills.

· Tie guidance services closely to labour market information, and make training incentives more generous for programmes that develop in-demand skills.

· Increase the minimum maternity leave entitlement to at least 14 weeks, in line with international standards.

· Develop a co-financing arrangement for maternity leave, with the majority of the cost carried by the government.

· Invest in public childcare facilities and provide subsidies to private and workplace facilities.

· Consider adopting a more selective approach to the inflow of low-skilled foreign workers, while maintaining open policy for high skilled foreign workers

The Pakatan Harapan Government should set up a special committee to study  OECD Economic Survey Malaysia 2019 and see what are the key recommendations which could be implemented.

(Media Statement by DAP MP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, 31st July 2019)

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