Has Rayer raised an important issue about the political situation in Malaysia — let Bersatu dissociate itself from PAS that it is going against the advice of the Yang di Pertuan Agong and plotting with Hadi for the collapse of the Anwar Unity government

Has the DAP Member of Parliament for Jelutong RSN Rayer raised an important issue about the political situation in Malaysia in Parliament yesterday that PAS under its President, Hadi Awang, is plotting the collapse of the Anwar unity government this year against the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s advice?

Let Muhyiddin Yasssin and Bersatu dissociate from PAS that they are going against the advice of the Yang di Pertuan Agong in his Royal Address in the opening of the 15th Parliament on 13th February 2023 that Anwar Ibrahim is the last Prime Minister he is swearing in as Prime Minister before his five-year tenure ends next January.

Hadi has himself to blame for he had deliberately challenged the advice of the Yang di Pertuan Agong and predicted the imminent collapse of the Anwar unity government on February 28 and defended his defiance by declaring the so-called right of the Opposition to bring down the government in a democracy.

When I has Parliamentary Opposition Leader for some three decades, I never plotted or harboured any thought to topple the government of the day when carrying out my tasks in Parliament, as I was doing all I could to articulate the Malaysian Dream of Malaysians for democracy, rule of law, good governance, fight against corruption and abuses of power, end to injustices and inequalities in the country, attainment of a world-class economic, educational, and social system, the promotion of inter-racial, inter-religious and inter-cultural understanding, tolerance and peace and the achievement of national unity from Malaysia’s plural society.

PAS under Hadi appears to be committed to the toppling of the Anwar unity government before the year is out.

Is Bersatu in full support of PAS in this design? Let Bersatu leaders speak up for silence could be deafening.

Ever since the 15th General Election on 19th November 2022, both PAS and Bersatu have been trying their level best to avoid an important question: whether Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, or region, can reset and return to the original nation-building principles of our nation’s founding fathers, to reunite a very polarised plural society, and to make Malaysia again a first-rate world-class nation, with world-class political, economic, educational, and social system instead of hurtling along to become a divided, failed, and kleptocratic state on Malaysia’s Centennial in 2057.

When will PAS and Bersatu answer?

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Penang on Wednesday, 8th March 2023)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 8 March 2023, 12:38 pm and is filed under
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Call for establishment of Parliamentary Select Committee on 1MDB scandal to specifically look into three issues: the Apandi, IPIC-Aabar, and the Goldman Sachs settlements and whether they should be re-opened

Parliament should set up a Parliamentary Select Committee on the 1MDB scandal to specifically look into three issues — the Apandi, IPIC-Aabar, and the Goldman Sachs settlements, and whether they should be re-opened.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said he was “mystified” by Putrajaya’s decision not to reveal the details of the settlement with former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali overcompensation for the latter’s dismissal from his post.

As Mahathir has pointed out, Apandi, the former AG under Najib Abdul Razak’s government, made his demand publicly. He even named the amount of RM2.23 million.

Mahathir said “Yet the compensation the government made is a secret. Why? I have reason to find out why because I do not think he deserves to be compensated at all.”

On Feb 14, Azalina said in a written parliamentary reply to the DAP MP for Ipoh Barat M Kulasegaran that the matter has been put under the Official Secrets Act 1972, in accordance with the agreement that the terms of the settlement be kept secret.

The Parliamentary Select Committee should hold a public hearing and call up Mahathir Mohamad as he had said Apandi did not deserve to be compensated at all.

Author of the book “1MDB: The Scandal that Brought Down a Government” and commentator P. Gunasegaram estimates that the government’s US$1.8 billion (RM8 billion) settlement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over two UAE companies International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and its subsidiary Aabar Investments PJS with 1MDB represents a US$3.98 billion (RM18 billion) shortfall compared to the amount of US$5.78 billion (RM26 billion) that former attorney-general Tommy Thomas was disputing.

Thirdly, the former second finance minister and MP for Titiwangsa, Johari Abdul Ghani has raised the controversial Goldman Sachs settlement reached with the Malaysian government over 1MDB in July 2020 when Muhyiddin Yassin was prime minister.

Parliament has a duty to establish through a thorough and impartial investigation whether there is any hanky-panky in the Goldman Sachs deal.

The relevant Ministers and principal officers of the Pakatan Harapan Government and the Muhyiddin Yassin governments should be subpoenaed by the Parliamentary Select Committee on 1MDB scandal so that the PSC can submit a true and full report of the Goldman Sachs settlement to the nation.

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Penang on Thursday, 9th March 2023)

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Whether calculated from when Anwar Ibrahim was appointed Prime Minister or when the Cabinet was formed, Anwar had passed the “100 Days” test while Perikatan Nasional (PN) had failed the “100 Days” test

(Versi BM)

Whether calculated from when Anwar Ibrahim was appointed Prime Minister on 24th November 2022 or when the Anwar unity Cabinet was formed on 3rd December 2022, Anwar had passed the “100 Days” test while the Perikatan Nasional had failed the “100 Days” test.

The Anwar Unity Government had passed four crucial tests in its First Hundred Days — namely the convening of the 15th Parliament, the Vote of Confidence in Anwar Ibrahim as the 10th Malaysian Prime Minister, the passage of the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address and yesterday, the second reading of the 2023 Budget.

The hopes that had boosted Malaysians in the first Hundred Days had not faded, and it remains the hope of many that the Anwar Unity Government can deliver to reset and return Malaysia to the original nation-building principles the nation’s founding fathers have written into the Constitution and the Rukun Negara constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, separation of powers, rule of law, an independent judiciary, Islam as the official religion of the country and freedom of religion for all faiths, good governance, public integrity with minimum corruption, a clean and honest government, meritocracy, respect for human rights, an end to the various injustices and inequalities in the country, a world-class economic, educational, health and social system, and national unity, understanding and harmony from our multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural diversity.

While the Anwar unity government had passed the first Hundred Days test, Perikatan Nasional (PN) had failed dismally.

In both the parliamentary debates on the Royal Address and the policy debate on the 2023 Budget, the Perikatan MPs were conspicuous in their absence of constructive suggestions as to how the parliamentary opposition could contribute to fight the bane of Malaysian politics and how Malaysia could reset to become again a world-class nation — political stability and commitment to good governance, anti-corruption and abuses of power.

In fact, the very opposite took place. There was not only no suggestion as to how Malaysia could, in Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman’s words, be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”, there was no idea as to how Malaysia could stop being an area of deepening darkness in corruption and abuses of power, the Prime Minister-designate of Perikatan Nasional (PN) had been arrested to be charged in court on several counts of corruption.

This was very different from the nineties, when PAS under the leadership of Fadzil Noor and Nik Aziz Nik Mat was the spark of hope and fresh air for all Malaysians for a better Malaysia and played a seminal role in the reformasi days until PAS came out with the slogan “PAS for all”.

But now, PAS exudes a different chant, an intolerant and extremist version of Islam where it became a main instrument in the divisive and toxic politics of lies, falsehood, lies, race, and religion — with the PAS President Hadi Awang making the preposterous allegation that the DAP was promoting Islamophobia but which he was unable to substantiate for four months.

But what is even more shocking is Hadi’s equation of corruption with charity and his justification of corruption for Muslims.

PAS under Hadi is not concerned if Malaysia sinks lower in the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) or if Malaysia is overtaken by Indonesia, India, China, or more Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) states.

When will PAS become moderate again?

But the nation cannot wait for PAS to be moderate.

If Parliament can set up a Parliamentary Select Committee on Corruption, and in particular investigate the 1MDB scandal on three controversial settlements — the Apandi, IPIC-Aabar, and the Goldman Sachs settlements — and whether they should be re-opened, Malaysia stands a good chance of reversing the decline in the TI CPI in the last three years.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said he was “mystified” by Putrajaya’s decision not to reveal the details of the settlement with former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali overcompensation for the latter’s dismissal from his post, as Apandi had made his demand publicly and even named the amount of RM2.23 million.

Mahathir said “Yet the compensation the government made is a secret. Why? I have reason to find out why because I do not think he deserves to be compensated at all.”

On Feb 14, Azalina said in a written parliamentary reply to the DAP MP for Ipoh Barat M Kulasegaran that the matter has been put under the Official Secrets Act 1972, in accordance with the agreement that the terms of the settlement be kept secret.

The Parliamentary Select Committee should hold a hearing and call up Mahathir Mohamad as he had said Apandi did not deserve to be compensated at all.

Author of the book “1MDB: The Scandal that Brought Down a Government” and commentator P. Gunasegaram estimates that the government’s US$1.8 billion (RM8 billion) settlement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over two UAE companies International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and its subsidiary Aabar Investments PJS with 1MDB represents a US$3.98 billion (RM18 billion) shortfall compared to the amount of US$5.78 billion (RM26 billion) that former attorney-general Tommy Thomas was disputing.

Thirdly, the former second finance minister and MP for Titiwangsa, Johari Abdul Ghani has raised the controversial Goldman Sachs settlement reached with the Malaysian government over 1MDB in July 2020 when Muhyiddin Yassin was prime minister.

The relevant Ministers and principal officers of the Pakatan Harapan and the Muhyiddin Yassin governments should be subpoenaed by the Parliamentary Select Committee on 1MDB scandal so that the PSC can submit a true and full report of the three controversial 1MDB scandal settlements to Parliament.

(Media statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Penang on Friday, 10 March 2023)

Sama ada dikira sejak Anwar Ibrahim dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri atau semasa Kabinet dibentuk, Anwar lulus ujian “100 Hari” pertama manakala Perikatan Nasional (PN) gagal ujian “100 Hari”

Sama ada dikira sejak Anwar Ibrahim dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri pada 24 November 2022 atau sejak daripada ketika Kabinet perpaduan Anwar ditubuhkan pada 3 Disember 2022, Anwar telah lulus ujian “100 Hari Pertama” manakala Perikatan Nasional pula telah gagal dalam ujian ini.

Kerajaan Perpaduan Anwar telah melepasi empat ujian penting dalam Seratus Hari Pertamanya — iaitu sidang Parlimen ke-15, usul undi percaya terhadap Anwar Ibrahim sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-10, usul menjunjung Titah Diraja dan semalam, bacaan kedua Belanjawan 2023.

Harapan yang mendorong rakyat Malaysia dalam Seratus Hari pertama ini tidak pudar, dan masih menjadi cita-cita ramai yang boleh dilaksanakan oleh Kerajaan Perpaduan Anwar untuk menetapkan semula dan mengembalikan Malaysia kepada prinsip pembinaan negara seperti yang diterapkan oleh tokoh-tokoh kemerdekaan dalam Perlembagaan Rukun Negara — raja berperlembagaan, demokrasi berparlimen, pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, badan kehakiman yang bebas, Islam sebagai agama rasmi negara dan kebebasan beragama untuk semua agama, tadbir urus yang baik, integriti awam dengan minima rasuah, kerajaan yang bersih dan jujur, meritokrasi, menghormati hak asasi manusia, menamatkan ketidakadilan dan ketaksamaan dalam negara, sistem ekonomi, pendidikan, kesihatan dan sosial bertaraf dunia, dan perpaduan negara, persefahaman dan keharmonian daripada masyarakat majmuk berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya.

Walaupun kerajaan perpaduan Anwar telah lulus ujian Seratus Hari pertama ini, Perikatan Nasional (PN) pula telah gagal dengan teruk.

Dalam kedua-dua perbahasan Titah Diraja dan perbahasan peringkat dasar Belanjawan 2023, ahli-ahli Parlimen Perikatan dapat dilihat ketandusan idea yang membina tentang bagaimana pembangkang di parlimen boleh menyumbang secara positif kepada politik Malaysia dan bagaimana mereka boleh menetapkan semula dan mengembalikan Malaysia menjadi negara bertaraf dunia — dengan kestabilan politik dan komitmen terhadap tadbir urus yang baik, anti-rasuah dan salah guna kuasa.

Malah, perkara yang sebaliknya yang berlaku. Bukan sahaja tiada cadangan tentang bagaimana Malaysia boleh menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu” — seperti yang dikatakan oleh Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman — mereka juga tidak dapat menyumbangkan apa-apa idea untuk Malaysia tidak terus menjadi sebahagian dari kegelapan dalam rasuah dan salah guna kuasa. Kini calon Perdana Menteri Perikatan Nasional (PN) telah ditangkap untuk didakwa di mahkamah atas beberapa pertuduhan rasuah.

Perkara ini sangat berbeza dengan tahun 90an, apabila PAS di bawah pimpinan Fadzil Noor dan Nik Aziz Nik Mat menjadi cetusan harapan dan udara segar untuk semua rakyat Malaysia untuk sebuah Malaysia yang lebih baik dan memainkan peranan penting di zaman reformasi sehingga PAS keluar dengan slogan “PAS untuk semua”.

Tetapi kini, PAS mengeluarkan laungan berbeza, versi Islam yang tidak bertolak ansur dan ekstremis di mana ia menjadi instrumen utama dalam politik pembohongan, kepalsuan, pembohongan, bangsa dan agama yang memecah belahkan dan beracun — dengan Presiden PAS Hadi Awang membuat dakwaan yang tidak masuk akal bahawa DAP mempromosikan Islamofobia tetapi gagal untuk membuktikan perkara ini selepas empat bulan.

Tetapi, apa yang lebih mengejutkan lagi adalah apabila Hadi menyamakan rasuah dengan sedekah, dan cubaannya untuk membolehkan rasuah dalam kalangan orang Islam.

PAS di bawah pimpinan Hadi tidak bimbang jika Malaysia jatuh lebih rendah dalam Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) Transparency International (TI) atau jika Malaysia ditinggalkan di belakang Indonesia, India, China, atau lebih banyak negara Pertubuhan Kerjasama Islam (OIC).

Bilakah PAS akan kembali menjadi moderat?

Malangnya, negara kita tidak mampu untuk menunggu PAS menjadi moderat.

Jika Parlimen boleh menubuhkan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen mengenai Rasuah, dan khususnya untuk menyiasat skandal 1MDB mengenai tiga kontroversi – penyelesaian kes Apandi, IPIC-Aabar, dan Goldman Sachs — dan sama ada kes-kes ini perlu dibuka semula, Malaysia mempunyai peluang yang lebih baik untuk menghentikan kemerosotan kita dalam tiga tahun yang lepas dalam carta TI-CPI.

Bekas Perdana Menteri Mahathir Mohamad berkata dia “terkeliru” dengan keputusan Putrajaya untuk tidak mendedahkan butiran penyelesaian bekas peguam negara Mohamed Apandi Ali mengenai pampasan berlebihan untuk pemecatan beliau daripada jawatannya, kerana Apandi telah membuat tuntutannya secara terbuka malah menuntut sejumlah RM2.23 juta.

Mahathir berkata “Namun pampasan kerajaan dirahsiakan, kenapa? Saya ada sebab untuk mengetahui sebabnya kerana saya rasa dia tidak layak diberi pampasan sama sekali.”

Pada 14 Feb, Azalina berkata dalam jawapan bertulis parlimen kepada ahli parlimen DAP Ipoh Barat M Kulasegaran bahawa perkara itu telah diletakkan di bawah Akta Rahsia Rasmi 1972, selaras dengan perjanjian bahawa syarat penyelesaian itu dirahsiakan.

Jawatankuasa Pilihan Parlimen hendaklah mengadakan pendengaran dan memanggil Mahathir Mohamad kerana dia berkata Apandi tidak layak diberi pampasan sama sekali.

Pengarang buku “1MDB: The Scandal that Brought Down a Government” dan pengulas politik P. Gunasegaram menganggarkan penyelesaian bernilai AS$1.8 bilion (RM8 bilion) kerajaan dengan Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE) mengenai dua syarikat UAE, International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) dan anak syarikatnya Aabar Investments PJS dengan 1MDB berkurang AS$3.98 bilion (RM18 bilion) berbanding dengan jumlah AS$5.78 bilion (RM26 bilion) yang dipertikaikan oleh bekas peguam negara Tommy Thomas.

Ketiga, bekas menteri kewangan kedua dan Ahli Parlimen Titiwangsa, Johari Abdul Ghani telah membangkitkan penyelesaian kontroversi Goldman Sachs yang dicapai dengan kerajaan Malaysia berhubung 1MDB pada Julai 2020 ketika Muhyiddin Yassin menjadi perdana menteri.

Menteri-menteri dan pegawai utama kerajaan Pakatan Harapan dan Muhyiddin Yassin yang berkaitan harus disapina oleh Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen mengenai skandal 1MDB supaya PSC boleh mengemukakan laporan yang benar dan penuh mengenai tiga penyelesaian skandal 1MDB yang kontroversi kepada Parlimen.

(Kenyataan media oleh veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di Pulau Pinang pada hari Jumaat, 10 Mac 2023)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 10 March 2023, 11:55 am and is filed under
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I am now more confident that the Anwar unity government can last five years to carry out institutional reforms in the country to reset Malaysia to become once again a first-rate world-class nation

(Versi BM)

After the first 100 days of the Anwar unity government, I am now more confident that the Anwar Ibrahim can last five years as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia to carry out institutional reforms in the country to reset Malaysia to become once again a first-rate world-class nation.

This is not only because of the success of the Anwar unity government, where after the first “Hundred Days”, the people are still hopeful that the Anwar unity government can reset and return to Malaysia’s original nation-building principles the nation’s founding fathers have written into the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara, but because the Parliamentary Opposition, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) had dismally failed the Hundred Days test.

Does the PN offer a better programme that will finally see Malaysia enjoy greater political stability to attract foreign investors to propel economic recovery and reform Malaysian institutions, ensure clean governance by putting anti-corruption as top of the government’s agenda to stop the country lurch towards a kleptocracy?

The answer is a loud and strong “NO”.

Let March 10 be the lowest point Malaysia will fall to — for on that day, two events shamed the country.

In Kuala Lumpur, a second former Prime Minister was charged in court for corruption and money-laundering, while at the other end of the world in New York, the former head of Goldman Sachs in Malaysia, banker Roger Ng, was sentence to 10 years jail after he was convicted of helping to loot billions of dollars from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

The 1MDB scandal had landed one former Prime Minister in jail, but the lesson appeared not to have been learnt, for Malaysia continued to nose-dive in the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI), losing out to Indonesia, China, India, and more and more Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) countries in the fight against corruption.

PN leaders yelled “selective prosecution” for the prosecution of Muhyiddin Yassin for corruption but there is an extraordinary aspect of Muhyiddin’s corruption prosecution which had been missed by almost everyone — that the MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki and the Attorney-General Idrus Harun were first appointed to their posts by Muhyiddin himself.

This is an unusual case of the Prime Minister being prosecuted for corruption by the Attorney-General and the MACC Chief Commissioner he had appointed.

Would Azam Baki, who was appointed MACC Chief Commissioner on 9th March 2020 and Idrus Harun, who was appointed Attorney-General on 6th March by Muhyiddin when he became the first “backdoor” Prime Minister after the Sheraton Move political conspiracy in February 2020, agree to the “selective prosecution” of their benefactor?

Idrus Harun has rejected allegations that his agency engaged in selective prosecution and persecution, emphasising the impartiality of the Attorney General’s Chambers and all decisions to prosecute depended entirely on statements and evidence gathered, rather than pressure from any source.

He said “Such decisions are made fairly based on investigations papers, without any bias, guided by the integrity of ensuring victims, witnesses, the accused, and the public obtain justice in accordance with the law, and in line with the AG’s powers under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution.”

PN leaders have made many costly mistakes in the first Hundred Days of the Anwar unity government.

Firstly, they have contributed nothing to ensuring that there is political stability in Malaysia, not only in fulfilling the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s wish that Anwar Ibrahim be the last Prime Minister to be sworn in before end of the five-year tenure of the 16th Yang di Pertuan Agong next January, but that the Anwar unity government can last five years.

Secondly, PN leaders have failed to support the efforts of the Anwar unity government to put anti-corruption top of the government’s good governance agenda.

Will PN leaders, for instance, support the Prime Minister’s appointment of the MP for Titiwangsa, former second Finance Minister Johari Abdul Ghani as the chair of a special task force on 1MDB and the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on the 1MDB scandal to advise Johari and specifically look into three issues — the Apandi, IPIC-Aabar, and the Goldman Sachs settlements, and whether they should be re-opened?

Thirdly, the costly mistakes made by PN leaders — a policy of confrontation with the Anwar unity government instead of a policy of co-operation to reset and return Malaysia to the original nation-building principles the nation’s founding fathers have written into the Constitution and the Rukun Negara — constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, separation of powers, rule of law, an independent judiciary, Islam as the official religion of the country and freedom of religion for all faiths, good governance, public integrity with minimum corruption, a clean and honest government, meritocracy, respect for human rights, an end to the various injustices and inequalities in the country, a world-class economic, educational, health and social system, and national unity, understanding and harmony from our multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural diversity.

A PN leader accused the Anwar unity government and the DAP of promoting Islamophobia but almost four months have elapsed, and he is still unable to offer an iota of evidence to substantiate his preposterous allegation.

Another PN leader warned that there will be a bigger “wave” than the “green wave” in the 15th general Election last year in the general election for six states of Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu after June 2023, but I believe that the “green wave” last year was built on the foundation of the divisive and toxic politics of lies, falsehoods, fake news, race and religion.

Fourthly, singer Amir Jahari’s refusal to allow his song “Hasrat” to be used by Bersatu MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin as the background song of a solidarity video for Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin for being charged with corruption.

There must be a counter-narrative to attract the young of all races and religions to convince them that no race or religion in Malaysia is facing extinction or threat and that Malaysia does not want a war of races or religions.

On the contrary, Malaysia has something to teach the world — how different races, religions and cultures could co-exist to build a greater future for all. Or in the words of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, 11th March 2023)

Saya kini lebih yakin bahawa kerajaan perpaduan Anwar boleh bertahan selama lima tahun untuk melaksanakan reformasi institusi dan menetapkan semula hala tuju negara untuk Malaysia sekali lagi menjadi negara hebat bertaraf dunia

Selepas 100 hari pertama kerajaan perpaduan Anwar, saya kini lebih yakin bahawa kAnwar Ibrahim boleh bertahan selama lima tahun sebagai Perdana Menteri ke-10 untuk melaksanakan reformasi institusi dan menetapkan semula hala tuju negara untuk Malaysia sekali lagi menjadi negara hebat bertaraf dunia.

Perkara ini bukan sahaja didorong oleh kejayaan kerajaan perpaduan Anwar, di mana selepas “Seratus Hari” pertama, rakyat masih berpegang kepada harapan untuk kerajaan perpaduan Anwar dapat menetapkan semula dan mengembalikan negara kita kepada prinsip pembinaan negara Malaysia yang telah diterapkan oleh tokoh kemerdekaan negara dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia dan Rukun Negara, tetapi kerana pada masa yang sama, Pembangkang di Parlimen, Perikatan Nasional (PN) juga telah gagal dengan ujian Seratus Hari Pertama mereka.

Adakah PN menawarkan program yang lebih baik yang akhirnya akan menyaksikan Malaysia menikmati kestabilan politik yang lebih baik untuk menarik pelabur asing untuk memacu pemulihan ekonomi dan mereformasi institusi Malaysia, memastikan adanya tadbir urus yang bersih dengan meletakkan agenda anti-rasuah sebagai agenda utama kerajaan untuk menghentikan negara terjerumus ke arah kleptokrasi?

Jawapannya adalah “TIDAK” yang kuat dan jelas.

Biarkan 10 Mac menjadi titik terendah Malaysia — kerana pada hari itu, dua peristiwa memalukan negara telah berlaku.

Di Kuala Lumpur, seorang lagi bekas Perdana Menteri didakwa di mahkamah atas tuduhan rasuah dan pengubahan wang haram, manakala di satu lagi bahagian dunia, di New York, bekas jurubank Goldman Sachs di Malaysia, Roger Ng, dijatuhi hukuman 10 tahun penjara selepas dia disabitkan bersalah membantu merompak berbilion dolar dana negara dari 1MDB.

Skandal 1MDB telah membawa kepada pemenjaraan seorang bekas Perdana Menteri, tetapi pengajaran itu nampaknya masih belum benar-benar dihayati, kerana Malaysia terus menjunam dalam Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) Transparency International (TI), tewas kepada Indonesia, China, India dan semakin banyak negara Pertubuhan Kerjasama Islam (OIC) dalam usaha memerangi rasuah.

Pemimpin PN mengatakan pendakwaan rasuah terhadap Muhyiddin Yassin sebagai “pendakwaan terpilih” tetapi terdapat aspek luar biasa dalam pendakwaan rasuah Muhyiddin yang telah terlepas daripada pandangan hampir semua orang — bahawa Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Azam Baki dan Peguam Negara Idrus Harun yang ada pada hari ini dilantik kepada jawatan mereka oleh Muhyiddin sendiri.

Ini adalah kes luar biasa Perdana Menteri didakwa atas kesalahan rasuah oleh Peguam Negara dan Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM yang dilantiknya sendiri.

Adakah Azam Baki, yang dilantik sebagai Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM pada 9 Mac 2020 dan Idrus Harun, yang dilantik sebagai Peguam Negara pada 6 Mac oleh Muhyiddin apabila beliau menjadi Perdana Menteri “pintu belakang” pertama selepas konspirasi politik Langkah Sheraton pada Februari 2020, bersetuju dengan tuduhan “pendakwaan terpilih” ini?

Idrus Harun telah menolak dakwaan bahawa agensinya terlibat dalam pendakwaan dan penganiayaan terpilih, menekankan kesaksamaan Jabatan Peguam Negara dan semua keputusan untuk mendakwa bergantung sepenuhnya kepada kenyataan dan bukti yang dikumpul, dan bukannya tekanan daripada mana-mana sumber.

Dia berkata: “Keputusan sedemikian dibuat secara adil berdasarkan kertas siasatan, tanpa sebarang unsur berat sebelah, berpandukan integriti memastikan mangsa, saksi, tertuduh, dan orang ramai mendapat keadilan mengikut undang-undang, dan selaras dengan kuasa Peguam Negara di bawah Perkara 145(3) Perlembagaan Persekutuan.”

Pemimpin PN telah melakukan banyak kesilapan besar dalam Seratus Hari pertama kerajaan perpaduan Anwar.

Pertama, mereka tidak menyumbang apa-apa untuk memastikan wujudnya kestabilan politik di Malaysia, bukan sahaja dalam memenuhi hasrat Yang di Pertuan Agong agar Anwar Ibrahim menjadi Perdana Menteri terakhir yang mengangkat sumpah sebelum tamat tempoh lima tahun perkhidmatan Yang di-Pertuan Agong ke-16. di Pertuan Agong Januari depan, tetapi kerajaan perpaduan Anwar boleh bertahan lima tahun;

Kedua, pemimpin PN gagal menyokong usaha kerajaan perpaduan Anwar untuk meletakkan agenda antirasuah sebagai agenda tadbir urus baik kerajaan.

Adakah pemimpin PN, misalnya, akan menyokong cadangan Perdana Menteri untuk melantik Ahli Parlimen Titiwangsa, yang merupakan bekas Menteri Kewangan kedua, Johari Abdul Ghani sebagai pengerusi pasukan khas 1MDB dan penubuhan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Parlimen mengenai skandal 1MDB untuk menasihati Johari dan secara khusus meneliti tiga isu — penyelesaian kes Apandi, IPIC-Aabar, dan Goldman Sachs, dan sama ada kes-kes ini perlu dibuka semula?

Ketiga, kesilapan besar yang dilakukan oleh pemimpin PN — dasar konfrontasi dengan kerajaan perpaduan Anwar dan bukannya dasar kerjasama untuk menetapkan semula dan mengembalikan Malaysia kepada prinsip pembinaan negara asal yang telah ditulis oleh bapa pengasas negara ke dalam Perlembagaan dan Rukun Negara — raja berperlembagaan, demokrasi berparlimen, pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, badan kehakiman yang bebas, Islam sebagai agama rasmi negara dan kebebasan beragama untuk semua agama, tadbir urus yang baik, integriti awam dengan minima rasuah, kerajaan yang bersih dan jujur, meritokrasi, menghormati hak asasi manusia, menamatkan ketidakadilan dan ketaksamaan dalam negara, sistem ekonomi, pendidikan, kesihatan dan sosial bertaraf dunia, dan perpaduan negara, persefahaman dan keharmonian daripada masyarakat majmuk berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya.

Seorang pemimpin PN menuduh kerajaan perpaduan Anwar dan DAP mempromosikan Islamofobia tetapi hampir empat bulan telah berlalu, dan dia masih tidak dapat menawarkan sedikit pun bukti untuk menyokong dakwaan tidak masuk akalnya.

Seorang lagi pemimpin PN memberi amaran bahawa akan ada “gelombang” yang lebih besar daripada “gelombang hijau” pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 tahun lepas dalam pilihan raya umum untuk enam negeri Pulau Pinang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan dan Terengganu selepas Jun 2023, tetapi saya percaya bahawa “gelombang hijau” tahun lalu dibina di atas asas politik pembohongan, kepalsuan, berita palsu, bangsa dan agama yang memecah belah dan toksik.

Keempat, penyanyi Amir Jahari enggan membenarkan lagunya “Hasrat” digunakan oleh Ahli Parlimen Bersatu Mas Ermieyati Samsudin sebagai lagu latar video solidariti Pengerusi Perikatan Nasional (PN) Muhyiddin Yassin kerana didakwa atas tuduhan rasuah.

Perlu ada naratif balas untuk menarik golongan muda dari semua kaum dan agama untuk meyakinkan mereka bahawa tiada kaum atau agama di Malaysia yang menghadapi kepupusan atau ancaman dan bahawa Malaysia tidak mahu perang kaum atau agama.

Sebaliknya, Malaysia mempunyai sesuatu untuk diajar kepada dunia — bagaimana pelbagai kaum, agama dan budaya boleh wujud bersama untuk membina masa depan yang lebih baik untuk semua. Atau dalam kata-kata Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu”

(Kenyataan Media oleh veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di Petaling Jaya pada hari Sabtu, 11 Mac 2023)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 11 March 2023, 12:12 pm and is filed under
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It’s make-or-break time for Malaysia, the most critical period for the country in the last six decades as to whether Malaysia can reset and return to the original nation-building principles to become a first-rate world-class nation, or we are fated to become a divided, failed, and kleptocratic state

We are now in the most critical make-or-break period of the country in the last six decades as to whether Malaysia can reset and return to the original nation-building principles to become a first-rate world-class nation, or we are fated to become a divided, failed, and kleptocratic state.

Recently, I came across a 54-year-old Official Secrets Act (OSA) document, which was declassified on 24th February 2020 as a result of a defamation suit I instituted against the former Inspector-General of Police, Tun Hanif Omar, that stated that in my statement to the police during my first Internal Security Act detention in 1969, I told the Police that I wanted a “clean, honest, efficient, incorruptible, and effective government”.

That was the reason why I came from Malacca to contest in Tanjong in Penang for parliamentary election in 1986, to make Penang the “front-line” state in the twin DAP mission to make Malaysia have a “clean, honest, efficient, incorruptible, and effective government” and to ensure that Malaysia is a world-class plural nation where there is “unity in diversity”, whether of races, languages, religions, or cultures.

It is noteworthy that although the PAS President, Hadi Awang, made the preposterous allegation that the DAP was promoting Islamophobia, he has not been able to cite an iota of evidence, whether from the 57 years of DAP history or the 15 years of Penang administration, to substantiate his allegation.

Malaysia have irresponsible political leaders who are prepared to promote fear and hate among the people against other races or religions, which will destroy plural Malaysia if they succeed.

In the 29-year series of the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Malaysia is one of the countries which had regressed since the first TI CPI in 1995. We have lost out to Indonesia, China, and India and to more and more Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) states in the TI CPI series.

This was what struck me when we fell to the lowest point of good governance last Friday — when a second former Prime Minister was charged for corruption in court, while at the other end of the world in New York, a Malaysian who was former manager of Goldman Sachs in Malaysia was imprisoned for 10 years for the 1MDB scandal.

Muhyiddin Yassin said he has been selectively prosecuted, but both the Attorney-General Idrus Harun and the MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki were his nominees when he became the first “backdoor” Prime Minister after the Sheraton Move political conspiracy in February 2020.

Is Muhyiddin accusing his nominees Idrus Harun and Azam Baki of selective prosecution?

There must be no selective prosecution whether in corruption or other crimes, but Muhyiddin must adduce more evidence of selective prosecution.

But what is conspicuous is the lack of co-operation of Perikatan Nasional to heed the advice of the Yang di Pertuan Agong to ensure that there is political stability in the country — instead of having four Prime Ministers in five years — and to put anti-corruption as an important agenda to promote good governance in Malaysia.

(Speech by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang on the opening of the Tanjong parliamentary service centre in Penang on Sunday, 12 March 2023 at 1pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 12 March 2023, 5:48 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia can, in Tunku’s words, be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world” by being an example of how four great civilisations can build understanding, tolerance, and peace and avoid War of Races or War of Religions

(Versi BM)

I am happy to be here in Kluang for the launching of my good friend of over half a century K. Siladass’ writings in Tamil in “Sinthanai Sei Maname” (Think).

I do not pretend to understand Tamil but I know what he meant — Think!

Today’s event reminded me of the public debate I had with an academician, Naquib Al-Alatas 55 years ago in 1968 on the meaning of Malaysian literature and Malaysian culture.

Siladass’ advice is something which all Malaysians should ponder — to think about their role not only in Malaysia but in the world.

Do Malaysians have anything to contribute to the world or are we condemned to end up as a divided, failed and kleptocratic state?

I looked up my speech in 1968 in the public debate and found that I said the following:

“For the first ten years after independence, Ceylon was mentioned as the country which had solved its communal problem. Then it blew up in racial flames.

“Until two years ago, Nigeria in Africa was described as the shining example of multi-ethnic democracy, often compared to the Malaysian experiment in Asia. But today, it lies in shambles and has become the theatre of tribal massacres, carnage, genocide, and gross inhumanity.”

Malaysia has been nation-building for some six decades.

Have we avoided the tragedy of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and Nigeria?

We have spawned the Malaysian Diaspora in the seventies, where more than a million of the best and talented Malaysians of all races and religions stayed abroad to help other nations great, instead of making Malaysia great.

There is no doubt that Malaysia today has never been polarised in race and religion than in the history of Malaysia.

One reason Malaysia is so polarised today is because of the divisive and toxic politics of the information era, where information, including lies, falsehoods, and fake news, could travel at the speed of light.

There are irresponsible leaders who want Malaysians to believe that their race and religion is under threat by other races and religions, when this is not the case.

Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, do not want a War of Races or War or Religions in Malaysia.

On the contrary, Malaysia’s plural society as a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural nation gave Malaysia the opportunity to teach a lesson to the global society.

Malaysia is at the confluence of four great civilisations — Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian, and Western. If we can leverage on the best values and virtues of these four great civilisations, we can in the words of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

Malaysia should be example of inter-racial and inter-religious understanding, tolerance and peace to the international society, for the world is getting smaller and smaller with the increasing speed of communications and all nations, races, and religions must learn the art of co-existence, understanding, tolerance, and peace if they are not to kill each other off in a War of Races or War of Religions.

This is where plural Malaysia can contribute to the world.

(Speech by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang at the book launch of K. Siladass’ writings in Tamil in “Sinthanai Sei Maname” (Think) at Restoran Xin Guan Xin, Kluang on Saturday, 11th March 2023 at 7 pm)

Malaysia mampu untuk menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu” dengan menjadi contoh bagaimana empat tamadun dapat membina persefahaman, toleransi, dan keamanan dan mengelakkan persengketaan antara kaum atau agama

Saya gembira untuk berada di sini, di Kluang, sempena majlis pelancaran penulisan rakan baik saya, K. Siladass, yang telah dikumpul lebih dari setengah abad dalam “Sinthanai Sei Maname” (Fikir).

Saya tidak akan berpura-pura untuk memahami bahasa Tamil, tetapi saya tahu apa yang dimaksudkannya — Fikir!

Majlis hari ini mengingatkan saya kepada perdebatan awam yang saya sertai dengan ahli akademik, Naquib Al-Attas, 55 tahun yang lepas pada tahun 1968 mengenai makna sastera dan budaya Malaysia.

Nasihat Siladass adalah satu perkara yang patut direnung oleh semua rakyat Malaysia — untuk memikirkan peranan mereka, bukan sahaja di Malaysia, tetapi juga dalam konteks dunia.

Adakah rakyat Malaysia ada apa-apa yang boleh disumbangkan kepada dunia atau adakah kita sudah ditakdirkan untuk berakhir sebagai sebuah negara yang berpecah belah, gagal, dan kleptokratik?

Saya mencari semula ucapan saya dalam perdebatan awam pada tahun 1968 ini dan mendapati yang saya telah mengatakan perkara berikut:

“Untuk sepuluh tahun pertama selepas merdeka, Ceylon disebut sebagai sebuah negara yang telah berjaya menyelesaikan masalah perkauman mereka. Kemudian, negara ini dilanda bara perkauman.

“Sehingga dua tahun yang lepas, Nigeria di Afrika digambarkan sebagai contoh terbaik demokrasi pelbagai etnik, malah sering dibandingkan dengan eksperimen Malaysia di Asia. Tetapi hari ini, negara tersebut berantakan dan telah menjadi sebuah teater pembunuhan suku beramai-ramai, kerosakan, genosid, dan kezaliman melampau.”

Adakah kita telah berjaya mengelakkan tragedi yang melanda Sri Lanka (yang sebelum ini dikenali sebagai Ceylon) dan Nigeria?

Kita telah melahirkan Diaspora Malaysia dalam tahun 70-an, di mana lebih dari sejuta rakyat Malaysia dari pelbagai kaum dan agama yang cemerlang dan berbakat memilih untuk kekal di luar negara, menjadikan negara-negara lain ini yang hebat dan bukannya Malaysia.

Salah satu sebab Malaysia amat terpolarisasi hari ini adalah kerana politik toksik dan memecah belah dalam era maklumat, di mana maklumat, bersama dengan penipuan, fitnah, dan berita palsu, dapat bergerak sepantas cahaya.

Terdapat sesetengah pemimpin yang tidak bertanggungjawab yang mahu rakyat Malaysia untuk percaya bahawa kaum dan agama mereka sedang diancam oleh kaum dan agama lain, sedangkan perkara ini jauh daripada kebenarannya.

Rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira kaum, agama, atau kawasan, tidak mahu tercetusnya Perang Kaum atau Perang Agama di Malaysia.

Sebaliknya, masyarakat majmuk berbilang etnik, bahasa, agama, dan budaya di Malaysia ini telah memberikan kita peluang untuk memberikan pengajaran kepada komuniti global.

Malaysia berada di titik pertemuan empat tamadun hebat — Melayu/Islam, Cina, India, dan Barat. Sekiranya kita dapat gembelengkan nilai-nilai terbaik dari empat tamadun hebat ini, kita mampu untuk menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu” seperti yang dicita-citakan oleh Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Malaysia perlu menjadi contoh persefahaman, toleransi, dan keamanan antara kaum dan agama kepada masyarakat dunia, kerana dunia kita sekarang semakin mengecil dengan kepantasan teknologi komunikasi hari ini dan semua negara, bangsa, dan agama perlu belajar untuk untuk hidup bersama dengan persefahaman, toleransi, dan keamanan sekiranya kita tidak mahu berakhir dengan kejadian pembunuhan di antara satu sama lain dalam Perang Kaum atau Perang Agama.

Di sinilah peluang untuk Malaysia majmuk menyumbang kepada dunia.

(Ucapan veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di majlis pelancaran penulisan K. Siladass dalam bahasa Tamil di dalam buku “Sinthanai Sei Maname” (Fikir) di Restoran Xin Guan Xin, Kluang, pada hari Sabtu, 11 Mac 2023 jam 7 malam)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 12 March 2023, 11:25 am and is filed under
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Hamzah Zainudin may have committed serious offences when he said he has files on government party leaders from his time as Home Minister

(Versi BM)

Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Hamzah Zainudin may have committed serious offences when he said he has files on government party leaders from his time as Home Minister.

As he is no more Home Minister, Hamzah should not wilfully retain government files.

In his interview with the Star, Hamzah said:

“I used to be the home minister, I think I’ve got a lot of files against them too, whether I want to use it or not.”

Is Hamzah going to turn himself in to the police, as clearly he had wilfully retained government files although he is no more Home Minister.

How many government files has Hamzah wilfully retained although he is no more Home Minister?

If the files which Hamzah has retained in his possession show that the Pakatan Harapan-UMNO leaders were guilty of corruption and money-laundering, why were no action taken during the Perikatan Nasional government time?

Bersatu President Muhyiddin Yassin has predicted the end of UMNO under the leadership of Zahid Hamidi, boasting that Bersatu had 31 parliamentary seats, which was more than the 26 UMNO parliamentary seats.

But what was clear was Muhyiddin’s strenuous attempt to avoid mentioning that PAS has even more seats than Bersatu, as PAS has 43 parliamentary seats, and that the leader of Perikatan Nasional coalition should be the PAS President Hadi Awang, and not Bersatu President Muhyiddin Yassin.

That is why Muhyiddin’s attempt to present Hadi in a moderate and democratic light looked ridiculous, for Muhyiddin was unable to get Hadi to personally clarify that when he predicted the collapse of the Anwar unity government, he was not going against the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s advice and not plotting another Sheraton Move political conspiracy.

Nor was Muhyiddin able to get Hadi to retract Hadi’s preposterous allegation that DAP was promoting Islamophobia, especially when Hadi was unable to substantiate his preposterous allegation whether from the 57 years of DAP history or the 15 years of Penang state government administration.

The Big Brother in Perikatan Nasional is not Muhyiddin Yassin but Hadi Awang, and there is no way that Muhyiddin can control or manage Hadi.

Perikatan Nasional has now set its eyes on the general elections in the six states of Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu, which will be held in July or August of the year.

Hadi wants to use the general elections in the six states to undermine the stability and viability of the Anwar unity government at the federal level.

Can Muhyiddin give an undertaking that regardless of the results of the general elections in the six states, the political stability of the Anwar unity government at the federal government will not be undermined?

I don’t think Muhyiddin can do so, for he is not in real command of Perikatan Nasional.

(Media statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Penang on Monday, 13 March 2023)

Hamzah Zainuddin mungkin telah melakukan kesalahan berat apabila dia mengatakan yang dia ada fail mengenai pemimpin parti-parti kerajaan dari masanya menjadi Menteri Dalam Negeri sebelum ini

Ketua Pembangkang Parlimen, Hamzah Zainuddin, mungkin telah melakukan kesalahan berat apabila dia mengatakan yang dia ada fail mengenai pemimpin parti-parti kerajaan dari masanya menjadi Menteri Dalam Negeri sebelum ini.

Memandangkan dia bukan lagi Menteri Dalam Negeri, dia tidak sepatutnya memiliki apa-apa fail kerajaan.

Dalam wawancaranya dengan akhbar The Star, Hamzah mengatakan: Saya pernah menjadi menteri dalam negeri, saya rasa saya juga ada banyak fail terhadap mereka, sama ada saya mahu guna atau tidak.”

Adakah Hamzah akan menyerahkan dirinya sendiri kepada pihak polis, memandangkan dia telah dengan sengaja memegang fail kerajaan walaupun tidak lagi menjadi Menteri Dalam Negeri?

Berapa banyakkah fail-fail kerajaan yang masih dipegang oleh Hamzah walaupun selepas tidak lagi menjadi Menteri Dalam Negeri?

Sekiranya fail-fail yang dipegang Hamzah ini menunjukkan para pemimpin kerajaan Pakatan Harapan-UMNO bersalah rasuah dan pengubahan wang haram, mengapakah tiada tindakan diambil semasa zaman kerajaan Perikatan Nasional?

Presiden Bersatu, Muhyiddin Yassin, telah menjangkakan kemusnahan UMNO di bawah pimpinan Zahid Hamidi, di mana dia berbangga dengan 31 kerusi Parlimen Bersatu yang melebihi 26 kerusi kerusi Parlimen UMNO.

Namun, apa yang jelas adalah cubaan Muhyiddin untuk mengelak dari menyebut yang PAS mempunyai lebih banyak kerusi di Parlimen berbanding dengan Bersatu — dengan 43 kerusi — dan sepatutnya Presiden PAS, Hadi Awang, yang menjadi pemimpin gabungan Perikatan Nasional, bukannya Presiden Bersatu, Muhyiddin Yassin.

Kerana inilah cubaan Muhyiddin untuk menunjukkan Hadi sebagai seorang yang moderat dan demokratik kelihatan tidak masuk akal, kerana Muhyiddin sendiri tidak berjaya untuk membuat Hadi menjelaskan bagaimana apabila menjangkakan kejatuhan kerajaan perpaduan Anwar, dia tidak berlawanan dengan nasihat Yang di Pertuan Agong dan dia bukan sedang merancang suatu lagi konspirasi politik seperti Langkah Sheraton.

Muhyiddin juga gagal untuk membuatkan Hadi menarik semula tuduhan tidak masuk akalnya yang mengatakan kononnya DAP mempromosikan Islamofobia, terutamanya apabila Hadi gagal untuk memberikan bukti untuk tuduhan ini, sama ada dari 57 tahun sejarah DAP atau 15 tahun kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang yang dipimpin DAP.

Abang Besar dalam Perikatan Nasional bukanlah Muhyiddin Yassin, sebaliknya Hadi Awang, dan tidak mungkin Muhyiddin boleh mengawal atau mengurus Hadi.

Perikatan Nasional kini menumpukan usaha mereka terhadap enam pilihan raya negeri di Pulau Pinang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, dan Terengganu yang bakal diadakan sama ada pada bulan Julai atau Ogos tahun ini.

Hadi mahu menggunakan pilihan raya negeri ini untuk menggugat kestabilan dan jangka hayat kerajaan perpaduan Anwar di peringkat persekutuan.

Bolehkah Muhyiddin memberikan jaminan, yang tanpa mengira keputusan pilihan raya di enam negeri ini, kestabilan politik kerajaan perpaduan Anwar tidak akan digugat?

Saya tidak rasa begitu, memandangkan Muhyiddin tidak memegang kuasa sebenar dalam Perikatan Nasional.

(Kenyataan Media oleh veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di Pulau Pinang pada hari Isnin, 13 Mac 2023)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 13 March 2023, 10:31 am and is filed under
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Let all Malaysians regardless of race or religion look up to Michelle Yeoh as a model in the Malaysian Dream for Malaysia to accomplish Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”

(Versi BM)

Michelle Yeoh of Ipoh has done Malaysia proud — not just at the Malaysian level but at the global stage.

Let all Malaysians regardless of race or religion look up to Michelle Yeoh as a model in the Malaysian Dream for Malaysia to accomplish Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

Michelle Yeoh’s speech for winning the Oscar for Best Actress in a leading role in the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once” is worth remembering — Dream Big and Dreams do come true.

A honourable sequel to the fantastic feat achieved by Michelle who became the first Asian to win an Oscar for Best Actress is for Malaysians to dream big for Malaysia to become one of the top best 30 countries in the world instead of ending up as a divided, failed, and kleptocratic state on Malaysia’s Centennial in 2057.

Malaysians have enough of gruesome headlines in the last 100 days like the following: “Hadi predicts imminent collapse of Anwar’s govt”, “Muhyiddin charged with corruption involving over RM232m”, “AGC, MACC deny any interference in Jana Wibawa probes”, “‘I’m having sleepless nights’ — Muhyiddin says over court cases”, “Muhyiddin to face another corruption charge in Shah Alam on Monday”, “The shame of being ‘Malay first’”, “Jana Wibawa: Muhyiddin claims trial to RM5m money laundering charge”, and “Breach of OSA if Hamzah kept Home Ministry files — PKR MP”.

Malaysians want to read more headlines like: “Michelle Yeoh creates history, wins Oscar for best actress” and in future “Malaysia leads to world in promoting inter-racial, inter-religious, and inter-civilisational tolerance and understanding”.

There are political leaders who want Malaysians to believe that the Malays and Islam are under threat — which is a myth and completely groundless.

Malaysia is a plural nation of many races, religions, and cultures, but Malaysians do not want Malaysia to become an arena for a War of Races of War of Religions.

Malaysia is at confluence of four great civilisations — Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian, and Western.

Let Malaysians show the world that we can leverage on the best virtues and values of these four great civilisations to create a better world.

Let Malaysians unite and achieve an Oscar for the world in promoting inter-racial, inter-religious, and inter-civilisational tolerance, understanding, and peace.

This will be a worthwhile sequel to Michelle Yeoh winning the Oscar for the Best Actress.

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Monday, 13th March 2023)

Marilah semua rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum atau agama untuk menjadikan Michelle Yeoh sebagai tauladan untuk mencapai Impian Malaysia bagi membolehkan Malaysia menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu” seperti yang diazamkan oleh Tunku Abdul Rahman

Michelle Yeoh dari Ipoh telah membanggakan negara — bukan sahaja di dalam negara, tetapi juga di arena antarabangsa.

Marilah semua rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum atau agama untuk menjadikan Michelle Yeoh sebagai tauladan untuk mencapai Impian Malaysia bagi membolehkan Malaysia menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu” seperti yang diazamkan oleh Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Ucapan Michelle Yeoh semasa memenangi anugerah Pelakon Terbaik Oscar untuk peranannya utamanya di dalam filem “Everything Everywhere All At Once” patut diingati — Pasanglah impian besar dan Impian benar-benar boleh terjadi.

Sambungan yang baik untuk pencapaian cemerlang Michelle Yeoh — menjadi orang Asia pertama yang memenangi Anugerah Oscar untuk kategori pelakon terbaik — adalah untuk rakyat Malaysia bercita-cita untuk menjadikan Malaysia salah satu daripada 30 negara terbaik di dunia dan bukannya menjadi salah satu daripada negara-negara yang berpecah belah, gagal, dan kleptokratik menjelang ulang tahun ke-100 negara pada tahun 2057.

Rakyat Malaysia sudah muak dengan tajuk-tajuk akhbar yang mengerikan dalam 100 hari yang lepas, seperti “Hadi menjangkakan kejatuhan kerajaan Anwar”, “Muhyiddin didakwa atas kesalahan rasuah melibatkan RM232 juta”, “AGC, SPRM menafikan sebarang campur tangan dalam siasatan Jana Wibawa”, “‘Saya tidak dapat tidur malam’ — Muhyiddin, mengenai kes mahkamahnya”, “Muhyiddin akan berhadapan dengan satu lagi pertuduhan rasuah di Shah Alam pada hari Isnin”, “Malu menjadi pertamanya Melayu”, “Jana Wibawa: Muhyiddin menuntut perbicaraan untuk dakwaan pengubahan wang haram RM5 juta”, dan “Pelanggaran OSA sekiranya Hamzah menyimpan fail Kementerian Dalam Negeri — MP PKR”.

Rakyat Malaysia mahu membaca lebih banyak tajuk akhbar seperti “Michelle Yeoh mencipta sejarah, menang Oscar untuk pelakon terbaik” dan di masa hadapan, tajuk seperti “Malaysia memimpin dunia dalam mempromosikan toleransi dan persefahaman antara kaum, agama, dan tamadun”.

Terdapat pemimpin politik yang mahu rakyat Malaysia untuk percaya yang orang Melayu dan Islam sedang terancam — perkara ini adalah satu mitos dan langsung tidak berasas sama sekali.

Malaysia adalah sebuah negara majmuk yang terdiri dari pelbagai kaum, agama, dan budaya, dan rakyat Malaysia tidak mahu Malaysia untuk menjadi arena pertempuran Perang Kaum atau Perang Agama.

Malaysia merupakan titik pertemuan empat tamadun hebat dunia — Melayu/Islam, Cina, India, dan Barat.

Marilah kita semua sebagai rakyat Malaysia, tunjukkan kepada dunia yang kita mampu untuk gunakan nilai-nilai terbaik dari empat tamadun hebat ini untuk mencipta sebuah dunia yang lebih baik.

Rakyat Malaysia perlu bersatu padu dan “memenangi Oscar” untuk dunia dalam mempromosikan toleransi, persefahaman, dan keamanan antara kaum, agama, dan tamadun.

Perkara ini akan menjadi sambungan yang bernilai kepada kemenangan Anugerah Pelakon Terbaik Oscar yang dimenangi oleh Michelle Yeoh.

(Kenyataan Media oleh veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di Petaling Jaya pada hari Isnin, 13 Mac 2023)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 13 March 2023, 2:45 pm and is filed under
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One lesson from Michelle Yeoh’s winning the Oscar for best actress: Lets unite all the races and religions in the country to compete with the rest of the world instead of competing among ourselves as in the last few decades

(Versi BM)

There is one lesson for Michelle Yeoh’s winning the Oscar for the best actress: Lets unite all the races and religions in the country to compete with the rest of the world instead of competing among ourselves as in the last few decades.

What is worse, there are now political leaders who contend that a race and a religion are under threat and facing extinction, and all efforts must be directed at the survival and hegemony of the threatened race and religion, when there is no basis whatsoever for such falsehoods and fake news.

This is one reason why Malaysia had never been so polarised along race and religious lines, with the divisive and toxic politics of lies, falsehood, fake news, race, and religion holding sway in the political life of the country — and why even attempts to put anti-corruption on the top agenda to ensure good governance and public integrity have been converted into burning race and religious issues.

When the Transparency International (TI) unveiled its annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in 1995, we were ranked No.23 out of the 41 countries.

Twenty-eight years later, in the TI CPI 2022, we were ranked No. 61 out of 180 countries.

Malaysia has lost out to five countries in the original TI CPI 1995 list — Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, Italy, and Greece — while other countries notably China, India, and Indonesia had made giant strides in the war against corruption to close their gap with Malaysia.

If Malaysia had kept in step on the anti-corruption front with nations serious about good governance and public integrity, we should be among the top 30 countries in the world in anti-corruption efforts instead of occupying the lowly rank of No. 61 out of 180 countries and in danger of being overtaken by China and India before 2030 and Indonesia before 2040

It is painful to see the second former Prime Minister of Malaysia being arrested and charged for corruption, but if this is the price for Malaysia to be one of the top 30 countries in the world for good governance and public integrity, then the price must be paid and let more VIPs be arrested and charged with corruption and money-laundering.

But there must be no room for selective persecution, and the allegations of selective persecution must be taken seriously by the authorities, as to leave such serious allegations untouched is to undermine the two important concepts of the rule of law and judicial independence in Malaysia.

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, 14th March 2023)

Satu pengajaran dari kemenangan Anugerah Pelakon Terbaik Oscar Michelle Yeoh: Mari satukan semua kaum dan agama dalam negara untuk bersaing dengan dunia dan bukannya bersengketa di antara satu sama lain seperti yang berlaku dalam beberapa dekad yang lepas

Ada satu pengajaran yang kita dapat hayati dari kemenangan Anugerah Pelakon Terbaik Oscar oleh Michelle Yeoh: Kita perlu satukan semua kaum dan agama dalam negara untuk bersaing dengan dunia dan bukannya bersengketa di antara satu sama lain seperti yang berlaku dalam beberapa dekad yang lepas.

Apa yang lebih buruk lagi, sekarang ada pemimpin politik yang cuba mengatakan yang kaum dan agama tertentu sedang terancam dan bakal pupus, dan semua usaha perlu ditumpukan kepada kelangsungan hidup dan hegemoni kaum dan agama ini, sedangkan tidak ada sebarang asas sama sekali untuk fitnah dan berita palsu ini.

Inilah ada salah satu sebab mengapa negara amat terpolarisasi dari aspek perkauman dan keagamaan, dengan politik toksik penipuan, fitnah, berita palsu, sentimen perkauman dan keagamaan mempengaruhi kehidupan politik dalam negara — yang telah menyebabkan usaha untuk meletakkan usaha anti-rasuah sebagai agenda utama negara untuk menjamin tadbir urus yang baik dan integriti awam sekali pun telah dijadikan isu perkauman dan keagamaan.

Semasa Transparency International (TI) mula menerbitkan Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) pada tahun 1995, kita berada di tempat ke-23 dari 41 negara yang ditinjau.

Dua puluh lapan tahun kemudian, dalam TI CPI 2022, kita berada di tempat ke-61 dari 180 buah negara yang ditinjau.

Malaysia telah dipintas oleh lima buah negara yang berada di belakang kita dalam TI CPI 1995 — Taiwan, Korea Selatan, Sepanyol Itali, dan Greece — manakala negara-negara lain, terutamanya China, India, dan Indonesia telah menunjukkan lonjakan besar dalam usaha memerangi rasuah untuk merapatkan jarak mereka dengan kedudukan Malaysia.

Sekiranya Malaysia telah mengekalkan usaha anti-rasuah kita dengan mengambil serius perkara-perkara yang berkaitan dengan tadbir urus baik dan integriti awam, kita sepatutnya berada dalam kalangan 30 negara terbaik dunia dan bukannya berada di tempat ke-61 dari 180 negara, yang pada masa yang sama bakal dipintas oleh China dan India sebelum 2030 dan dipintas oleh Indonesia sebelum 2040.

Amat menyedihkan melihat kita ada bekas perdana menteri yang kedua yang ditangkap dan didakwa atas tuduhan rasuah, tetapi sekiranya ini harganya untuk Malaysia menjadi salah satu daripada 30 negara terbaik dunia dari segi tadbir urus baik dan integriti awam, maka harga ini perlulah dibayar dan lebih ramai lagi golongan VIP perlu ditangkap dan didakwa atas kesalahan rasuah dan pengubahan wang haram.

Tetapi, tidak boleh ada ruang untuk pendakwaan terpilih dan tuduhan pendakwaan terpilih ini perlu dipandang berat oleh pihak berkuasa. Sekiranya pertuduhan berat seperti ini diabaikan, ia akan menggugat dua konsep penting negara — kedaulatan undang-undang dan kebebasan badan kehakiman di Malaysia.

(Kenyataan Media oleh veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di Petaling Jaya pada hari Selasa, 14 Mac 2023)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 14 March 2023, 4:45 pm and is filed under
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The 31-day eight-week parliamentary meeting is coming to an end with three weeks left, but there are no sign that Bersatu and PAS MPs are prepared to show a face of moderation, inclusivity, tolerance, and integrity so that Malaysia can recover and be a world-class nation again

(Versi BM)

The 31-day eight-week parliamentary meeting is coming to an end with three weeks left, but there are no sign that Bersatu and PAS MPs are prepared to show a face of moderation, inclusivity, tolerance, and integrity so that Malaysia can recover and be a world-class nation again.

The Anwar unity government has passed the first Hundred Day test but the Bersatu and PAS MPs have dismally failed in the test.

Malaysians are still hoping that there would be institutional reforms and a reset of nation-building policies to unite Malaysians regardless of race or religion and to make Malaysia recover and again become a world-class nation, and the performance of the Bersatu and PAS MPs have reinforced their beliefs that it was a great blessing in disguise that the Perikatan Nasional had not formed the Federal Government after the 15th General Election on Nov. 19, 2022.

Malaysia had gained a breathing space with the formation of the Anwar unity government and the speech of the 16th Yang di Pertuan Agong in his Royal Address at the opening of the 15th Parliament on Feb. 13, 2023 resonates throughout the country when the Yang di Pertuan Agong said he hoped Anwar Ibrahim would the last Prime Minister he would swear in before he ends his five-year tenure next January.

Malaysians thought that they had succeeded in the 14th General Election to end the multi-billion ringgit 1MDB scandal which had given Malaysia a global bad name as a kleptocracy, but they were horrified that the Sheraton Move political conspiracy had ushered a greater scandal, the Jana Wibawa scheme, which was launched in November 2020 in the name of helping bumiputera contractors in the Covid-19 pandemic.

The shock of the Jana Wibawa scandal is all the greater when it is understood in the context of a false Emergency which was declared on January 11, 2021 that led to the suspension of Parliament to allegedly fight the Covid-19 pandemic — when the emergency was declared, there were 2,232 daily new Covid-19 cases and four daily Covid-19 deaths but on the last day of the Emergency on August 1, 2021, the daily new Covid-19 cases rose to 17,150 cases, an increase more than eight times, and daily Covid-19 deaths increased to 160 deaths, an increase of forty-times.

It would appear that the sole beneficiaries of the Covid-19 pandemic and the false Emergency were the Bersatu and PAS leaders.

It is shocking that Bersatu and PAS MPs have defied the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s advice for political stability for Malaysia to recover and become again a world-class nation, and that they have also defied the calls of the Sultans to stop polarising race and religious relations in plural Malaysia by the divisive and toxic politics of lies, falsehoods, and fake news, and to support anti-corruption efforts.

One best way to end the divisive and toxic politics which has polarised race and religious relations is for the PAS President, Hadi Awang to retract in Parliament his preposterous allegation that the DAP was promoting Islamophobia, as he has not been able to substantiate his preposterous allegation against the DAP for the last four months.

But Hadi had done the opposite. He predicted the imminent collapse of the

Anwar unity government, in open defiance of the advice of the Royalty in Malaysia.

The final three weeks of the Parliamentary meeting will be a test as to whether the Bersatu and PAS MPs are prepared to show a face of moderation, inclusivity, tolerance, and integrity so that Malaysia can recover and be a world-class nation again with Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, re-uniting and stop their suspicion and distrust of each other.

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 15th March 2023)

Sidang Parlimen selama 31 hari bakal berakhir dalam masa tiga minggu lagi, namun masih tidak ada apa-apa tanda yang Ahli-ahli Parlimen Bersatu dan PAS bersedia untuk menunjukkan sifat moderat, inklusif, toleransi, dan integriti supaya Malaysia dapat pulih menjadi sebuah negara hebat bertaraf dunia

Sidang Parlimen selama 31 hari bakal berakhir dalam masa tiga minggu lagi, namun masih tidak ada apa-apa tanda yang Ahli-ahli Parlimen Bersatu dan PAS bersedia untuk menunjukkan sifat moderat, inklusif, toleransi, dan integriti supaya Malaysia dapat pulih menjadi sebuah negara hebat bertaraf dunia.

Kerajaan perpaduan Anwar telah lulus ujian 100 hari pertamanya namun Ahli-ahli Parlimen Bersatu dan PAS telah gagal dengan teruk dalam ujian ini.

Rakyat Malaysia masih berharap akan ada reformasi institusi dan penetapan semula dasar-dasar pembinaan negara untuk menyatukan masyarakat majmuk tanpa mengira kaum atau agama dan untuk memulihkan menjadi sebuah negara hebat bertaraf dunia. Prestasi Ahli-ahli Parlimen Bersatu dan PAS telah menguatkan kepercayaan rakyat bahawa kita telah diberikan rahmat yang terselindung apabila Perikatan Nasional gagal untuk membentuk kerajaan persekutuan selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 yang berlangsung pada 19 November 2022 yang lepas.

Malaysia telah menerima ruang bernafas dengan pembentukan kerajaan perpaduan Anwar dan Titah Diraja Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di Pertuan Agong ke-16 semasa istiadat pembukaan Parlimen ke-15 pada 13 Februari 2023 bergema di seluruh negara apabila baginda menyatakan hasrat baginda supaya Anwar Ibrahim menjadi Perdana Menteri terakhir yang dilantiknya sebelum berakhirnya penggal pemerintahan baginda pada bulan Januari tahun hadapan.

Rakyat Malaysia ingat kita sudah berjaya menghentikan skandal berbillion ringgit 1MDB yang telah mencemarkan nama negara di peringkat dunia sebagai sebuah kleptokrasi selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14, namun kita kini dikejutkan pula dengan konspirasi politik Langkah Sheraton yang telah membawa sebuah skandal yang lebih besar, skim Jana Wibawa yang dilancarkan pada bulan November 2020 untuk membantu kontraktor bumiputera semasa wabak Covid-19 melanda negara.

Skandal Jana Wibawa ini lebih mengejutkan apabila ia difahami dalam konteks darurat palsu yang diisytiharkan pada 11 Januari 2021 yang membawa kepada penggantungan sidang Parlimen, kononnya untuk membantu usaha melawan Covid-19 — sedangkan semasa Darurat ini diisytiharkan, kita mencatatkan 2,232 kes harian dengan empat kematian akibat Covid-19, tetapi pada hari terakhir darurat, 1 Ogos 2021, kita mencatatkan 17,150 kes dengan 160 kematian akibat Covid-19, peningkatan kes dan kematian sebanyak lapan dan empat puluh kali ganda.

Kelihatan seperti satu-satunya penerima manfaat dari wabak Covid-19 dan darurat palsu ini adalah para pemimpin Bersatu dan PAS.

Amat mengejutkan apabila Ahli-ahli Parlimen Bersatu dan PAS mengingkari nasihat Yang di Pertuan Agong yang menyeru supaya adanya kestabilan politik bagi membolehkan Malaysia pulih menjadi sebuah negara hebat bertaraf dunia dan mereka juga telah mengingkari seruan dari Raja-Raja Pemerintah untuk berhenti mempolarisasi hubungan antara kaum dan agama dalam negara dengan menggunakan politik toksik penipuan, fitnah, dan berita palsu dan juga seruan untuk menyokong usaha anti-rasuah.

Salah satu cara terbaik untuk menghentikan politik toksik yang mempolarisasikan hubungan antara kaum dan agama dalam negara adalah dengan Presiden PAS, Hadi Awang, menarik semula tuduhan tidak masuk akalnya yang mengatakan DAP mempromosikan Islamofobia memandangkan dia telah gagal untuk memberikan bukti terhadap tuduhan ini dalam empat bulan yang lepas.

Tetapi, Hadi telah melakukan perkara yang sebaliknya. Dia menjangkakan kejatuhan kerajaan perpaduan Anwar, bertentangan secara terang-terangan dengan nasihat Raja-Raja Pemerintah dalam negara.

Tiga minggu terakhir sidang Parlimen ini akan menjadi ujian kepada Ahli-ahli Parlimen Bersatu dan PAS, sama ada mereka bersedia untuk menunjukkan sifat moderat, inklusif, toleransi, dan integriti supaya Malaysia boleh pulih semula menjadi sebuah negara hebat bertaraf dunia, di mana rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira kaum atau agama, bersatu padu semula dan tidak lagi syak wasangka antara satu sama lain.

(Kenyataan Media oleh veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di Petaling Jaya pada hari Rabu, 15 Mac 2023)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 15 March 2023, 12:26 pm and is filed under
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Hadi has proven himself to be a political leader who has no compunction to dabble in lies, falsehoods, and fake news, and who represents an extreme and intolerant instead of a moderate form of Islam

(Versi BM)

PAS President, Hadi Awang, has proved himself to be a political leader who has no compunction to dabble in lies, falsehoods, and fake news, and who represent an extreme and intolerant instead of a moderate form of Islam.

Yesterday was the day Hadi should waxed long and strong for it was the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to combat Islamophobia.

What is Islamophobia?

Islamophobia has been defined as a fear, prejudice, and hatred of Muslims that leads to provocation, hostility, and intolerance by means of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement, and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in the online and offline world.

Motivated by institutional, ideological, political, and religious hostility that transcends into structural and cultural racism, it targets the symbols and markers of being a Muslim.

This definition emphasises the link between institutional levels of Islamophobia and manifestations of such attitudes, triggered by the visibility of the victim’s perceived Muslim identity. This approach also interprets Islamophobia as a form of racism, whereby Islamic religion, tradition and culture are seen as a ‘threat’ to the Western values.

Some experts prefer the label ‘anti-Muslim hatred,’ fearing that the term ‘Islamophobia’ risks condemning all critiques of Islam and, therefore, could stifle freedom of expression.

But international human rights law protects individuals, not religions. And Islamophobia may also affect non-Muslims, based on perceptions of nationality, racial or ethnic background.

But Hadi has gone one step further as he denounced anyone who questions his leadership and politics as guilty of Islamophobia.

It is four months since he made the preposterous allegation that DAP was anti-Malay, anti-Islam, communist, and promoting Islamophobia, but had been unable to present an iota of evidence to substantiate his allegations.

I can say without fear of contradiction that after six decades of Malaysian nation-building, the overwhelming majority of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, accept that Malaysia is a plural society with many races, languages, religions, and cultures.

There is no phobia against any race or religion in Malaysia except for the extremists.

The overwhelming majority of Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, endorse the original nation-building principles of the country in accepting Islam as the official religion with freedom of religion for all faiths, as entrenched in the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara.

I have asked Hadi a number of times whether he accepts the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara on Islam as the official religion and freedom of religion for all faiths, as well as the supremacy of the Malaysian Constitution but there had been no answer.

On the 2023 International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Hadi was conspicuously quiet, while the Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, condemned Islamophobia and all acts of hatred and violence against individuals based on religion or belief, and express Malaysia’s readiness to cooperate, constructively, and collectively, with the world community to combat Islamophobia.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Zambry Abdul Kadir, pledged that Malaysia will not allow Islamophobia to continue unabated as this would implicate the country in violating fundamental human rights.

He stressed that Muslims should have the right to profess their faith without fearing discrimination, persecution, and intimidation as the right to believe and practise one’s religion is enshrined in international law as a fundamental human right.

But Hadi was very quiet on the International Day to Combat Islamophobia in 2023.

Malaysians should be vigilant against political opportunists who used lies and falsehoods about Islamophobia to advance their political interests, not for the sake of any religion but for themselves.

I have called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Hadi’s preposterous allegations of Islamophobia in Malaysia, which he had never reported to the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) Islamophobia Observatory when he was two Prime Ministers’ Special Envoy with Ministerial rank and a RM60,000 monthly salary.

Does Hadi agree with the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry on Islamophobia in Malaysia, with him presenting the cases?

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 16th March 2023)

Hadi telah membuktikan dirinya sebagai seorang pemimpin politik yang tidak mempunyai sebarang rasa kesal untuk menggunakan penipuan, fitnah, dan berita palsu yang cuba membawa satu versi Islam yang bersifat ekstremis dan tidak bertoleransi dan bukannya moderat

Presiden PAS, Hadi Awang, telah membuktikan dirinya sebagai seorang pemimpin politik yang tidak mempunyai sebarang rasa kesal untuk menggunakan penipuan, fitnah, dan berita palsu yang cuba membawa satu versi Islam yang bersifat ekstremis dan tidak bertoleransi dan bukannya moderat.

Semalam adalah hari di mana Hadi sepatutnya bercakap panjang lebar memandangkan semalam adalah Hari Antarabangsa Menentang Islamofobia, hari yang ditetapkan oleh Perhimpunan Agung Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu untuk menentang Islamofobia.

Apakah itu Islamofobia?

Islamofobia telah ditakrifkan sebagai ketakutan, prejudis, dan kebencian terhadap orang Islam yang membawa kepada provokasi, permusuhan, gangguan, hasutan, dan ugutan terhadap orang Islam dan orang bukan Islam, baik di dunia atas talian atau dunia sebenar.

Dimotivasikan oleh permusuhan institusi, ideologi, politik, dan keagamaan yang merentasi rasisme struktural dan kebudayaan, Islamofobia menyasarkan simbol dan tanda-tanda menjadi seorang Muslim.

Takrifan ini menekankan hubungan di antara tahap Islamofobia di peringkat institusi dan manifestasi sikap-sikap ini apabila dicetuskan oleh keterampilan identiti Muslim mangsa.

Pendekatan ini juga menafsirkan Islamofobia sebagai satu bentuk rasisme, di mana agama, tradisi, dan budaya Islam dilihat sebagai satu “ancaman” kepada nilai-nilai Barat.

Sesetengah pakar lebih gemar menggunakan label “kebencian anti-Muslim” kerana mereka bimbang terma “Islamofobia” berisiko mengecam semua bentuk kritikan terhadap Islam dan berpotensi menyekat kebebasan bersuara.

Tetapi, undang-undang hak asasi manusia antarabangsa melindungi individu, dan bukannya agama. Islamofobia juga berpotensi untuk memberikan kesan kepada orang bukan Islam melalui persepsi latar belakang kewarganegaraan, perkauman, atau etnik.

Namun, Hadi telah satu langkah lagi ke hadapan apabila dia mengatakan sesiapa yang mempersoalkan kepimpinannya sebagai bersifat Islamofobik.

Sudah empat bulan berlalu sejak dia mula membuat tuduhan tidak masuk akalnya yang mengatakan kononnya DAP bersifat anti Melayu, anti Islam, komunis, dan mempromosikan Islamofobia, tetapi sehingga hari ini dia masih gagal untuk menunjukkan satu pun bukti untuk tuduhannya ini.

Saya boleh bercakap tanpa perlu risau dengan percanggahan yang selepas enam dekad usaha membina negara bangsa Malaysia, sejumlah majoriti besar rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira kaum, agama, atau kawasan, menerima yang Malaysia adalah sebuah negara majmuk berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya.

Tidak ada sebarang fobia terhadap mana-mana kaum atau agama dalam Malaysia kecuali dalam kalangan pihak pelampau.

Majoriti rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum atau agama menerima prinsip pembinaan negara dengan Islam sebagai agama rasmi negara dan kebebasan untuk mengamalkan agama-agama lain dijamin seperti yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan persekutuan dan Rukun Negara.

Saya pernah berkali-kali bertanya kepada Hadi sama ada dia menerima kedudukan Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Rukun Negara mengenai Islam sebagai agama rasmi Persekutuan dan kebebasan beragama untuk semua kepercayaan lain, dan juga mengenai keluhuran Perlembagaan tetapi saya tidak pernah menerima sebarang jawapan.

Pada Hari Menentang Islamofobia 2023, Hadi sangat senyap, sementara Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim lantang mengecam Islamofobia dan semua bentuk kebencian dan keganasan terhadap mana-mana individu berasaskan latar belakang agama atau kepercayaan serta menyatakan kesediaan Malaysia untuk bekerjasama dengan komuniti antarabangsa secara konstruktif untuk menentang Islamofobia.

Manakala Menteri Luar Negeri, Zambry Abdul Kadir, berikrar yang Malaysia tidak akan membiarkan Islamofobia untuk terus berleluasa kerana perkara ini akan mencemarkan nama negara dengan pencabulan hak asasi manusia.

Dia menekankan yang orang Islam berhak untuk menganuti kepercayaan masing-masing tanpa perlu risau mengenai diskriminasi, penindasan, dan ugutan kerana hak untuk menganuti dan mengamalkan kepercayaan masing-masing termaktub dalam undang-undang antarabangsa sebagai hak asasi manusia.

Tetapi Hadi terus berdiam diri pada Hari Menentang Islamofobia 2023.

Rakyat Malaysia perlu terus berhati-hati dengan oportunis politik yang menggunakan penipuan dan fitnah mengenai Islamofobia untuk membawa kepentingan politik mereka, bukan untuk mana-mana agama, sebaliknya hanya demi kepentingan sendiri.

Saya telah menyeru supaya sebuah Suruhanjaya Siasatan Diraja ditubuhkan untuk menyiasat dakwaan tidak masuk akal Hadi yang mengatakan ada Islamofobia di Malaysia, yang dia sendiri tidak pernah laporkan kepada Pemerhati Islamofobia Pertubuhan Kerjasama Islam (OIC) semasa dia menjadi Duta Khas Perdana Menteri bertaraf Menteri yang dibayar RM60,000 sebulan.

Adakah Hadi bersetuju dengan penubuhan Suruhanjaya Siasatan Diraja mengenai Islamofobia di Malaysia, dengan kehadirannya untuk membentangkan kesnya?

(Kenyataan Media oleh veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di Petaling Jaya pada hari Khamis, 16 Mac 2023)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 16 March 2023, 11:13 am and is filed under
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Call on Malaysians to continue to pursue the Malaysian Dream where Malaysia, as a plural nation of diverse races, languages, religions, and cultures could be an example to the world of inter-racial, inter-religious, and inter-civilisational understanding, harmony, and peace

(Versi BM)

Call on Malaysians to continue to pursue the Malaysian Dream where Malaysia, as a plural nation of diverse races, languages, religions, and cultures could be an example to the world of inter-racial, inter-religious, and inter-civilisational understanding, harmony and peace.

I returned to Malacca last night with my children Guan Eng, Hui Ming and Hui Ying for an evening with comrades who have shared with my joys and sorrows for over half a century since I started my electoral and political journey as Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka in 1969.

The evening, organised by the DAP MP for Kota Melaka, Khoo Poay Tiong to celebrate my 82nd birthday, was most nostalgic as it invoked memories going back to the sixties.

I became an MP when I was 28 and the first thing that happened to me was to be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

I was in Kota Kinabalu when May 13, 1969 riots took place in Kuala Lumpur and I was as shocked as anybody else.

I was forewarned that I was on the list to be detained under ISA and advised by family members, party comrades and friends not to return to Kuala Lumpur but to remain outside the country until the political crisis was over.

I could not accept the advice. I felt that I had just been elected MP by the people in Malacca town and when the people were facing a crisis, I should be with them instead of running away from the country.

I came back to Kuala Lumpur and was detained under the ISA and started my first ISA detention 17 months.

There were three things which were the highlights of my three parliamentary terms as MP for Malacca town — the “Save Bukit China” campaign, the Malacca General Hospital infant deaths scandal but most important of all, the pursuit of the Malaysian Dream.

I must thank the former Inspector-General of Police, Hanif Omar, who got a police document under Official Secrets Act (OSA) declassified in 2020 when I sued him for defamation — a 54-year-old report of police interrogation of me when I was in police custody during my first sixty-days of the ISA detention in the Kuala Selangor police lock-up in 1969.

This declassified document showed that as far back as 1969, we were in pursuit of the Malaysian Dream. This is what I told the police in 1969:

“My Political Stand

83. Like any colleagues in the DAP, I believe:

(a) That Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural society, and that a viable Malaysian nation can only be formed if all the races and groups in the country are given an equal stake in the Malaysian sun.

(b) that in a multi-racial society like Malaysia, violence and any ideology of force, as for instance advocated by the CPM can only lead to the disintegration of the country because it quickly degenerates into racial conflict. I therefore deplore force and violence of all forms.

(c) that in a multi-racial society, if any racial group feels it is backward, either educationally, economically, culturally, linguistically, or politically, then racial antagonism will be created. Every attempt must be made to remove these imbalances between the races and groups.

(d) that poverty is not a communal problem. It is a socio-economic problem. To regard poverty as a racial problem is to increase racial antagonism in this country.

(e) that democratic socialism can close the gap between the haves and the have-nots of all races.

(f) that I want a clean, honest, efficient, incorruptible, and effective government.

(g) that only parliamentary democracy can prevent a racial clash. Any other form of government will only lead to racial mistrust.

(h) that communism is unconducive in a multi-racial society like Malaysia.

I have remained true and consistent in these goals and principles of the Malaysian Dream throughout my political life of over half a century.

In 1986, I shifted to Tanjong to make Penang the front-line state in the pursuit of the Malaysian Dream.

I have been Member of Parliament in five states, including Petaling in Selangor in 1978, Ipoh Timor in Perak from 2004-2013, Gelang Patah from 2013-2018 and Iskandar Puteri from 2018-2022 in Johore, and all the five parliamentary constituencies have become strongholds in pursuit of the Malaysian Dream.

But this is inadequate, for we do not want just five parliamentary constituencies or 40 parliamentary constituencies to become strongholds in the pursuit of the Malaysian Dream, we want the whole country to be in pursuit of the Malaysian Dream.

But this is where the trouble started.

When the DAP is regarded as a party which only attracted the support of the Non-Malays, the DAP was by and large ignored by the parties which solicited support from the Malays.

But when the DAP seemed capable of crossing the race barrier and able to secure Malay support on its own, the DAP was accused of being anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Royalty, communist and lately of promoting Islamophobia and I was accused of causing the May 13, 1969 riots, although I was never in Kuala Lumpur during the relevant period.

How can DAP be anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Royalty, communist and promoting Islamophobia when we want to be a political party representing all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region; when Lim Guan Eng sacrificed his MP-ship and went to jail for defending the dignity of an underaged Malay girl; and I have never harboured a single hostile thought against the Malays or Islam?

But we who are committed to the pursuit of the Malaysian Dream must persevere. There is no conspiracy in the country against any race or religion. We do not want Malaysia to degenerate into a War of Races or War of Religions.

On the contrary, we want Malaysia to reset and reunite Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, by returning to the original nation-building principles the nation’s founding fathers have written into Constitution and Rukun Negara, and fulfil the aspiration of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, for Malaysia to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

This is the challenge for all Malaysians — to continue to pursue the Malaysian Dream where Malaysia, as a plural nation of diverse races, languages, religions and cultures could be an example to the world of “Unity in Diversity” and inter-racial, inter-religious and inter-civilisational understanding, harmony and peace.

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 17th March 2023)

Seruan kepada rakyat Malaysia untuk terus mengejar Impian Malaysia, di mana Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara majmuk dengan kepelbagaian kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya dapat menjadi contoh persefahaman, keharmonian, dan keamanan antara kaum, agama, dan tamadun

Saya kembali ke Melaka semalam bersama dengan anak saya, Guan Eng, Hui Ming, dan Hui Ying untuk satu petang bersama dengan komrad yang telah berkongsi kegembiraan dan kesedihan dengan saya selama setengah abad sepanjang perjalanan politik saya sejak menjadi Ahli Parlimen Kota Melaka pada tahun 1969.

Majlis yang dianjurkan oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Kota Melaka, Khoo Poay Tiong ini amatlah nostalgik, kerana ia mengingatkan saya semula kepada memori lampau pada tahun enam puluhan.

Saya menjadi seorang Ahli Parlimen ketika saya berusia 28 tahun dan perkara pertama yang berlaku kepada saya adalah saya ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA).

Saya berada di Kota Kinabalu semasa rusuhan 13 Mei 1969 tercetus di Kuala Lumpur dan saya, seperti orang lain terkejut mengenai rusuhan ini.

Saya diberikan amaran yang saya berada dalam senarai orang untuk ditahan di bawah ISA dan saya dinasihatkan oleh ahli keluarga, komrad parti, dan rakan-rakan untuk tidak kembali ke Kuala Lumpur, sebaliknya untuk kekal berada di luar negara sehingga krisis politik ini selesai.

Saya tidak dapat menerima nasihat ini. Saya rasa bahawa saya baru sahaja dipilih sebagai seorang Ahli Parlimen oleh rakyat bandar Melaka dan apabila rakyat sedang berhadapan dengan krisis, saya patut bersama dengan mereka dan bukannya melarikan diri.

Saya pulang ke Kuala Lumpur dan ditahan di bawah ISA selama 17 bulan.

Ada tiga perkara yang menjadi tumpuan utama sepanjang tiga penggal khidmat saya sebagai Ahli Parlimen Kota Melaka — kempen “Selamatkan Bukit China”, skandal kematian bayi di Hospital Melaka, dan yang paling penting sekali, usaha mengejar Impian Malaysia.

Saya perlu berterima kasih kepada bekas Ketua Polis Negara, Hanif Omar, yang berjaya menyahrasiakan satu dokumen polis yang sebelum ini dirahsiakan di bawah Akta Rahsia Rasmi (OSA) pada tahun 2020 apabila saya menyamannya — satu laporan soal siasat polis semasa saya ditahan selama 60 hari di lokap Balai Polis Kuala Selangor dari 54 tahun yang lepas.

Dokumen ini menunjukkan yang seawal 1969, kami telah mengejar Impian Malaysia. Berikut adalah apa yang saya katakan kepada pihak polis pada tahun 1969:

“83. Seperti mana-mana rakan-rakan dalam DAP, saya percaya:

(a) Malaysia adalah sebuah masyarakat pelbagai kaum, bahasa, dan budaya, dan sebuah bangsa Malaysia yang berdaya maju hanya boleh dibentuk sekiranya semua kaum dan kumpulan dalam negara ini diberikan kepentingan yang sama.

(b) bahawa dalam masyarakat pelbagai kaum seperti di Malaysia, keganasan dan sebarang ideologi paksaan, misalnya seperti yang dibawa oleh PKM, yang akan membawa kepada kemusnahan negara kerana perkara ini akan secara pantas membawa kepada konflik perkauman. Oleh itu, saya mengecam paksaan dan keganasan dalam semua bentuk.

(c) bahawa dalam masyarakat pelbagai kaum, sekiranya ada mana-mana kumpulan kaum berasa yang mereka ketinggalan, baik dari pendidikan, ekonomi, budaya, bahasa, atau politik, maka antagonisme perkauman akan wujud. Segala usaha diperlukan untuk menghapuskan ketidakseimbangan di antara kaum dan kumpulan ini.

(d) bahawa kemiskinan bukanlah masalah perkauman. Ia adalah masalah sosio-ekonomi. Untuk menganggap kemiskinan sebagai masalah perkauman hanya akan meningkatkan antagonisme perkauman di dalam negara ini.

(e) bahawa sosialisme demokratik boleh menutup jurang di antara mereka yang berada dan mereka yang tidak berada dari kalangan semua kaum.

(f) bahawa saya mahukan kerajaan yang bersih, jujur, efisien, berdaya tahan terhadap rasuah, dan berkesan.

(g) bahawa hanya demokrasi berparlimen sahaja yang boleh mengelakkan pertembungan perkauman. Sebarang bentuk kerajaan yang lain hanya akan membawa kepada syak wasangka perkauman.

(h) bahawa komunisme tidak kondusif dalam masyarakat pelbagai kaum di Malaysia.”

Saya terus berpegang dengan konsisten kepada matlamat dan prinsip-prinsip Impian Malaysia ini sepanjang kerjaya politik saya dalam setengah abad yang lepas.

Pada tahun 1986, saya berpindah ke Tanjong untuk menjadikan Pulau Pinang negeri barusan hadapan dalam usaha mengejar Impian Malaysia.

Saya telah menjadi Ahli Parlimen di lima negeri, termasuklah Petaling di Selangor pada tahun 1978, Ipoh Timor di Perak untuk tahun 2004-2013, Gelang Patah untuk 2013-2018, dan Iskandar Puteri untuk 2018-2022 di Johor dan kelima-lima kerusi parlimen ini telah menjadi kubu kuat Impian Malaysia.

Tetapi, perkara ini tidak mencukupi, kerana kita tidak mahu lima atau 40 kerusi kawasan parlimen menjadi kubu kuat Impian Malaysia, sebaliknya kita mahu seluruh negara bersama-sama mengejar Impian Malaysia.

Namun, di sini bermulanya masalah.

Semasa DAP dianggap sebagai parti yang hanya menarik sokongan orang bukan Melayu, DAP diabaikan oleh parti-parti yang menarik sokongan dari kalangan orang Melayu.

Tetapi, apabila DAP dilihat sebagai mampu melangkaui sempadan perkauman dengan sendiri, DAP dituduh kononnya sebagai anti Melayu, anti Islam, anti Raja, komunis, dan kebelakangan ini, dituduh juga sebagai kononnya mempromosikan Islamofobia malah saya juga dituduh sebagai mencetuskan rusuhan 13 Mei 1969 sedangkan saya tidak berada di Kuala Lumpur dalam tempoh masa rusuhan tersebut.

Bagaimanakah DAP boleh menjadi anti Melayu, anti Islam, anti Raja, komunis, dan mempromosikan Islamofobia sedangkan kami mahu menjadi sebuah parti politik yang mewakili suara semua rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira latar belakang kaum, agama, atau kawasan; apabila Lim Guan Eng mengorbankan kedudukannya sebagai Ahli Parlimen dan ke penjara untuk mempertahankan maruah seorang gadis Melayu bawah umur; dan saya tidak pernah memikirkan satu pun fikiran buruk terhadap orang Melayu atau Islam?

Tetapi, kita yang komited untuk mengejar Impian Malaysia perlu terus tabah. Tidak ada sebarang konspirasi dalam negara ini terhadap mana-mana kaum atau agama. Kita tidak mahu Malaysia jatuh ke kancah Perang Kaum atau Perang Agama.

Sebaliknya, kita mahu Malaysia untuk pulih dan menyatukan semua rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira kaum atau agama, dengan mengembalikan negara kita kepada prinsip-prinsip asas yang diterapkan oleh tokoh kemerdekaan negara dalam Perlembagaan dan Rukun Negara untuk memenuhi aspirasi Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, untuk Malaysia menjadi “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu”.

Inilah cabarannya kepada semua rakyat Malaysia — untuk meneruskan usaha mengejar Impian Malaysia di mana Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara majmuk dengan kepelbagaian kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya dapat menjadi contoh “Perpaduan dari Kepelbagaian” dan tauladan persefahaman, keharmonian, dan keamanan antara kaum, agama, dan tamadun kepada dunia.

(Kenyataan Media oleh veteran DAP Lim Kit Siang di Petaling Jaya pada hari Jumaat, 17 Mac 2023)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 17 March 2023, 8:50 am and is filed under
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Full support for Anwar’s policy of zero tolerance for racial and religious incitement and putting security forces on alert for possible unrest

I fully support the 10th Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim’s policy of zero tolerance for racial and religious incitement to create and prolong political instability and putting security forces on alert for possible unrest.

Malaysia needs a reset to return to the original nation-building principles the nation’s founding fathers have written in the Constitution and the Rukun Negara — to unite Malaysia’s plural society to restore our national goal to be a first-rate world-class nation with world-class political, economic, educational, and social systems so as to fulfil Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”, and to demonstrate to the world Malaysia’s “Unity in Diversity”.

Certain political leaders have defied the 16th Yang di Pertuan Agong’s advice during the opening of the 15th Parliament on political stability and predicted the imminent collapse of the Anwar unity government.

Strong measures must be taken to ensure that there should not be another Sheraton Move political conspiracy or unconstitutional suspension of Parliament and that a vote of confidence in Parliament is the only measure in Malaysia’s system of parliamentary democracy to change a federal government.

As the Anwar unity government had overwhelmingly passed a vote of confidence in Parliament only in December last year, there must be no room for undemocratic and unconstitutional plotters to subvert parliamentary democracy.

It is a matter of grave concern to patriotic Malaysians that the divisive and toxic politics of lies, falsehood, and fake news to polarise race and religious relations had increased after the 15th General Election on Nov. 19, 2022 — with the hurling of wild and preposterous allegations without any substantiation whatsoever, like the preposterous allegation that DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Royalty, communist, promoting Islamophobia, and the equally preposterous claim of low 60 per cent Malay voter turnout as compared to 98 per cent non-Malay voter turnout.

What is even more shocking is the completely senseless statement that the Malays in Malaysia are losing political power.

If Malaysia is to reset and return to the original nation-building principles written by the nation’s founding fathers in the Constitution and the Rukun Negara, we cannot allow untrammelled incitement along race and religious lines.

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday,17th March 2023)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 17 March 2023, 6:05 pm and is filed under
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