Johore voters must be clear about the direction of their future as there may be  280 to 300 candidates vying for election in the Johore state general election

(Versi BM)

The Johore voters must be clear about the direction of their future as there may be 280 to 300 candidates vying for election in the Johore state general election.

In Sabah general election in September 2020, there were 447 candidates vying for 73 state assembly seats in Sabah or a ratio of 6.1 candidates to one seat.

In the Malacca state general election in November 2021, 112 candidates vied for 29 state assembly seats in Malacca or a ratio of four candidates to one seat.

In the Sarawak state general election in December 2021, 349 candidates vied for 82 seats for Sarawak or a ratio of 4.3 candidates to one seat.

Malaysia is in the most chaotic and confused political state, and many think this is time for them to time for them to act and for soldiers of fortune to believe they have an opportunity to strike gold.

In the Sabah general election, a total of 275 out of the 447 candidates or 61.5% who contested in the Sabah State Election lost their deposits after failing to garner the requisite one eighth or 12.5 percent of the total votes counted.

In the Malacca general election, a total of 33 of the 112 candidates or 29.5% of the candidates in the Melaka state election lost their deposits, including all the 22 independent candidates.

In Sarawak, a total of 169 of the 349 candidates or 47.1% of the candidates in the Sarawak state general elections lost their deposits.

Many political parties have been formed or expanded recently but how many of them are by people of intense beliefs and ideals, and who are prepared to but national and state vision above personal interests?

Time will tell but I believe that “political frogs” and “political poachers” do not belong to those who are prepared to put national interest above self-interests and do not belong to those with intense beliefs and ideals and vision.

Maximum efforts must be made to cut down the number of candidates in the Johore state general election so that the choice before the voters of Johore is clear, as there is no purpose to be like political parties which fielded double-digit number of candidates but lose deposits on all their candidates or fielded over seventy candidates but over 90 per cent of its candidates lost their deposits.

UMNO appears to be supremely confident that it will win big in the Johore state general election, and even win with two-thirds State Assembly majority – but that is exactly what the former UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak thought Barisan Nasional would win even on the evening of the 14th General Election Polling Day on May 9, 2018 when he had actually lost power.

It is obvious that the UMNO “Court Cluster” wants the Johore state general election to be a rehearsal of early 15th General Election possibly in the first half of 2022, but will Malaysians see the return of the kleptocrats to the reins of power and a convicted criminal on corruption as the 10th or 11th Prime Minister of Malaysia?

(Media Statement (2) DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 26th January 2022)

Pengundi di Johor perlu mempunyai hala tuju masa hadapan yang jelas memandangkan mereka mungkin berhadapan dengan 280 ke 300 orang calon dalam PRN Johor

Pengundi di Johor perlu mempunyai hala tuju masa hadapan yang jelas memandangkan mereka mungkin berhadapan dengan 280 ke 300 orang calon dalam Pilihan Raya Negeri (PRN) Johor.

Dalam PRN Sabah pada September 2020, terdapat 447 orang calon yang bertanding di 73 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri di Sabah, dengan nisbah 6.1 calon per kerusi.

Dalam PRN Melaka pada bulan November 2021, 112 orang calon bertanding untuk 29 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri, nisbah empat orang calon per kerusi.

Manakala dalam PRN Sarawak pada bulan Disember 2021, 349 calon bertanding untuk 82 kerusi atau nisbah 4.3 calon kepada satu kerusi.

Malaysia berada dalam keadaan politik yang paling huru-hara dan bercelaru, dan ramai beranggapan inilah masanya untuk mereka meluangkan masa untuk mereka bertindak dan askar-askar nasib percaya mereka mempunyai peluang untuk meraih emas.

Pada pilihan raya umum Sabah, seramai 275 daripada 447 calon atau 61.5% yang bertanding dalam Pilihan Raya Negeri Sabah kehilangan wang deposit selepas gagal memperoleh satu per lapan atau 12.5 peratus daripada jumlah undi yang dikira.

Pada pilihan raya umum Melaka, seramai 33 daripada 112 calon atau 29.5% daripada calon dalam pilihan raya negeri Melaka kehilangan wang deposit termasuk kesemua 22 calon bebas.

Di Sarawak, sebanyak 169 daripada 349 calon atau 47.1% daripada calon dalam pilihan raya umum negeri Sarawak kehilangan wang deposit.

Banyak parti politik telah ditubuhkan atau diperluaskan baru-baru ini tetapi berapa banyak yang terdiri daripada kalangan mereka yang mempunyai kepercayaan dan idea, yang bersedia untuk meletakkan kepentingan negara di atas kepentingan peribadi sendiri.

Hanya masa yang akan menunjukkannya, tetapi saya percaya yang “katak politik” dan “pemburu politik” tidak tergolong dalam kalangan mereka yang bersedia untuk meletakkan kepentingan negara di atas kepentingan peribadi dan tidak tergolong dalam mereka yang mempunyai prinsip dan visi untuk negara.

Usaha maksima diperlukan untuk mengurangkan jumlah calon dalam PRN Johor ini supaya senarai yang diberikan kepada para pengundi di Johor ini jelas. Tidak ada gunanya untuk parti-parti politik mencalonkan terlalu ramai calon dan kemudiannya kehilangan deposit atau mencalonkan tujuh puluh calon dengan 90 peratus calon kehilangan deposit.

UMNO nampaknya amat yakin bahawa ia akan menang besar dalam pilihan raya negeri Johor, malah mungkin menang dengan majoriti dua pertiga di Dewan Undangan Negeri – tetapi itulah juga jangkaan bekas Perdana Menteri UMNO Najib Razak yang Barisan Nasional akan menang sehinggalah malam pilihan raya umum ke-14, pada 9 Mei 2018 di mana Barisan Nasional akhirnya dikalahkan.

Jelas sekali bahawa “Kluster Mahkamah” UMNO mahukan pilihan raya umum negeri Johor menjadi latihan awal Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 yang mungkin diadakan pada separuh pertama tahun 2022, tetapi adakah rakyat Malaysia akan menyaksikan kedatangan semula golongan kleptokrat ke tampuk kuasa dan penjenayah yang telah disabitkan dengan kesalahan rasuah sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-10 atau ke-11?

(Kenyataan Media (2) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Rabu, 26 Januari 2022)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 26 January 2022, 4:14 pm and is filed under
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Cabinet utterly impotent when it dared not discipline Azam Baki as MACC Chief Commissioner as Azam together with his counterparts in Botswana, Cyprus and Argentina, forms a quartet of the worst anti-corruption agency heads in the world

(Versi BM)

The Cabinet was utterly impotent yesterday when it dared not discipline Azam Baki as MACC Chief Commissioner as Azam together with his counterparts in Botswana, Cyprus and Argentina, forms the quartet for the worst anti-corruption agency heads in the world for Malaysia’s dropping five points in score and 11 points in rank in the last two years in the TI CPI 2020 and 2021.

If this is not infamy, I do not know what “infamy” means.

In countries where there is integrity and accountability, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner would have handed in his resignation at the atrocious TI CPI 2020/2021 reports but not in Malaysia.

For nearly one month, Malaysia was convulsed in government and parliamentary paralysis by what is best term Azam-gate where the country’s chief anti-corruption officer failed to be a prime example of integrity, probity and accountability with his shareholding scandal.

The hope that Malaysia might become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity by 2030 under the Pakatan Harapan government was destroyed by the Sheraton Move conspiracy on Feb. 26, 2020 and we have now the sorry TI CPI 2020/2021 reports.

The country was promised that under the former UMNO-BN regime in the last decade that Malaysia would achieve the target to be in the top 30 countries in the world in public integrity and anti-corruption.

Studying the TI CPI ranking and score for the 24-year series of TI CPI from 1995-2018, there was no ground for anyone to believe that the target of Malaysia being ranked in the top 30 countries of TI CPI 2020 could be achieved.

Countries which had been down on the list of the TI CPI ranking in the first series in 1995, like China, Thailand, India and Indonesia, were fast catching up to Malaysia’s level, which had regressed since 1995.

Fortunately, this trajectory was stopped when the Pakatan Harapan government took over, and in the TI CPI 2019, Malaysia achieved the best TI CPI performance in 25 years with a single-year improvement of six points for TI CPI score and 10 placings for TI CPI ranking – a ranking of No. 51 and score of 53 out of the 100.

Now we are back on the slippery slope of corruption as before the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 and the worst is yet to come from Azam-gate and worsening of the system of integrity in public life.

Malaysians are entitled to ask whether Malaysia will overtake China in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) just as Malaysia had overtaken China in cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, a feat that was supposed to be impossible considering that China has a population which is 40 times larger than Malaysia!

From the TI CPI records of the Najib administration from 2010-2018, it is likely that China would have overtaken Malaysia in the TI CPI series before 2030.

This was stopped by the 14th General Election in 20118 as the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government made it quite an impossible task for China to overtake Malaysia in TI CPI reports.

But with the Sheraton Move conspiracy and the two backdoor Muhyiddin and Ismail Sabri governments, China may overtake Malaysia in both TI CPI score and ranking by 2025!

China was ranked No. 40 with a CPI score of 2.16 out of 10 in 1995. In 2018, China was ranked No. 87 with a CPI score of 39 out of 100.

In 2021, China is ranked No. 66 with a CPI score of 45. – three points behind Malaysia’s 48.

In the last two years, China gained 4 points in the CPI score to reach 45 out of 100 while Malaysia lost five points to reach a CPI score of 48 out of 100.

Will Malaysia lose out to China in the TI CPI before 2025, or even sooner?

Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Muhammad Mohan warned that Indonesia is “improving slowly” over the past few years and Malaysia should be careful as “one day Indonesia may overtake us”.

In the TI CPI 2021, Indonesia is ranked No. 96 with a score of 38 as compared to Malaysia’s rank of 62 and score of 48.

The sad scenario of Indonesia overtaking Malaysia may come about before 2030 if Malaysia continues to regress in anti-corruption while Indonesia continues to make progress on this front.

In the TI CPI 2021, Indonesia improves its score by one point while Malaysia drops by three points.

If Malaysia does not buck up in the anti-corruption front, it is not inconceivable that Indonesia may even overtake Malaysia in the TI CPI before 2025!

That will the saddest day for Malaysia.

The corruption question should be in the forefront of the issues in the Johore state general election – is Malaysia to become one of the world’s top 30 countries in integrity and accountability or is Malaysia to relapse to be a kleptocracy and the laughing-stock of the world.

A leading Hong Kong daily had posed the question: “In Johor election, is Malaysia’s Umno seeking stability or a ‘get-out-of-jail’ card for Najib?”

This is a question to be answered by voters of Johore.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 27th January 2020)

Kabinet benar-benar lemah kerana tidak berani mengambil tindakan terhadap Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Azam Baki sedangkan Azam bersama rakan sejawatannya di Botswana, Cyprus dan Argentina, membentuk kuartet ketua agensi antirasuah terburuk di dunia selepas Malaysia jatuh lima mata dan 11 anak tangga dalam TI CPI 2020 dan 2021

Kabinet benar-benar lemah kerana tidak berani mengambil tindakan terhadap Ketua Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), Azam Baki sedangkan Azam bersama rakan sejawatannya di Botswana, Cyprus dan Argentina, membentuk kuartet ketua agensi antirasuah terburuk di dunia selepas Malaysia jatuh lima mata dan 11 anak tangga dalam TI CPI 2020 dan 2021.

Jika ini bukan dipanggil keburukan, mungkin kita ada pemahaman yang berlainan tentang apa itu “keburukan”.

Di negara yang mempunyai integriti dan akauntabiliti, Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM sudah tentu akan menyerahkan peletakan jawatannya atas laporan TI CPI 2020/2021 yang begitu buruk, namun ia tidak berlaku di Malaysia.

Selama hampir sebulan, Malaysia dilanda kelumpuhan kerajaan dan parlimen akibat skandal Azam apabila ketua pegawai anti-rasuah negara itu gagal menjadi contoh integriti, kejujuran dan akauntabiliti berhubung dakwaan pegangan saham yang dihadapinya.

Harapan bahawa Malaysia boleh menjadi salah satu daripada 30 negara teratas dunia dalam soal integriti menjelang 2030 di bawah kerajaan Pakatan Harapan telah dimusnahkan oleh Langkah Sheraton pada 26 Februari 2020 dan kini kita terpaksa pula menerima keputusan corot dalam TI CPI 2021.

Negara telah dijanjikan bahawa di bawah bekas rejim UMNO-BN pada dekad lalu bahawa Malaysia akan mencapai sasaran untuk berada dalam 30 negara teratas dunia dalam soal integriti dan pembanterasan rasuah.

Mengkaji kedudukan dan markah TI CPI untuk siri 24 tahun TI CPI dari 1995-2018, tiada alasan untuk sesiapa percaya bahawa sasaran Malaysia berada dalam kedudukan 30 negara teratas TI CPI 2020 boleh dicapai.

Negara-negara yang telah turun dalam senarai penarafan TI CPI dalam siri pertama pada tahun 1995, seperti China, Thailand, India dan Indonesia, pantas mengejar kedudukan Malaysia, yang telah mengalami kemunduran sejak 1995.

Mujurlah, trajektori ini dihentikan apabila kerajaan Pakatan Harapan mengambil alih, dan dalam TI CPI 2019, Malaysia mencapai prestasi TI CPI terbaik dalam tempoh 25 tahun dengan peningkatan enam mata untuk skor TI CPI dan kenaikkan 10 anak tangga dalam ranking TI CPI – kedudukan ke-51 dan skor 53 daripada 100.

Kini kita kembali terjerumus ke dalam kancah rasuah seperti sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 9 Mei 2018 dan perkara buruk bakal berlaku akibat daripada skandal Azam dan kemerosotan sistem integriti dalam kehidupan awam.

Rakyat Malaysia berhak bertanya sama ada Malaysia akan mengatasi China dalam Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) Transparency International (TI) sebagaimana Malaysia telah mengatasi China dalam jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19, satu pencapaian yang sepatutnya mustahil memandangkan China telah populasi yang 40 kali lebih besar daripada Malaysia!

Daripada rekod TI CPI pentadbiran Najib dari 2010-2018, berkemungkinan China akan mengatasi Malaysia dalam siri TI CPI sebelum 2030.

Ini telah dihentikan oleh Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 2018 kerana kerajaan Pakatan Harapan selama 22 bulan menyukarkan China untuk memintas Malaysia dalam laporan TI CPI.

Tetapi dengan konspirasi Langkah Sheraton dan terbentuknya dua kerajaan yang dipimpin Muhyiddin dan Ismail Sabri, China mungkin mengatasi Malaysia dalam kedua-dua skor dan ranking TI CPI menjelang 2025!

China berada di kedudukan No. 40 dengan skor CPI 2.16 daripada 10 pada tahun 1995. Pada 2018, China berada di kedudukan No. 87 dengan skor CPI 39 daripada 100.

Pada 2021, China berada di kedudukan No. 66 dengan skor CPI 45. – tiga mata di belakang Malaysia 48.

Dalam dua tahun lalu, China memperoleh 4 mata dalam skor CPI dengan mencapai 45 daripada 100 markah manakala Malaysia kehilangan lima mata dengan mencapai skor CPI 48 daripada 100.

Adakah Malaysia akan tewas kepada China dalam TI CPI sebelum 2025, atau lebih awal lagi?

Presiden Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) Muhammad Mohan memberi amaran bahawa Indonesia “semakin bertambah baik” sejak beberapa tahun lalu dan Malaysia harus berhati-hati kerana “suatu hari nanti Indonesia mungkin akan mengatasi kita”.

Dalam TI CPI 2021, Indonesia berada di kedudukan No. 96 dengan skor 38 berbanding kedudukan Malaysia 62 dan skor 48.

Senario menyedihkan Indonesia mengatasi Malaysia mungkin berlaku sebelum 2030 jika Malaysia terus mundur dalam usaha pencegahan rasuah manakala Indonesia terus membuat kemajuan dalam bidang ini.

Dalam TI CPI 2021, Indonesia meningkatkan skornya dengan satu mata manakala Malaysia menurun sebanyak tiga mata.

Jika Malaysia tidak bangkit, tidak dapat dibayangkan bahawa Indonesia mungkin akan mengatasi Malaysia dalam TI CPI sebelum 2025!

Itu akan menjadi hari paling sedih bagi Malaysia.

Persoalan rasuah sepatutnya menjadi topik penting dalam pilihan raya negeri Johor – adakah Malaysia akan menjadi salah satu daripada 30 negara teratas dunia dalam soal integriti dan akauntabiliti atau adakah Malaysia akan kembali menjadi kleptokrasi dan bahan ketawa dunia.

Akhbar harian terkemuka Hong Kong telah mengemukakan soalan: “Dalam pilihan raya Johor, adakah Umno Malaysia mencari kestabilan atau mahu mencari cara untuk membebaskan Najib?”

Ini adalah persoalan yang perlu dijawab oleh pengundi Johor.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 27 Januari 2020)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 27 January 2022, 7:17 am and is filed under
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Make Johore Dream the Malaysian Dream to restore strong institutions by upholding  Rukun Negara principles of constitutional monarchy, vibrant parliamentary democracy, doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, a free press, respect for human rights and the multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural character of Malaysia, least corruption and an accountable public service with integrity and efficiency

(Versi BM)

As a Johorean, I want to see the forthcoming Johore state general election the start of the process to reverse the national decline of last half a century from a nearly an economic “tiger” to the trajectory of a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state.

This is the Johore Dream.

We must make the Johore Dream the Malaysian Dream to restore strong institutions by upholding the Rukun Negara principles of constitutional monarchy, vibrant parliamentary democracy, doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, a free press, respect for human rights and the multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious character of Malaysia, least corruption and an accountable public service with integrity and efficiency.

Is this too tall an order?

I do not think so. We must try as it is better to try to achieve what is best for Johore and Malaysia and fail to never to try at all.

Many things have been achieved since the historic 14th General Election of May 9, 2018, although many wrongs have still to be put right and in some instances, things have got worse in the last two years.

For one, there is greater public confidence in the independence of the judiciary, which is an important asset for Malaysia.

Secondly, the Johore state general election will be an answer to the question posed by a leading Hong Kong daily: “In Johor election, is Malaysia’s Umno seeking stability or a ‘get-out-of-jail’ card for Najib?”.

In the Johore state general election, the DAP will be accused of many things.

I am the most demonised person in Malaysian politics. To Malays, I am anti-Malay and anti-Islam. But I am accused of selling out the rights and interests of the Chinese and the non-Malays.

I am not guilty of these terrible and contradictory allegations, the product of false news and fake information but these are the trials and tribulations honest politicians must go through.

The DAP must be able to dispel the new tonnage of false news and fake information in the Johore general election ranging from accusations of failure to realise the Pakatan Harapan election pledges in the 22-month PH government to the DAP betrayal of its principles and vision.

The disappointments and sense of despondency over the outcome of the 22-month PH government is understandable after the high hopes raised by the historic decision of May 9, 2018 and I myself was disappointed as I felt that the PH government could have done more.

I met the then Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad in mid-2019 and expressed my concern about the rate of fulfilling the PH election manifesto. I had intended to meet the Prime Minister after the mid-term of the PH government but the PH government was toppled after 22 months.

But we must ask the people to be realistic – that it is not possible anywhere in the world to achieve in 22 months what was promised to be done in five years or 60 months.

The PH mandate to fulfil the election manifesto was for five years. If in the first half of the term, the implementation of the election manifesto was slow because of resistance, opposition or even sabotage, this could be remedied in the second half of the five-year term by an acceleration to implement the election pledges. But this was rendered impossible when the PH government was toppled in 22 months.

I will give just one example. An issue frequently used against the DAP is the recognition of the United Examination Certificate (UEM) issue.

At the DAP retreat in March 2019, DAP leaders asked Mahathir Mohamad about the UEC recognition issue, and he stated that the intention of the PH government was to recognise the UEM after the due process of the Special UEM Committee had submitted its report.

But the PH government fell in February 2020 as a result of the Sheraton Move conspiracy before the PH government could honour its undertaking to recognise the UEM at the latter part of the five-year term.

In the last two years of the two backdoor government, there is no mention of the UEM issue, but DAP supporters still blamed DAP for not implementing the UEM.

The other issue that will be used to attack the DAP in the Johore State general election is that the DAP is no more an opposition party and that we have been co-opted by the Ismail Sabri government because of the confidence-supply-reform (CSR) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ismail Sabri and the Pakatan Harapan leaders on Sept. 13, 2021.

I will fully support the revocation of the CSR MoU if the Ismail Sabri government breached it and failed to implement the terms in the MoU. But this has not happened yet.

I do not deny that the Ismail Sabri government is proving to be the most incompetent and even useless government in the nation’s history, but this is a separate issue from the question that at all times, there must be accord by all parties, whether in government or opposition, to co-operate in the national interest, as in reducing the crazy exponential increase in Covid-19 cases and deaths as happened at the time, or initiate parliamentary and institutional reforms like a law in the next meeting of Parliament to deal with the problem of “political frogs” in the country.

I do not apologise for supporting the CSR MoU for the sake of the country although I do not benefit from it at all.

These are among the issues we have to explain to the voters of Johore to make the Johore Dream the Malaysian Dream to restore strong institutions by upholding the Rukun Negara principles of constitutional monarchy, vibrant parliamentary democracy, doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, a free press, respect for human rights and the multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious character of Malaysia, least corruption and an accountable public service with integrity and efficiency so as to be able to end the national decline in the past half a century and take our proper place in the international arena as a world-class great nation.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at a DAP meeting on Johore state general election at DAP Hqrs, Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 27th January 2022 at 12 noon)

Jadikan Impian Johor juga Impian Malaysia, untuk mengembalikan institusi yang kuat berteraskan prinsip-prinsip Rukun Negara yang menegakkan sistem raja berperlembagaan, demokrasi berparlimen yang segar, doktrin pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, akhbar yang bebas, kehormatan terhadap hak asasi manusia, sifat masyarakat majmuk berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya Malaysia, tanpa rasuah dan dengan perkhidmatan awam yang bertanggungjawab, berintegriti, dan berkesan

Sebagai seorang rakyat Johor, saya mahu melihat Pilihan Raya Negeri (PRN) Johor yang akan datang ini sebagai permulaan proses untuk memperbetulkan kemunduran negara dalam setengah abad yang lepas, daripada hampir menjadi sebuah “harimau” ekonomi kepada ke arah menjadi sebuah kleptokrasi, kakistokrasi, dan negara yang gagal.

Inilah Impian Johor.

Kita mesti jadikan Impian Johor juga Impian Malaysia, untuk mengembalikan institusi yang kuat berteraskan prinsip-prinsip Rukun Negara yang menegakkan sistem raja berperlembagaan, demokrasi berparlimen yang segar, doktrin pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, akhbar yang bebas, kehormatan terhadap hak asasi manusia, sifat masyarakat majmuk berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya Malaysia, tanpa rasuah dan dengan perkhidmatan awam yang bertanggungjawab, berintegriti, dan berkesan.

Adakah perkara ini terlalu sukar untuk dicapai?

Saya tidak rasakan begitu. Kita perlu cuba untuk mencapainya, kerana lebih baik untuk kita mencuba dan gagal daripada tidak mencuba langsung.

Banyak perkara telah dicapai sejak daripada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 yang bersejarah pada 9 Mei 2018, walaupun pada masa yang sama masih banyak perkara yang salah yang masih perlu diperbetulkan, yang mungkin juga telah menjadi lebih buruk dalam dua tahun yang lepas.

Sebagai contoh, terdapat keyakinan awam terhadap kebebasan sistem kehakiman negara, yang merupakan satu aset yang bernilai untuk negara.

Kedua, PRN Johor ini akan menjadi jawapan kepada persoalan yang dibangkitkan oleh sebuah akhbar utama di Hong Kong: “Dalam PRN Johor, adakah UMNO sedang mencari kestabilan atau “kad keluar penjara” untuk Najib?”

Dalam PRN Johor ini, DAP akan dituduh dengan pelbagai perkara.

Saya adalah antara orang yang paling banyak dimomokkan dengan pelbagai fitnah dalam sejarah politik negara. Kepada orang Melayu, saya dituduh sebagai anti-Melayu dan anti-Islam. Tetapi saya juga dituduh sebagai mengadaikan kepentingan dan hak orang Cina dan orang-orang bukan-Melayu.

Saya tidak bersalah dengan tuduhan yang bercelaru ini, yang merupakan produk berita dan maklumat palsu, tetapi inilah cabaran yang perlu dihadapi oleh seorang ahli politik yang jujur.

DAP perlu mampu untuk mengetepikan berita dan maklumat palsu dalam PRN Johor ini, yang akan merangkumi perkara seperti kegagalan untuk menunaikan janji pilihan raya Pakatan Harapan dalam tempoh 22 bulan menjadi kerajaan dan juga tuduhan yang kononnya DAP mengkhianati prinsip dan visinya.

Kekecewaan dan perasaan putus harapan dengan hasil 22 bulan kerajaan PH boleh difahami memandangkan rakyat meletakkan harapan yang tinggi selepas keputusan bersejarah pada 9 Mei 2018 dan saya sendiri pun kecewa juga kerana saya jangkakan yang PH boleh melakukan lebih banyak perkara lagi.

Saya berjumpa dengan Perdana Menteri ketika itu, Mahathir Mohamad pada pertengahan tahun 2019 dan menyampaikan kegusaran saya mengenai kadar pelaksanaan janji-janji pilihan raya PH. Saya berharap untuk berjumpa dengan PM sekali lagi selepas pertengahan penggal kerajaan PH, namun kerajaan PH ini tumbang selepas 22 bulan.

Tetapi, kita perlu mohon rakyat untuk menjadi lebih realistik – untuk menyedari hakikat bahawa tidak mungkin di mana-mana pun untuk kita laksanakan dalam tempoh 22 bulan, perkara yang dijanjikan pelaksanaannya dalam tempoh lima tahun.

Mandat PH untuk memenuhi janji pilihan rayanya adalah untuk tempoh lima tahun. Sekiranya dalam setengah penggal pertama, pelaksanaan janji ini agak perlahan akibat daripada rintangan, bantahan, atau sabotaj daripada mana-mana pihak, perkara ini dapat ditambah baik dalam setengah kedua penggal Pakatan Harapan dengan memecut pelaksanaan janji-janji ini. Tetapi perkara ini kini mustahil apabila kerajaan PH ditumbangkan selepas 22 bulan.

Saya berikan hanya satu contoh. Satu isu yang sering dipergunakan terhadap DAP adalah pengiktirafan Sijil Peperiksaan Dipersatukan (UEC).

Dalam pemukiman DAP pada bulan Mac 2019, pemimpin DAP bertanya kepada Mahathir mengenai isu pengiktirafan UEC ini dan beliau telah menyatakan yang hasrat kerajaan PH adalah untuk mengiktiraf UEC selepas Jawatankuasa Khas UEC membentangkan laporannya.

Tetapi, kerajaan PH tumbang pada bulan Februari 2020 hasil daripada konspirasi Langkah Sheraton sebelum kerajaan PH dapat memenuhi janji untuk mengiktiraf UEC ini dalam tempoh mandat lima tahun yang diberikan rakyat.

Dalam dua tahun yang lepas di bawah kerajaan pintu belakang ini, tidak ada langsung isu UEC dibangkitkan, tetapi penyokong DAP masih menyalahkan DAP kerana tidak melaksanakan pengiktirafan UEC.

Satu lagi isu yang akan digunakan untuk menyerang DAP dalam PRN Johor ini adalah DAP kini bukan lagi sebuah parti pembangkang kerana kita kini dilihat sebagai sebahagian daripada Kerajaan Ismail Sabri selepas menandatangani memorandum persefahaman (MOU) kepercayaan-perbekalan-reformasi (CSR) di antara Perdana Menteri Ismail Sabri dan para pemimpin Pakatan Harapan pada 13 September 2021.

Saya akan menyokong penuh pembatalan MOU ini sekiranya kerajaan Ismail Sabri mengingkari dan gagal untuk melaksanakan termanya. Tetapi perkara ini belum berlaku lagi.

Saya tidak nafikan yang kerajaan Ismail Sabri ini terbukti sebagai kerajaan yang tidak kompeten, malah paling tidak berguna dalam sejarah negara, tetapi perkara ini adalah perkara berasingan, kerana perlu ada persetujuan daripada semua parti, sama ada dalam kerajaan atau pembangkang, untuk bekerjasama demi kepentingan negara, seperti usaha untuk mengurangkan peningkatan mendedak kes dan kematian akibat Covid-19 yang dicatatkan sebelum ini, atau demi usaha untuk membawa reformasi institusi dan parlimen seperti rang undang-undang yang bakal dibentangkan dalam sidang akan datang untuk menangani masalah “katak politik” di dalam negara.

Saya tidak memohon maaf kerana menyokong pelaksanaan MOU CSR ini demi kepentingan negara walaupun saya tidak menerima manfaat daripada perkara ini langsung.

Terdapat isu-isu yang kita perlu jelaskan kepada para pengundi di Johor, untuk menjadikan Impian Johor juga Impian Malaysia, untuk mengembalikan institusi yang kuat berteraskan prinsip-prinsip Rukun Negara yang menegakkan sistem raja berperlembagaan, demokrasi berparlimen yang segar, doktrin pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, akhbar yang bebas, kehormatan terhadap hak asasi manusia, sifat masyarakat majmuk berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya Malaysia, tanpa rasuah dan dengan perkhidmatan awam yang bertanggungjawab, berintegriti, dan berkesan, supaya kita dapat menamatkan kemunduran taraf negara kita yang berterusan selama setengah abad yang lepas bagi membolehkan Malaysia mengambil tempatnya di pentas dunia sebagai sebuah negara hebat yang bertaraf dunia.

(Ucapan Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Mesyuarat Pilihan Raya Negeri Johor DAP di Ibu Pejabat DAP, Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 27 Januari 2022 jam 12 tengahari)

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Is Malaysia suffering a new Covid-19 crisis, losing  control of the Covid-19  pandemic  with over 5,000 new cases for the last  two days?

Is Malaysia suffering a new Covid-19 crisis, losing  control of the Covid-19 pandemic with over 5,000  new Covid-19 cases for the last two days –  5,439 cases on Wednesday and 5,522 cases yesterday.

The last  time Malaysia had over 5,000 cases was on December 10, 2021, when the country recorded 5,508 cases.

The cumulative total of Covid-19 cases is now 2,855,570 cases.

It is too early to tell whether Malaysia is facing new Covid-19 crisis and that we have lost control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is because of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, which is believed to be two to three times more transmissible than the Delta variant, but is associated with a  milder disease than its predecessor, with some public health experts comparing its effect on vaccinated individuals to the flu.

In an interview with the AFP news agency earlier this week, the World Health Organization’s director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said it was “plausible” that Omicron was pushing the world  towards the end of the pandemic, although he stressed it was still too early to declare COVID-19 endemic.

It is heartening to see that since the signing of the confidence-supply-reform (CSR) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Prime Minister Ismail Sabri and the four Pakatan Harapan leaders on Sept. 13 last year (the daily death toll on Sept. 11 was 592 deaths), the daily fatality numbers have been in double-digit figures for the past three months and  fluctuating between 9-31 daily deaths in January 2022.

If not for the CSR MoU, we might have ended 2021 with five to 10 million Covid-19 cases and 100,000 – 200,000 Covid-19 deaths instead of 2.75 million Covid-19 cases and 31,500 Covid-19 deaths on Dec. 31, 2021.

But the increase in Covid-19 cases in the last two days though not in fatalities must be followed closely to ensure that Malaysia is not facing  a new Covid-19 crisis and that we have lost  control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

(Media Statement  (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Friday, 28th January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 28 January 2022, 6:36 pm and is filed under
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Ismail Sabri commended for ensuring that Zii Jia and Jin Wei’s problems were resolved, now he must act speedily on the colossal Azam Baki question

(Versi BM)

I commend the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri for ensuring that the problem of national shuttlers Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei were speedily resolved with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) lifting of the two-year sanction on them from international tournaments with immediate effect.

The Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu should also be recognised for his intervention.

Now, the country and even the world is waiting for Ismail Sabri’s action on the colossal Azam Baki question – as let it not be said that the Malaysian Prime Minister was completely helpless when confronted with one of the most incompetent heads of the country’s anti-corruption agency, one who had created the agency’s greatest crisis of confidence for a month because he was not prepared to be an example of integrity, probity and accountability in the public service.

Since the start of the annual Transparency International (IT) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) series in 1995, Malaysia had never dropped five points in score and 11 points in rank in two consecutive years of the TI CPI as in the TI CPI 2020 and 2021 reports.

How can Azam Baki evade and shirk responsibility for these two TI CPI reports?

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Friday, 28th January 2022)

Ismail Sabri dipuji kerana memastikan masalah Zii Jia dan Jin Wei dapat diselesaikan, kini beliau perlu bertindak pantas mengenai isu Azam Baki

Saya puji Perdana Menteri Ismail Sabri kerana memastikan masalah yang dihadapi pemain badminton negara, Lee Zii Jia dan Goh Jin Wei dapat diselesaikan segera dengan pihak Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) membatalkan sekatan dua tahun terhadap mereka berkuatkuasa segera.

Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Ahmad Faizal Azumu juga perlu diberikan kredit untuk usaha beliau.

Kini negara, malah seluruh dunia menantikan tindakan Azam Baki mengenai skandal Azam Baki – untuk memastikan Perdana Menteri Malaysia tidak kelihatan lemah apabila berhadapan dengan salah seorang ketua agensi anti-rasuah yang paling teruk, yang telah mewujudkan krisis kepercayaan dalam agensi anti-rasuah negara kerana beliau tidak bersedia untuk menjadi contoh tauladan integriti, kejujuran, dan akauntabiliti dalam perkhidmatan awam.

Sejak daripada permulaan penerbitan Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) oleh Transparency International (TI) pada tahun 1995, Malaysia tidak pernah mengalami penurunan lima mata dan 11 kedudukan dalam dua tahun berturut-turut seperti yang disaksikan dalam TI CPI 2020 dan 2021.

Bagaimanakah Azam Baki boleh mengelakkan daripada bertanggungjawab mengenai kedua-dua laporan TI CPI ini?

(Komen media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Gelang Patah pada hari Jumaat, 28 Januari 2022)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 28 January 2022, 11:26 am and is filed under
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Malaysia needs a new MACC Chief Commissioner who has one important KPI – to ensure that China and Indonesia do  not overtake Malaysia in TI CPI whether before 2025 or 2030

(Versi BM)

Another reason why Azam Baki must relinquish his post as MACC Chief Commissioner is that apart from Argentina, Turkey, Mexico and Venezuela, Malaysia has a lower score in Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index ( CPI) 2021 than the 14 countries it had beaten in the original 1995 TI CPI 27 years ago.

In 1995, TI surveyed 41 countries while in 2021, 180 countries were surveyed. From 1995-2011, the maximum score was 10 points but from 2012 onwards, the maximum score was altered to 100 points.

In 1995, Malaysia scored 5.28 points out of 10 and ranked No. 23 out of 41 countries. After 27 years, apart from four countries of Argentina, Turkey, Mexico and Venezuela, it has a lower score in the TI CPI 2021 than the 14 countries it had beaten in the original 1995 CI CPI, with the score and within bracket the ranking for the respective country:

Nation

1995

2021

TI

CPI

TI

CPI

Malaysia

5.28

23

48

62

Argentina

5.24

24

38

96

Taiwan

5.08

25

68

26

Spain

4.35

26

61

35

South Korea

4.29

27

62

32

Hungary

4.12

28

43

74

Turkey

4.10

29

38

101

Greece

4.04

30

49

59

Colombia

3.44

31

39

88

Mexico

3.18

32

31

125

Italy

2.99

33

56

42

Thailand

2.79

34

35

114

India

2.78

35

40

85

Philippines

2.77

36

33

119

Brazil

2.7

37

38

97

Venezuela

2.66

38

14

177

Pakistan

2.25

39

28

142

China

2.16

40

45

66

Indonesia

1.94

41

38

98

In countries where there is integrity and accountability, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner would have handed in his resignation at the atrocious TI CPI 2020/2021 reports where Malaysia fell five points in score and 11 points in ranking in two years.

For nearly one month, Malaysia was convulsed in government and parliamentary paralysis by what is best termed Azam-gate where the country’s chief anti-corruption officer failed to be a prime example of integrity, probity and accountability with his shareholding scandal.

The hope that Malaysia might become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity by 2030 under the Pakatan Harapan government was destroyed by the Sheraton Move conspiracy on Feb. 26, 2020 and we have now the sorry TI CPI 2020/2021 reports.

The country was promised that under the former UMNO-BN regime in the last decade that Malaysia would achieve the target to be in the top 30 countries in the world in public integrity and anti-corruption.

Studying the TI CPI ranking and score for the 24-year series of TI CPI from 1995-2018, there was no ground for anyone to believe that the target of Malaysia being ranked in the top 30 countries of TI CPI 2020 could be achieved.

Countries which had been down on the list of the TI CPI ranking in the first series in 1995, like China, Thailand, India and Indonesia, were fast catching up to Malaysia’s level, which had regressed since 1995.

Fortunately, this trajectory was stopped when the Pakatan Harapan government took over, and in the TI CPI 2019, Malaysia achieved the best TI CPI performance in 25 years with a single-year improvement of six points for TI CPI score and 10 placings for TI CPI ranking – a ranking of No. 51 and score of 53 out of the 100.

Now we are back on the slippery slope of corruption as before the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 and the worst is yet to come from Azam-gate and worsening of the system of integrity in public life.

From the TI CPI records of the Najib administration from 2010-2018, it is likely that China would have overtaken Malaysia in the TI CPI series before 2030.

This was stopped by the 14th General Election in 20118 as the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government made it quite an impossible task for China to overtake Malaysia in TI CPI reports.

But with the Sheraton Move conspiracy and the two backdoor Muhyiddin and Ismail Sabri governments, China may overtake Malaysia in both TI CPI score and ranking by 2025 as China’s present score is 45 compared to Malaysia’s 48 out of 100.

The same applies to Indonesia.

Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Muhammad Mohan had warned that Indonesia was “improving slowly” over the past few years and Malaysia should be careful as “one day Indonesia may overtake us”.

In the TI CPI 2021, Indonesia is ranked No. 96 with a score of 38 as compared to Malaysia’s rank of 62 and score of 48.

The sad scenario of Indonesia overtaking Malaysia may come about before 2030 if Malaysia continues to regress in anti-corruption while Indonesia continues to make progress on this front.

If Malaysia does not buck up in the anti-corruption front, it is not inconceivable that Indonesia may even overtake Malaysia in the TI CPI before 2025!

Malaysia needs a new MACC Chief Commissioner who has one important key performance indicator (KPI) – to ensure that China and Indonesia do not overtake Malaysia in TI CPI whether before 2025 or 2030.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Friday, 28th January 2022)

Malaysia memerlukan seorang Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM baharu yang mempunyai satu KPI penting – untuk memastikan China dan Indonesia tidak mengatasi kedudukan negara kita dalam TI CPI sama ada sebelum 2025 atau 2030

Satu lagi sebab mengapa Azam Baki mesti melepaskan jawatannya sebagai Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM adalah hakikat di mana selain Argentina, Turki, Mexico dan Venezuela, Malaysia mempunyai markah yang lebih rendah dalam Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) Transparency International (TI) 2021 berbanding 14 negara yang telah ditewaskannya dalam TI CPI 1995 yang diterbitkan 27 tahun yang lalu.

Pada tahun 1995, TI meninjau 41 negara manakala pada tahun 2021, 180 negara telah ditinjau. Dari 1995-2011, skala markah maksimum adalah 10 mata tetapi dari tahun 2012 dan seterusnya, skala markah ini telah diubah kepada 100 mata.

Pada tahun 1995, Malaysia memperoleh 5.28 per 10 mata dan menduduki tempat ke-23 daripada 41 negara. Selepas 27 tahun, selain daripada empat negara Argentina, Turki, Mexico dan Venezuela, Malaysia mencatatkan markah yang lebih rendah dalam TI CPI 2021 berbanding 14 negara yang telah dikalahkan dalam indeks asal pada tahun 1995, seperti yang ditunjukkan di bawah, berserta dengan kedudukan dalam indeks di dalam kurungan:

Negara

1995

2021

TI

CPI

TI

CPI

Malaysia

5.28

23

48

62

Argentina

5.24

24

38

96

Taiwan

5.08

25

68

26

Sepanyol

4.35

26

61

35

Korea Selatan

4.29

27

62

32

Hungary

4.12

28

43

74

Turki

4.10

29

38

101

Greece

4.04

30

49

59

Colombia

3.44

31

39

88

Mexico

3.18

32

31

125

Itali

2.99

33

56

42

Thailand

2.79

34

35

114

India

2.78

35

40

85

Filipina

2.77

36

33

119

Brazil

2.7

37

38

97

Venezuela

2.66

38

14

177

Pakistan

2.25

39

28

142

China

2.16

40

45

66

Indonesia

1.94

41

38

98

Di negara yang mempunyai integriti dan akauntabiliti, Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM sudah tentu akan menyerahkan peletakan jawatannya atas laporan TI CPI 2020/2021 yang begitu buruk, di mana kedudukan negara kita jatuh 11 anak tangga dan 5 markah dalam masa dua tahun.

Selama hampir sebulan, Malaysia dilanda kelumpuhan kerajaan dan parlimen akibat skandal Azam apabila ketua pegawai anti-rasuah negara itu gagal menjadi contoh integriti, kejujuran dan akauntabiliti berhubung dakwaan pegangan saham yang dihadapinya.

Harapan bahawa Malaysia boleh menjadi salah satu daripada 30 negara teratas dunia dalam soal integriti menjelang 2030 di bawah kerajaan Pakatan Harapan telah dimusnahkan oleh Langkah Sheraton pada 26 Februari 2020 dan kini kita terpaksa pula menerima keputusan corot dalam TI CPI 2021.

Negara telah dijanjikan bahawa di bawah bekas rejim UMNO-BN pada dekad lalu bahawa Malaysia akan mencapai sasaran untuk berada dalam 30 negara teratas dunia dalam soal integriti dan pembanterasan rasuah.

Mengkaji kedudukan dan markah TI CPI untuk siri 24 tahun TI CPI dari 1995-2018, tiada alasan untuk sesiapa percaya bahawa sasaran Malaysia berada dalam kedudukan 30 negara teratas TI CPI 2020 boleh dicapai.

Negara-negara yang telah turun dalam senarai penarafan TI CPI dalam siri pertama pada tahun 1995, seperti China, Thailand, India dan Indonesia, pantas mengejar kedudukan Malaysia, yang telah mengalami kemunduran sejak 1995.

Mujurlah, trajektori ini dihentikan apabila kerajaan Pakatan Harapan mengambil alih, dan dalam TI CPI 2019, Malaysia mencapai prestasi TI CPI terbaik dalam tempoh 25 tahun dengan peningkatan enam mata untuk skor TI CPI dan kenaikkan 10 anak tangga dalam ranking TI CPI – kedudukan ke-51 dan skor 53 daripada 100.

Kini kita kembali terjerumus ke dalam kancah rasuah seperti sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 9 Mei 2018 dan perkara buruk bakal berlaku akibat daripada skandal Azam dan kemerosotan sistem integriti dalam kehidupan awam.

Daripada rekod TI CPI semasa pentadbiran Najib dari 2010-2018, berkemungkinan China akan mengatasi Malaysia dalam siri TI CPI sebelum 2030.

Perkara ini telah dihentikan oleh Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 2018 kerana kerajaan Pakatan Harapan selama 22 bulan menyukarkan China untuk memintas Malaysia dalam laporan TI CPI.

Tetapi dengan konspirasi Langkah Sheraton dan terbentuknya dua kerajaan pintu belakang yang dipimpin Muhyiddin dan Ismail Sabri, China mungkin akan mengatasi kedudukan Malaysia dalam kedua-dua markah dan kedudukan dalam indeks TI CPI menjelang 2025 kerana sedia ada pun, markah China ada 45 berbanding dengan 48 di Malaysia.

Begitu juga dengan Indonesia.

Presiden Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) Muhammad Mohan telah memberi amaran bahawa Indonesia “bertambah baik secara perlah-lahan” sejak beberapa tahun lalu dan Malaysia harus berhati-hati kerana “suatu hari nanti Indonesia mungkin akan mengatasi kita”.

Dalam TI CPI 2021, Indonesia berada di kedudukan No. 96 dengan skor 38 berbanding kedudukan Malaysia 62 dan skor 48.

Senario menyedihkan Indonesia mengatasi Malaysia mungkin berlaku sebelum 2030 jika Malaysia terus mundur dalam pencegahan rasuah manakala Indonesia terus membuat kemajuan dalam bidang ini.

Jika Malaysia tidak bangkit dalam barisan anti-rasuah, tidak dapat dibayangkan bahawa Indonesia mungkin akan mengatasi Malaysia dalam TI CPI sebelum 2025!

Malaysia memerlukan Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM baharu yang mempunyai satu petunjuk prestasi utama (KPI) yang penting – untuk memastikan China dan Indonesia tidak mengatasi Malaysia dalam TI CPI sama ada sebelum 2025 atau 2030.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat, 28 Januari 2022)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 28 January 2022, 7:17 am and is filed under
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The Johore general election should be the start of a second  mission to save Malaysia from becoming the Venezuela of ASEAN

Contrary to public and international  expectations, Malaysians united and rose on May 9, 2018 in the 14th General Election and saved Malaysia from becoming the Venezuela of ASEAN.

Thanks to the Sheraton Move conspiracy in February 2020 and two backdoor and illegitimate governments, we are back to the slippery slope of corruption and the route to become the Venezuela of ASEAN.

Can Malaysians unite and rose to the occasion a second time in four years to save Malaysia in the 15th General Election from being the Venezuela of ASEAN?

This is a task which will be more uphill and  difficult than in the 14th General Election for  Malaysians are now consumed by disappointment, dejection, despondency and even a sense of hopelessness – with a sense of resignation that nothing will ever  change.

These Malaysians in the Malacca and the Sarawak general elections decided that there was no point of voting  which was the cause of the low voting turnout in these two state general elections.

Do we give up and surrender to the kleptocrats, kakistocrats and let Malaysia become the Venezuela of ASEAN in the coming decades?

Venezuela is in the thick of a terrible political, socio-economic and humanitarian crisis. Once one of the 20 richest countries in the world and the richest in Latin America with free education and free medical services for her citizens, it is now poor, backward, broken and bankrupt state, with over 10 per cent of Venezuelans  having left the country in despair.

The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has affected the life of the average Venezuelan on all levels. By 2017, hunger had escalated to the point where almost seventy-five percent of the population had lost an average of over 8 kg (over 19 lbs) in weight, and more than half did not have enough income to meet their basic food needs.

The ”Sick Man of Asia” was previously referred to China. But in the past 40 years of economic reform, the World Bank estimates that China has lifted 850 million people out of poverty while its per capita GDP grew by nearly 24 times from 1978 to 2017.

Two decades ago, analysts were predicting the “Coming Collapse of China”. Now, analysts are writing about China as  the new global superpower.

If there had been no change of government in Malaysia on May 9, 2018, we would be steaming ahead to become the Sick Man of Asia by 2030 or 2040, but now that we are back again on the trajectory of a kleptocracry, kakistocracy and a failed state, do we resign ourselves to this fate for our children and children’s children?

Malaysia is the second worst performing state in the original list of 41 countries in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 1995.

The TI CPI 1995 ranked Venezuela as No.38 with a score of 2.66 out of 10 in 1995. In the TI CPI 2021, Venezuela ranked as the fourth most corrupt nations out of 180 countries, ranked No. 177, with a score of 14 out of 100 points.

Countries which were regarded as more corrupt than Venezuela in 1995,  Pakistan (39), China (40) and Indonesia (41) have made important  strides in the battle against corruption in the last three decades, while Malaysia joins Venezuela as the second state which has regressed the most in the battle against corruption since 1995.

Malaysians must rise and unite again to save the country from becoming the Venezuela of ASEAN for the second time and the Johore state general election should the start of this second mission for the sake of our children and children’s children.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, 29th January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 29 January 2022, 7:41 am and is filed under
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Is the 15th General Election imminent?

As there has been a lot of sabre-rattling by political parties in  the second backdoor government in the nation’s history, with the Bersatu and PAS Presidents jointly declaring that their support for the Ismail Sabri federal government was “conditional” and the PAS President asserting that the Johore state general election was engineered by the UMNO “court cluster”, the question uppermost in the minds of many is whether the 15th national general election is imminent.

As far as whether  the 15GE would be held contemporaneously with the Johore state general election, my answer is in the negative.

But whether the 15GE would be held after the Johore state general election, that is   different question altogether  although my answer would lean towards the negative as to its likelihood. A lot would depend on the outcome of the Johore state polls.

This is because the earliest holding of the 15GE is exactly what the UMNO “court cluster” wants and preparing for, explaining  for  two eyebrow-raising  events – a convicted criminal for corruption opening an international conference and having an interview appearing in the front page of a national daily.

But it is what the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, does not want. He only wants the 15GE to be held in 2023. It would be interesting to see how he is going to achieve this.

As DAP MP for Damansara and DAP National Publicity Secretary has said yesterday: “Najib is either the worst possible Finance Minister Malaysia has ever had because he doesn’t know how to count, or more likely, he believes that the Malaysian voters are so stupid that they will believe his brazen and blatant lies and twisted truths”.

Najib is trying too hard to return as the country’s 10th or 11th Prime Minister.

I don’t often agree with former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad after he waded into public affairs after his one-year term as head of the judiciary in 2008, but he hit the nail on the head when he said that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Najib Razak must step down as Umno president and Barisan Nasional (BN) adviser, respectively, if the party intends to shed the taint of corruption that has been linked to these two leaders.

Abdul Hamid Mohamad even said if Umno and BN  fail to address this matter, it could see the return of a Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in Johor.

He said:  “Umno has no choice. It must do away with the image of being a corrupted party.

“It must ‘retire’ leaders who are involved or implicated in corruption. Najib and Zahid must step down.”

Will UMNO listen to the Abdul Hamid’s advice?

UMNO Vice President and former  Johor Menteri Besar, Khaled Nordin, said UMNO’s the one now fighting for reforms and that the reform agenda is no longer just the domain of the opposition as Umno is now the outfit pushing for progressive ideas.

If so, why is  UMNO so  quiet on the burning issue of the day – the position of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Azam Baki  after Malaysia suffered a double infamy on the anti-corruption front – Malaysia’s unprecedented fall on five points in score and 11 points in rank in the last two years of Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2020 and 2021 and the MACC Chief Commissioner failing to be an example of integrity, probity and accountability in the public service?

What is the position of the UMNO “Court Cluster” and “Minsters Cluster”  on Azam Baki?

How can UMNO be fighting for reforms when it is so  silent on  Azam-gate?

In these circumstances, one cannot understand what the UMNO Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi was trying to say when he said that it was  better for Umno to move forward alone than to be with Perikatan Nasional because the fuling coalition lacks “political integrity”.

What do the UMNO, Bersatu and PAS leaders mean by “political integrity” – that it is not ok for non-Muslim leaders to be corrupt but absolutely ok for Muslim leaders to be corrupt?

Let UMNO leaders – both the “Court Cluster” and the “Ministers

Cluster”-  elaborate on their reform agenda on corruption before Indonesia and  China overtake Malaysia in TI CPI before 2025 and Malaysia rushes head-on to become the Venezuela of ASEAN!

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 30th January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 30 January 2022, 8:06 am and is filed under
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Will Malaysia have a second chance to achieve our potential to become a world-class great nation?

I wish Malaysians Happy Water Tiger Chinese New Year.

This is likely to be a decisive year for Malaysia for many decades to come.

The 15th General Election is likely to be held this year and will determine whether we can begin to end the half-a-century national decline and begin the long, painful and arduous process to fulfil the national potential to become a world-class great nation before Malaysia’s Centennial in 2063.

Malaysians were given the first  chance in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 to stop the decline of the past half-a-century and to buck up and  fulfil Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

For the past half-a-century, Malaysia failed to be “a beacon of light” to a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia – frozen only for tourists in the campaign slogan of “Instant Asia” – let alone “a beacon of light  in a difficult and distracted world”.

This  failure spawned the Malaysian Diaspora where over a million Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, felt more at home in various countries abroad than in Malaysia.

How sad and tragic for their place is in Malaysia, to help Malaysia become  a  world-class great nation and not to make other nations achieve world-class standards.

But the first chance to save Malaysia from kleptocracy and mediocrity was sabotaged by the Sheraton Move conspiracy after 22 months.

Can Malaysia have a  second chance in the 15th General Election to stop the decline of half-a-century and to fulfil Malaysia’s potential to become a  world-class great nation – and in the process stop the  making of a second Malaysian Diaspora in the world?

Let us begin the long, painful and arduous process to save Malaysia from kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state  and fulfil Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration for Malaysia to become a world-class great nation starting with the  Johore state general election which will be held shortly.

(Water Tiger Chinese New Year Message by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 30th January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 30 January 2022, 1:36 pm and is filed under
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Will the Omicron variant cause a new Covid-19  crisis in Malaysia?

For the third day, new daily  Covid-19 cases have passed the 5,000 cases mark.

On 27th January, it was 5,439 new  cases, 28th January 5,522 new cases and yesterday 5,739 new cases.

I asked a doctor friend whether the Omicron variant would cause a new Covid-19 crisis in Malaysia and  what he thought of the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia.  I am  sharing his response, as it deserves consideration by all Malaysians:

“Looks  like cases are going up for last one week. It was bouncing at 3-4K for a few days and is now at 5K  since 27th Jan 2022.

“Hospital beds show a slight increase but there is no significant increase in ICU bed occupancy.

“The pattern correspond to what we expect to see when Covid Omicron is the main infective agent.

“It is a Covid infection but milder, spread faster and more. Ro is estimated to be 8-9 (as infectious as measles), but not so deadly. If the original Covid has a fatality rate of 1.5% at the moment, Omicron fatality maybe less than 1% (maybe nearer about 0.5% estimated).

“Omicron first hit the world in South Africa on the 9th Nov 2021. All our experience seem to come from there. The South  African doctors gave the world almost weekly reports to warn us. So we do know much from the South African experience.

“The Omicron variant has almost 30 mutations in that part of the virus that sticks to our breathing tubes mainly in the throat and seldom in the lungs.

“This is one of the difference from the Delta variant, which sticks to the breathing tube lining of the throat and the lungs. This means that while Delta can cause severe lung infections and pneumonia and death, Omicron seldom does that. It cause a mild flu (running nose, cough, sneezing, maybe sore throat). Most often so mild as to be asymptomatic.

“Within a month, the Indians and British have discovered a mild variation from the original Omicron lineage, called Omicron BA2. Basically, the same Omicron but a bit more infectious and milder.

“We also know that in South Africa, where the population is only about 33% vaccinated, it took about two weeks for the Omicron infection to peak. In India, where the population is about 60% vaccinated (there are some doubts to this ), it also took about 3-4 weeks to peak.

“That seem also to be true in UK and USA. In UK  Boris Johnson was forced not to lockdown, took a gamble and just open up  with minimal restrictions. After three  weeks, the case numbers seem to be coming down, hospitals are not overwhelmed  and deaths did not increase. In the USA, more states are just relaxing everything. Vaccine mandates are being challenged in court, and cases are also going down.

“These examples are chosen to show that cases going down is not because of vaccination. It is more because Omicron being widespread and mainly asymptomatic, will confer community immunity.

“Basically, if we do not disturb Omicron, it will run itself out. That is the way to live with the virus. Just open up, let the virus rip through the community, and it will burn itself out. Vaccines have the potential of harm and death, and worse, of creating more mutations and variants.

“That is what we should propose that Malaysia should also do. Not more vaccinations, but less restrictions and more freedom. Let the virus rip. And we will get out. The only downside is an increase in absenteeism because of mild flu (a small price to pay for better livelihood )

“MOH must keep genome testing to make sure that we are all Omicron which has taken over from Delta.”

Food for thought by the Minister of  Health and the Health Director-General!

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 30th January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 30 January 2022, 9:48 am and is filed under
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Wan Junaidi should stop making asinine statements or he will be highlighting another infamy of Malaysia  -a  jumbo-sized Cabinet with Ministers with high pay but low IQs

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, should stop making asinine statements or he will be highlighting another infamy of Malaysia – a  jumbo-sized Cabinet with Ministers with high pay but low IQs.

How many of the Ministers agree with  Wan Junaidi that  Malaysia’s corruption perceptions index (CPI)  dropped because of wide publicity in the fight against corruption and bringing cases to court?

Wan Junaidi  said the recent crackdown on corruption by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has led to perceptions that corruption is rampant in the country but he is confident that the CPI will go up as soon as people see the results of these cases.

Is Wan Junaidi denying that corruption is rampant in Malaysia?

If Wan Junaidi is right, then Malaysia’s TI CPI should plunge to its lowest in the nation’s history  in both score and rank during the  22 months of the Pakatan Harapan government, as  never had so many “high-and-mighty” been arrested and charged in court for corruption during this period, including the former Prime Minister who faced 25 charges of corruption and the former Deputy Prime Minister who faced 87 charges of corruption.

But instead, Malaysia’s 2009  CPI score was the best in 25 years, with a score of 53 out of 100 and a ranking of 51 out of 180 countries.

According to Wan Junaidi’s logic, Malaysia should have a better CPI 2021 and not suffer the ignominy of a five-point drop in score from 53 to 48 points and a 11-rung drop in ranking from 51 to 62 position in two years in the 2020 and 2021 TI CPI.

Malaysia TI CPI 2022 is likely to be worse than TI CPI 2021, as the CPI 2021 had  not taken into account Azam-gate, where the MACC  Chief Commissioner, Azam Baki, had not only failed to be an example of integrity, probity and accountability, but where the MACC had gone on a rampage not against corruption but the legitimate critics of MACC as a true anti-corruption agency.

It is disturbing to read of  MACC targeting the MP for Simpang Renggam, Maszlee Malik, after it had targeted the MP for Sungai Buloh, R. Sivarasa.

Is Wan Junaidi going to stop this MACC rampage against the legitimate critics of MACC for failing to be a true anti-corruption agency?

Malaysia is the second worst performing state in the original list of 41 countries in the TI CPI 1995.

The TI CPI 1995 ranked Venezuela as No.38 with a score of 2.66 out of 10 in 1995.

In the TI CPI 2021, Venezuela ranked as the fourth most corrupt nations out of 180 countries, ranked No. 177, with a score of 14 out of 100 points.

Countries which were regarded as more corrupt than Venezuela in 1995, Pakistan (39), China (40) and Indonesia (41) have made important strides in the battle against corruption in the last three decades, while Malaysia joins Venezuela as the second state which had regressed the most in the battle against corruption since 1995.

I do not belong to those who have no objection  if Malaysia joins Venezuela in CPI score and ranking as I expect better of Malaysia.

This is why I feel great consternation at Malaysia being  back on the slippery slope of  kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state.

When future generations of Malaysian look back, say during Malaysia’s Centennial in 2063, the key question today is whether Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region or even politics could  rise and unite  to save the country from becoming the Venezuela of ASEAN in CPI score and ranking or sink to the bottom of  international tables.

(Media Statement  by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 31st January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 31 January 2022, 7:18 am and is filed under
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Will MCA contest in only ten seats in 2022 Johor state general election  when in 2018 it fielded 15 candidates?

UMNO has stated that it wants to contest at least 42 out of the 56 state assembly  seats in the upcoming Johore state general election.

Will this leave MCA will the lowest number of 10 candidates in the Johore state general election, when MCA fielded 15 candidates in the 2018 General Election?

Is this the reason why the MCA President refuses to entertain any question on the number of MCA candidates in the Johore state general election at the MCA Chinese New Year open house in Kuala Lumpur today?

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on Tuesday, 1st February 2022)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 1 February 2022, 4:50 pm and is filed under
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Uncanny common characteristics of Najib of Malaysia  and Trump in the United States in the way they are trying to make  a political comeback in their respective countries

There is an uncanny common characteristic of Najib Razak in Malaysia and Donald Trump in the United States  in the way they are trying to make  a political comeback in their respective countries.

Over the weekend, Trump publicly  toyed with another bid for the White House, with his political organisation announcing it had amassed US$122 million in cash reserves – an unprecedented sum for a former president – conjuring  a vision of a second term that would function as a tool of personal vengeance and become even more authoritarian than his first, when he vowed to pardon US Capitol insurrectionists if he runs for the White House again and wins.

As a result, Trump and his fans already referred to him as the 45th and the 47th President.

In Malaysia, the Election Commission will ring the bell for the beginning of the Johore state general election next Wednesday, which is a rehearsal for the sixth Prime Minister  to return as the 10th or 11th Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Najib, who had already prepared for his political comeback by opening an international conference and appearing on a front-page interview in a leading national daily though he is a convicted criminal for corruption, is undoubtedly the Malaysian politician who is most- heeled financially commanding the largest fleet of cybertroopers to mould and shape public opinion with lies and disinformation.

Time will tell whether Najib and Trump will  succeed in making a political comeback in their respective countries.

But it is worth noting that even Trump, who called Najib his “favourite Prime Minister”, did not exonerate Najib of the 1MDB scandal during his visit to the White House in September 2017  as Trump’s Attorney-General, Jeff Sessions described the 1MDB scandal  three months later as “kleptocracy at its worst” and the US Department of Justice (DOJ)  continued with its largest kleptocratic litigation on the 1MDB scandal which implicated Najib who was mentioned as  “Malaysian Official 1”(“MO1”) more than 30 times in the DOJ civil suit in July 2016.

Just as Trump is not averse to whitewash the Capitol Hill insurrection on January 6, 2021, Najib has no qualms to whitewash the 1MDB scandal and as the DAP MP for Damansara, Tony Pua, has pointed out recently:  “Najib is either the worst possible Finance Minister Malaysia has ever had because he doesn’t know how to count, or more likely, he believes that the Malaysian voters are so stupid that they will believe his brazen and blatant lies and twisted truths”.

Will the Johore state general election facilitate Najib in his political comeback as the 10th or 11th Prime Minister of Malaysia?

Former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad has said that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Najib Razak must step down as Umno president and Barisan Nasional (BN) adviser, respectively, if the party intends to shed the taint of corruption that has been linked to these two leaders.

Last year, MIC asked UMNO to name its Prime Minister before seeking to negotiate seats for the next general election with its partners in the Barisan Nasional.

The MIC statement said neither MIC nor MCA were “yes-men”, adding that their loyalty to BN had its limits.

So who will be UMNO’s Prime Minister after the 15th General Election?

Will he be Ismail Sabri or will  MCA and MIC support Najib as Malaysia’s 10th or 11th Prime Minister?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, February 2, 2022)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 2 February 2022, 8:09 am and is filed under
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What the political comeback of a convicted criminal for corruption as the 10th or 11th Prime Minister of Malaysia would  mean?

(Versi BM)

When I asked yesterday who will be UMNO’s Prime Minister-designate after the 15th General Election, I was accused of being too obsessed with Najib Razak.

I was not.

The political comeback of a convicted criminal for corruption as the 10th or 11th Prime Minister would have serious implications for the future of Malaysia.

In four decades, when Malaysia gets ready to celebrate its Centennial in 2063, many of the burning questions today would have faded into the mists of history.

But one question which will stand out as the leading question of the day in four decades’ time, and which should be the concern of all Malaysians today, is whether Malaysia could buck up as an united plural society to reverse the national decline of the past half-century, losing out to one nation after another – Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam – to fulfil Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Merdeka and Malaysia’s aspiration to be “a haven of peace, harmony and happiness” and “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

Whether Malaysia will be a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state when we celebrate our Centennial in 2063 will be decided by Malaysians now, particularly in the 15th General Election and its rehearsal in the Johore state general election as to whether the national decline of the past half-a-century would continue in the coming decades.

Next Tuesday will be Tunku Abdul Rahman’s 119th birthday anniversary. I have the privilege to share Tunku’s aspiration in the last decade of his life.

Has his aspiration for national unity and inter-racial and inter-religious harmony become an impossible dream?

It is a sad commentary on the nation-building process that after six decades, many Malaysians still think of themselves as Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Ibans first instead of as Malaysian first and it was so easy to spark inter-racial or inter-religious suspicion, distrust and hatred.

We have veered away from our founding fathers on the question of ethics and integrity.

There was no question about the commitment of the first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn in the battle to fight corruption but today Malaysia is struggling to have a clear break from kleptocracy and no help is coming from the party of Tunku, Razak and Hussein.

If a convicted criminal of corruption could succeed in a political come-back to become the 10th or 11th Prime Minister Malaysia, then the vision of Tunku Abdul Rahman for Malaysia to be “a haven of peace, harmony and happiness” and “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world” have become an impossible dream.

The 15th GE must signify the continuation of the 14th GE aspiration of Malaysians for institutional reform to restore the dream of the nation’s founding fathers for Malaysia to be world-class great nation

As a Johorean, I want to see the forthcoming Johore state general election to be the start of the process to reverse the national decline of last half a century from a nearly an economic “tiger” to the trajectory of a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state.

This is the Johore Dream.

We must make the Johore Dream the Malaysian Dream to restore strong institutions by upholding the Rukun Negara principles of constitutional monarchy, vibrant parliamentary democracy, doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, a free press, respect for human rights and the multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious character of Malaysia, least corruption and an accountable public service with integrity and efficiency.

If a convicted criminal of corruption could make a political comeback to become the nation’s 10th or 11th Prime Minister, then it means that the second effort to save Malaysia from becoming a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state has failed.

The first Save Malaysia effort was sabotaged after 22 months by the Sheraton Move conspiracy, which ushered in two backdoor and illegitimate governments.

We must not falter and surrender to the Sheraton Move conspiracy and patriotically mount a second Save Malaysia campaign.

Let us start this second Save Malaysia campaign in the Johore state general election.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 3rd February 2022)

Apakah implikasi kedatangan semula seorang penjenayah tersabit bersalah sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-10 atau ke-11?

Apabila saya bertanya semalam siapa yang akan dipilih sebagai calon Perdana Menteri UMNO selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15, saya dituduh terlalu taksub dengan Najib Razak.

Saya tidak obses dengan beliau.

Kemunculan semula politik seorang penjenayah yang disabitkan kesalahan rasuah sebagai Perdana Menteri ke-10 atau ke-11 akan memberi implikasi serius kepada masa depan Malaysia.

Dalam empat dekad, apabila Malaysia bersiap sedia untuk meraikan ulang tahun ke-100 penubuhan negara pada tahun 2063, banyak persoalan yang membara hari ini akan sudah hilang ke dalam kabus sejarah.

Tetapi satu persoalan yang akan menonjol sebagai persoalan utama hari ini dalam masa empat dekad, dan yang harus menjadi kebimbangan semua rakyat Malaysia hari ini, adalah sama ada Malaysia boleh bangkit sebagai masyarakat majmuk yang bersatu untuk memulihkan kemerosotan negara dalam setengah abad yang lepas, kalah kepada satu demi satu negara – Taiwan, Korea Selatan, Singapura dan Vietnam – untuk memenuhi Aspirasi Merdeka dan Aspirasi Malaysia Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman untuk menjadi “tempat selamat penuh keamanan, keharmonian dan kebahagiaan” dan “suar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu”.

Sama ada Malaysia akan menjadi kleptokrasi, kakistokrasi dan negara gagal apabila kita merayakan Seratus Tahun kita pada 2063 akan diputuskan oleh rakyat Malaysia sekarang, khususnya dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 dan dalam pilihan raya negeri Johor sama ada kemerosotan nasional setengah abad yang lepas akan berterusan dalam dekad yang akan datang.

Selasa depan akan adalah hari ulang tahun ke-119 Tunku Abdul Rahman. Saya berpeluang untuk berkongsi aspirasi Tunku dalam dekad terakhir hidupnya.

Adakah aspirasinya untuk perpaduan negara dan keharmonian antara kaum dan agama menjadi impian yang mustahil?

Ia adalah ulasan yang menyedihkan mengenai proses pembinaan negara bahawa selepas enam dekad, ramai rakyat Malaysia masih menganggap diri mereka sebagai Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan dan Iban terlebih dahulu dan bukannya sebagai rakyat Malaysia dahulu dan masih mudah untuk tercetusnya syak wasangka dan kebencian antara kaum dan agama di dalam negara,

Kita juga telah terpesong jauh daripada etika dan integriti yang ditunjukkan oleh bapa penubuhan negara yang terdahulu.

Tiada persoalan mengenai komitmen tiga Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang pertama, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak dan Tun Hussein Onn dalam perjuangan memerangi rasuah tetapi hari ini Malaysia sedang bergelut untuk melepaskan diri daripada kleptokrasi dan tiada bantuan datang daripada parti Tunku, Razak dan Hussein.

Jika penjenayah rasuah yang disabitkan bersalah boleh berjaya untuk kembali menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-10 atau ke-11, maka visi Tunku Abdul Rahman untuk Malaysia menjadi “syurga keamanan, keharmonian dan kebahagiaan” dan “suar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu” telah menjadi mimpi yang mustahil.

PRU ke-15 perlu menandakan kesinambungan aspirasi PRU ke-14 rakyat Malaysia untuk reformasi institusi bagi memulihkan impian bapa pengasas negara untuk Malaysia menjadi negara hebat bertaraf dunia

Sebagai rakyat Johor, saya mahu melihat pilihan raya umum negeri Johor yang akan datang sebagai permulaan proses untuk menghentikan kemerosotan negara dalam setengah abad yang lepas daripada hampir menjadi “harimau” ekonomi kepada trajektori kleptokrasi, kakistokrasi dan negara gagal.

Inilah Impian Johor.

Kita mesti jadikan Impian Johor juga Impian Malaysia, untuk mengembalikan institusi yang kuat berteraskan prinsip-prinsip Rukun Negara yang menegakkan sistem raja berperlembagaan, demokrasi berparlimen yang segar, doktrin pemisahan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, akhbar yang bebas, kehormatan terhadap hak asasi manusia, sifat masyarakat majmuk berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama, dan budaya Malaysia, tanpa rasuah dan dengan perkhidmatan awam yang bertanggungjawab, berintegriti, dan berkesan.

Jika penjenayah rasuah yang disabitkan kesalahan boleh membuat kemunculan semula politik untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri ke-10 atau ke-11 negara, maka perkara ini bermakna usaha kedua untuk menyelamatkan Malaysia daripada menjadi kleptokrasi, kakistokrasi dan negara gagal telah pun gagal.

Usaha pertama untuk menyelamatkan Malaysia telah disabotaj selepas 22 bulan melalui konspirasi Langkah Sheraton, yang membawa masuk dua kerajaan pintu belakang yang tidak sah.

Kita tidak boleh goyah dan menyerah kalah dengan konspirasi Langkah Sheraton ini, sebaliknya kita perlu memulakan usaha kedua untuk Menyelamatkan Malaysia.

Marilah kita mulakan kempen Selamatkan Malaysia ini dengan Pilihan Raya Negeri Johor.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 3 Februari 2022)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 3 February 2022, 7:20 am and is filed under
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If a convicted criminal on corruption can become the 10th or 11th Prime Minister of Malaysia, then China and Indonesia can overtake Malaysia in TI CPI by 2025 or latest before 2030

(Versi BM)

If a convicted criminal on corruption can become the 10th or 11th Prime Minister of Malaysia, then China and Indonesia can overtake Malaysia in Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) by 2025 or latest before 2030.

This will definitely be the end of the Malaysian Dream of the country being a world-class great nation, better than China, Indonesia and India in many fields of human endeavour because Malaysia is able to leverage on the best values and virtues of the four great civilisations which meet in confluence in Malaysia – Malay/Islamic. Chinese, Indian and Western.

If instead of excelling in various fields of human endeavour as compared to

China, Indonesia and India, we are performing worse than these three countries as is happening in the past half-a-century, then we are in the trajectory of a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed stated.

Can Malaysians avoid this fate?

This is why the 15th General Election – and its rehearsal in the forthcoming Johore state general election – is so important and critical in deciding the future and fate of Malaysia in the coming decades: whether we can reverse the national decline in the past half-a-century or are condemned to be a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state like Venezuela, Somalia, Syria and South Sudan.

I was very touched by the Chinese New Year posting of a former Shell executive, Yusuf Hashim who, as a Malay, apologised to non-Malay Malaysians. He wrote:

“My heart bleeds for my non Malay fellow Malaysians.

“I seek forgiveness from non-Malays for the apartheid mentality of some Malays. I cannot change the colour of my skin, and nor do I have the power to change the mentality of many Malays.

“But I feel for you, and can only assure you that there is still a core of fair-minded Malays who believe deeply in meritocracy, integrity, morality, honesty, honour, fairness, social democracy and righteousness.

“We are quite a large number, and I truly believe the numbers of fair-minded Malays are increasing.

“I put the blame for the sad state of our current situation, squarely upon the shoulders of the hypocrite and corrupt politicians, who have long used race and religion as political bait.

“Until they stop, I cannot see the situation improving significantly. Nor do I see the frustrations of non-Malay Malaysians abating anytime soon.

“I know many of you will want to give up, migrate, and leave these foolish and easily fooled trees to their fate.

“But I urge you to stay, and help moderate Malays to make change happen.

“Let us remember the names of all the scoundrel politicians who betrayed our mandate in the last General Elections, who are currently having a field day raping the coffers of our country. Remember them and in the next States and General election.

“Let us turn out in full force and throw them out.

“We did it in GE14, and we will do it again in GE15.

“Let us pool all our votes, come out, and vote out these despicable politicians.

“And all the young voters who can now vote arising from the UNDI 18 law, please don’t make the mistake of not voting. Come out and vote, and make your vote count.

“It is the greatest mistake you will make, if you let your angst and exasperation, lead to you not exercising your hard won right to vote. If you do not come out to vote, you might well have your worst nightmare as your next PM.

“I have a prayer. I pray that there will one day rise a truly honourable Malaysian leader, and a truly Multiracial party, that will enact a law, to make race and religious baiting, illegal under whatever legal system that we may have left.”

There is disappointment, disillusionment, dejection and despondency in the land that the Pakatan Harapan Government had not been able to fulfil its 2018 General Election.

I am myself disappointed with the Pakatan Harapan Government for I believe it could have done better, but we must not be unfair.

I met the Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in mid-2019 and expressed to him my concern about the government’s fulfilment of Pakatan Harapan election pledges, and I had intended the meet the Prime Minister after the mid-term of the government to review the implementation process.

The PH mandate to fulfil the election manifesto was for five years. If in the first half of the five-year term, the Implementation of the election manifesto was slow because of resistance, opposition or even sabotage, this could be remedied in the second half of the term by an acceleration to implement the election pledges.

But this was rendered impossible by the Sheraton Move conspiracy which toppled the PH government in 22 months.

There is a high-octane propaganda campaign to paint the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government as a total failure and a disaster, which is not the case.

I am impressed by Marina Mahathir’s apology for her gaffe attributing Mahathir’s “shoot to kill” threat to Vietnamese refugees in the late l970s to the then Home Minister, Ghazali Shafie.

It showed firstly, that it was a honest mistake; and secondly that a wrong perception if not corrected could last years and even decades.

I specially appreciate the latter aspect, as I am probably the most demonised person in Malaysian politics.

I am painted as anti-Malay and anti-Islam when I have no animus to any race or any religion. During the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government, Mahathir was presented as my stooge to the Malays and I as a stooge of Mahathir to Chinese and non-Malays – an impossibility for any one person to accomplish.

We must learn from our mistakes and our struggle.

Firstly, we must correct misperceptions, especially those which were maliciously planted. The 22-month Pakatan Harapan made promising beginnings for major institutional change which would see their full flowering if the Pakatan Harapan government had five years to fulfil its mandate and not toppled after 22 months by the Sheraton Move conspiracy.

Secondly, we must understand that the struggle to achieve the Malaysian Dream for Malaysia to be a world-class great nation is neither easy nor simple but a long arduous struggle inculcating the ‘Malaysian first’ idea and mentality which requires commitment, grit, perseverance and stamina lasting years and decades – covering several general elections.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 4th February 2022)

Sekiranya seorang penjenayah yang disabitkan kesalahan rasuah boleh menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-10 atau ke-11, maka China dan Indonesia boleh mengatasi Malaysia dalam TI CPI menjelang 2025 atau selewat-lewatnya sebelum 2030

Sekiranya seorang penjenayah yang disabitkan kesalahan rasuah boleh menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-10 atau ke-11, maka China dan Indonesia boleh mengatasi Malaysia dalam Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) Transparency International (TI) menjelang 2025 atau selewat-lewatnya sebelum 2030.

Perkara ini sudah pastinya akan menamatkan Impian Malaysia untuk menjadi sebuah negara hebat bertaraf dunia, yang lebih baik daripada China, Indonesia dan India dalam banyak bidang usaha manusia kerana Malaysia mampu memanfaatkan nilai dan nilai terbaik daripada empat tamadun yang hebat yang bertemu di Malaysia – Melayu/Islam Cina, India dan Barat.

Jika kita tidak cemerlang dalam pelbagai bidang usaha manusia berbanding China, Indonesia dan India, dan sebaliknya kita menunjukkan prestasi yang lebih teruk daripada ketiga-tiga negara ini seperti yang berlaku dalam setengah abad yang lalu, maka kita berada dalam trajektori ke arah menjadi sebuah kleptokrasi, kakistokrasi dan negara yang gagal.

Bolehkah rakyat Malaysia mengelak nasib seperti ini?

Inilah sebabnya mengapa Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-15 – dan raptainya dalam pilihan raya umum negeri Johor akan datang – sangat penting dan kritikal dalam menentukan masa depan dan nasib Malaysia dalam dekad yang akan datang: sama ada kita boleh menghentikan kemerosotan negara dalam setengah abad yang lepas atau dikutuk sebagai kleptokrasi, kakistokrasi dan negara gagal seperti Venezuela, Somalia, Syria dan Sudan Selatan.

Saya sangat terharu dengan catatan Tahun Baru Cina seorang bekas eksekutif Shell, Yusuf Hashim yang, sebagai seorang Melayu, memohon maaf kepada bukan Melayu di Malaysia. Dia menulis:

“Hatiku berdarah untuk rakyat Malaysia yang bukan Melayu.

“Saya memohon maaf daripada orang bukan Melayu atas mentaliti apartheid sebilangan orang Melayu. Saya tidak boleh mengubah warna kulit saya, dan saya juga tidak mempunyai kuasa untuk mengubah mentaliti ramai orang Melayu.

“Tetapi saya rasa untuk anda, dan hanya boleh meyakinkan anda bahawa masih ada teras orang Melayu yang berfikiran adil yang sangat percaya kepada meritokrasi, integriti, moral, kejujuran, kehormatan, keadilan, demokrasi sosial dan kebenaran.

“Kami adalah jumlah yang agak besar, dan saya benar-benar percaya bilangan orang Melayu yang berfikiran adil semakin meningkat.

“Saya meletakkan kesalahan di atas keadaan menyedihkan keadaan kita sekarang, di atas bahu ahli politik yang munafik dan korup, yang telah lama menggunakan kaum dan agama sebagai umpan politik.

“Sehingga mereka berhenti, saya tidak dapat melihat keadaan bertambah baik dengan ketara. Saya juga tidak melihat kekecewaan orang bukan Melayu Malaysia akan reda dalam masa terdekat.

“Saya tahu ramai di antara anda akan mahu berputus asa, berhijrah, dan tempat bodoh dan mudah ditipu ini kepada nasib mereka.

“Tetapi saya menggesa anda untuk kekal, dan bantu orang Melayu yang moderat untuk melakukan perubahan.

“Mari kita ingat nama semua ahli politik karut yang mengkhianati mandat kita pada Pilihan Raya Umum yang lalu, yang kini sedang bersidang merogol tabung negara kita. Ingat mereka dan dalam pilihan raya Negeri dan Umum akan datang.

“Mari kita keluar dengan kekuatan penuh dan buang mereka.

“Kami melakukannya pada PRU14, dan kami akan melakukannya sekali lagi pada PRU15.

“Mari kita kumpulkan semua undi kita, keluar, dan undi ahli politik yang hina ini.

“Dan semua pengundi muda yang kini boleh mengundi berpunca daripada undang-undang UNDI 18, tolong jangan buat kesilapan dengan tidak mengundi. Keluar dan mengundi, dan buat undian anda dikira.

“Ia adalah kesilapan terbesar yang akan anda lakukan, jika anda membiarkan kegusaran anda, menyebabkan anda tidak menggunakan hak anda untuk mengundi. Jika anda tidak keluar untuk mengundi, anda mungkin dapat mimpi ngeri yang paling teruk sebagai PM anda yang seterusnya.

“Saya ada doa. Saya berdoa agar suatu hari nanti akan bangkit seorang pemimpin Malaysia yang benar-benar mulia, dan sebuah parti yang benar-benar Berbilang kaum, yang akan menggubal undang-undang, untuk menjadikan umpan kaum dan agama, haram di bawah apa jua sistem perundangan yang mungkin kita tinggalkan.”

Terdapat kekecewaan dan perasaan putus asa di dalam negara kerana Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan tidak dapat memenuhi mandat Pilihan Raya Umum 2018.

Saya sendiri kecewa dengan Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan kerana saya percaya ia boleh menjadi lebih baik, tetapi kita perlu berlaku adil.

Saya bertemu Perdana Menteri Mahathir Mohamad pada pertengahan 2019 dan menyatakan kepadanya kebimbangan saya tentang pemenuhan janji pilihan raya Pakatan Harapan oleh kerajaan, dan saya berhasrat untuk bertemu Perdana Menteri selepas pertengahan penggal kerajaan untuk mengkaji semula proses pelaksanaan.

Mandat PH untuk memenuhi manifesto pilihan raya adalah selama lima tahun. Jika pada separuh pertama penggal lima tahun, Pelaksanaan manifesto pilihan raya lambat kerana tentangan, bantahan atau pun sabotaj, perkara ini boleh dipulihkan pada separuh kedua penggal dengan mempercepatkan untuk melaksanakan janji pilihan raya.

Tetapi perkara ini kini menjadi mustahil selepas konspirasi Langkah Sheraton yang menggulingkan kerajaan PH selepas tempoh 22 bulan.

Terdapat kempen propaganda berkuasa tinggi untuk menggambarkan kerajaan Pakatan Harapan selama 22 bulan sebagai satu kegagalan dan bencana, yang tidak berlaku.

Saya kagum dengan permohonan maaf Marina Mahathir atas kesilapannya yang mengaitkan ancaman “tembak untuk bunuh” Mahathir kepada pelarian Vietnam pada akhir 1970-an kepada Menteri Dalam Negeri ketika itu, Ghazali Shafie.

Ia menunjukkan pertama sekali, bahawa ia adalah satu kesilapan yang jujur; dan kedua bahawa persepsi yang salah jika tidak diperbetulkan, boleh bertahan dan berterusan bertahun-tahun bahkan berdekad-dekad.

Saya amat menghargai aspek yang terakhir ini, kerana saya mungkin orang yang paling dihina dalam politik Malaysia.

Saya digambarkan sebagai anti-Melayu dan anti-Islam apabila saya tidak bermusuhan dengan mana-mana kaum atau mana-mana agama. Semasa pentadbiran Pakatan Harapan selama 22 bulan, Mahathir telah dipersembahkan sebagai anak buah saya kepada orang Melayu dan saya sebagai anak buah Mahathir kepada orang Cina dan bukan Melayu – suatu kemustahilan untuk dicapai oleh sesiapa sahaja.

Kita mesti belajar dari kesilapan dan perjuangan kita.

Pertama, kita mesti membetulkan tanggapan yang salah, terutamanya yang ditanam dengan niat jahat. Pentadbiran Pakatan Harapan selama 22 bulan adalah satu permulaan yang menjanjikan untuk perubahan institusi besar yang akan menyaksikan hasil jika kerajaan Pakatan Harapan mempunyai lima tahun untuk menunaikan mandatnya dan tidak digulingkan selepas 22 bulan oleh konspirasi Langkah Sheraton.

Kedua, kita mesti faham bahawa perjuangan untuk mencapai Impian Malaysia untuk Malaysia menjadi sebuah negara hebat bertaraf dunia bukanlah mudah tetapi merupakan sebuah perjuangan panjang yang sukar untuk menyemai idea dan mentaliti ‘Utamakan Malaysia’ yang memerlukan komitmen, ketabahan, kecekalan dan stamina untuk bertahan bertahun-tahun dan berdekad – meliputi beberapa pilihan raya umum.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat, 4 Februari 2022)

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