YESTERDAY, together with Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, I visited the Greenpeace exhibition on haze at the former Rex Theatre site on Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur.
The visit reminded me of two things:
First, the Rex locality was the area where I started my political work in the 60s in DAP over half a century ago, when we had only very few supporters.
Only youths with great idealism and commitment were prepared to forgo an easier life and devote themselves to the political struggle for a better Malaysia, pasting posters and trying to galvanise the people for a cause.
Secondly, that haze is not a new problem, as my first statement on haze must have been in the early 90s.
After over three decades, haze as an environmental problem continues to haunt Malaysia and ASEAN and is a testament that if we want to effect change, we must have the stamina, perseverance and life-long idealism to believe that Malaysia can be a better home for all Malaysians regardless of race or religion.
This is the lesson all Malaysians must learn especially after Sheraton Move ended the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government in February 2020, ending the hopes and aspirations of many Malaysians that Malaysia can change for the better.
Institutional obstacles to change are deep-rooted and take time to overcome, but we must not relapse or capitulate and must always be committed to reform the institutions to bring about a better Malaysia.
At present, Malaysia has two haze problems – the environmental problem of haze arising from the forest fires in Indonesia and also the political haze problem which raises the question if the unity government can last five years.
I am increasingly confident that the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-led unity government can last five years and that it could start the process to reform the various institutions and policies to make Malaysia a first-rate world-class nation, as aspired by the nation’s founding fathers.
Is Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj’s aspiration for Malaysia to be a “beacon of light in difficult and distracted world” a lost cause, where not only Vision 2020, is repudiated, but the “Malay Proclamation” has become the governing concept of the day?
I do not think so.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng recently lodged a police report against PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang over the latter’s recent statement which, among others, said Malays were being “openly conned”.
In his police report, Lip Eng urged police to investigate the PAS president under various laws covering criminal defamation, intentional insult to provoke a breach of the peace, statements conducive to public mischief, the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Hadi had reiterated calls for the Malays to unite, saying that the race is being conned. The Marang MP also claimed Malays have lost their political power and were being deceived due to their ignorance.
Hadi also slammed Malays who work with non-Muslims and non-Malays who he claimed are the “biggest plunderers”.
This is the “political haze” that must be removed where, without undermining the right of any party to go to Parliament to seek a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minster, all efforts must be directed at ensuring that there is political stability in Malaysia to unite a plural Malaysia of different races, religions and cultures. – May 12, 2023
Veteran lawmaker and retired DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang is the former MP for Iskandar Puteri.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main pic credit: The Star
