DAP STALWART Lim Kit Siang has announced his plan to write a book on Malaysia’s future direction after his retirement from politics.
According to the Iskandar Puteri MP, he has been thinking about the country’s competitiveness on the global stage and whether it is headed towards becoming a “failed state” like Sri Lanka.
“My first post-retirement project is a book on whether Malaysia can reverse the national decline of the past half-century and become a world-class great nation by 2040 or 2050,” he said in a statement.
Since his retirement from active politics Lim said that he has been wrestling with several questions, including whether Malaysia can return to the principles in the Rukun Negara on national unity, the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, integrity and good governance, respect of human rights and liberties, and whether it is possible to get Malaysians of all race and religion to accept that Malaysia as a plural society.
“I have decided on the first post-retirement project which is to write a book on these questions which should concern all Malaysians who love this country,” he explained.
“I believe all thinking Malaysians have ideas on these great questions and I invite them to write their reflections and perspectives to share their thoughts with me in the coming month to help me write this book.
“This is the best testimony of our love and patriotism to Malaysia.”
The 81-year-old veteran lawmaker announced that he was retiring from active politics on March 20 at DAP’s 17th annual congress and said that he will not be contesting any positions whether for the party’s CEC or in future parliamentary or state elections.
On Wednesday (April 13) he further said that he has turned down the DAP Central Executive Committee’s (CEC) proposal for him to become the “mentor” for the party he has founded more than 50 years ago but pledged to give his full support to the new generation of leaders. – April 15, 2022
