DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim has served as Prime Minister (PM) longer than three of five PMs in the last six years and headed to be one of the three longest of 10 PMs in the Malaysian history.
The results of the Makhota by-election in Kluang on Saturday (Sept 28) which followed the victory of the unity government in the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan signifies three developments:
Firstly, Malaysians want stability as nobody benefits from a chaotic and unstable Malaysia – with no investor, particularly a foreign investor – wanting to invest in such a Malaysia.
Secondly, there is only one end result for a chaotic and unstable Malaysia – a failed state. It is not the road for Malaysia to rise again to become a great world-class nation.
Thirdly, the end of the Green Wave in Malaysia where extremism, hatred, lies, misinformation and dis-information ruled the day.
In the past six years, Malaysia has had five PMs. As of today, the 10th PM Anwar has outlasted three of them – Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his second tenure as PM.
But Anwar has not only served longer than three of the five PMs in the last six years for he is headed to be one of the longest of 10 Malaysian PMs.
The next two or three years will be crucial for Malaysia. It will decide whether Anwar will be one of the three longest PMs in the Malaysian history.
The acid test in the next two or three years will be whether Anwar will live up to his famous quote: “Wo Men Dou Shi Yi Jia Ren” – “Melayu anak saya, Cina anak saya, India anak saya, Kadazan anak saya, Dayak anak saya”.
If Malaysia is to rise again to become a great world-class nation, we must re-visit the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara which emphasise that Malaysia is a plural society and the importance of “unity in diversity:”
Malaysia nearly becomes world-known as a kleptocratic state. We want to be famous in the world for the unity and harmony of various races and cultures, and the success we can achieve from such unity and harmony.
We want Malaysia to be able to contribute to the world; one area which we are eminently qualified to contribute is to promote global civilisational dialogue and harmony.
Malaysia is home to Islam, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Taoism, Sikhism and other civilisations. We can and must contribute to a new phase of humanity where all men and women develop not only national but global mindsets.
We can start modestly by promoting global civilisational dialogue and harmony. – Oct 1, 2024
Retired DAP supremo Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang was Malaysia’s longest serving opposition leader of 29 years on three separate occasions. The above speech was delivered at the 103rd anniversary dinner of the Batu Pahat Chin Kang Association on Sept 30, 2024.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
