I HAVE mentioned that with the jailing of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, there is now light at the end of the tunnel and Malaysia can return to the nation-building principles our founding fathers entrenched in the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara.
These are the constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, separation of powers, rule of law, good governance, public integrity, meritocracy, respect for human rights and national unity from our multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural diversity, where there are no first-class and second-class citizens based on race, religion or region.
Not all agree. There are those who do not see any light at the end of the tunnel and others who are so pessimistic that they expect the light to die off before the end of the tunnel is reached. I do not agree and I hope the pessimists are not right.
I stick to my guns — while I emphasise that a New Malaysia is not a lost cause, it will not be an easy battle either; we have only taken the first step in a long, arduous and uncertain struggle for justice, freedom and dignity for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.
The events of the last five days have reinforced the view that a New Malaysia has not yet come into being and that it is very much a work-in-progress. Nevertheless, it is very significant that these challenges facing Malaysians are being highlighted on the eve of the 65th anniversary of our independence.
Three great issues were the focus of Malaysians in the month of August 2022 — corruption in the form of the littoral combatant ships (LCS) scandal, the rule of law and the doctrine of separation of powers.
The signs are disturbing for there is a new 1MDB scandal in the making in the form of the RM9 bil LCS scandal (which may even cost more than RM11.145 bil to complete all six LCS, as revealed in the investigating committee on procurement, governance and finance report on the project) and attempts to cover up the scandal.
Will the 14th Parliament be used to cover up the RM9 bil (or +RM11 bil) LCS scandal in the same way the 13th Parliament was used to cover up the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal?
Will the doctrine of separation of powers among the executive, legislature and judiciary be restored as intended by the nation’s founding fathers and entrenched in the constitution and Rukun Negara?
These are the core issues of the “Malaysian Dream”.
“Next generation must take over”
I am now 81 years old. I have an ex-classmate from Batu Pahat, Johor, who was in such poor health that he was not sure whether he would live to celebrate his 80th birthday. I congratulated him last Thursday (Aug 25) because that was his 80th birthday.
The battle for a New Malaysia must be borne by the young generation of Malaysians.
The dream that my classmates and I dreamt of when we were in Form 3 and Malaya attained her independence on Aug 31, 1957, for Malaya (and later Malaysia) to be “a beacon of light to a difficult and distracted world” and a world-class and great nation, must be taken up by a new generation of Malaysian youths.
My dream 50 years ago that 18-year-olds will be given the right to vote has come to fruition and it is my hope to see a Malaysian youth between 18 to 21 years become an MP in the 15th General Election (GE15) and fight for justice, freedom and dignity for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.
The voices in UMNO last night (Aug 27) demanding immediate general elections and the pardon of Najib without any regret or contrition for the 1MDB scandal and other corruption scandals went against the very nation-building principles of the country’s founding fathers, including Najib’s father, the late Tun Razak.
We must eschew all forms of extremism, whether race or religion-based.
In Saudi Arabia, there is news that the specialised Criminal Appeals Court in Riyadh has sentenced Sheikh Saleh Al Talkib, a former notable imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, to 10 years in prison for a sermon denouncing mixed public gatherings.
On the other hand, in Malaysia, we have the PAS president claiming that non-Muslims and non-Bumiputera make up the bulk of the “root of corruption” in the country.
The youths in Malaysia must be at the forefront to save Malaysia from kleptocracy, kakistocracy, and a rogue and failed state by ensuring a reset of the nation-building principles and policies, and that our children and their children have better lives and opportunities, be it economic, educational, social and political.
For close to half a century, we have been losing out to one country after another. Can we buck up and stop being overtaken by more and more countries in the coming years and decades?
Can we rediscover the spirit of hope and challenge in the 14th General Elections (GE14) to continue to press for change and excellence in Malaysia in GE15 and save the country so that Malaysia can be a world-class great nation?
This is the challenge for all Malaysians, particularly the youths, regardless of race, religion or gender. — Aug 28, 2022
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang is the MP for Iskandar Puteri.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main photo credit: The Star
