IN a week’s time, Malaysia will be celebrating the 66th National Day and in 34 years’ time, Malaysians will be celebrating Malaysia’s Centennial. Most Malaysians who are in their forties or younger will live to see Malaysia’s Centennial in 2057.
It has been more than nine months since the 15th General Election (GE15) on Nov 19, 2022, and one important question about the future of Malaysia should be asked: Who are the national leaders who are Prime Minister (PM)-designates who are talking about the objective of Malaysia rising up again to become a great world-class nation?
The national leaders who are also PM-designates are only focused on their own personal interests or those of their political parties or coalitions, not on the interests of Malaysia.
As an example, a PAS representative was cited in an online news article today, forecasting that the forthcoming Simpang Jeram by-election could serve as the “entry point” for the “Perikatan Nasional (PN) wave” to extend into Johor. The individual expressed no concern about the possibility of Malaysia becoming a fragmented, unsuccessful and tainted nation akin to Sri Lanka
This PAS leader even predicted that PN will take over Johor in another two and a half years and even reach Singapore.
Being born and raised in Batu Pahat during the 1940s and 1950s, I am a native of Johor.
Over the years, I have served as an MP in five different states—Malacca, Selangor, Penang, Perak and Johor. However, I disagree with the viewpoint expressed by the PAS leader. I hold the belief that Johor and Singapore are not likely to come under the influence of PAS in the near future.
But what bugged me was the thought: What is the use of PAS taking over Johor and Singapore if they are reduced to divided, failed and corrupt states? PAS and even PN have no plans whatsoever to make Johor, Malaysia and Singapore great world-class nations.
I believe Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Dayaks or Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs or Taoists do not want Malaysia to be reduced to Sri Lanka – a divided, failed and corrupt state but to rise up again to become a great world-class nation!
The only person who is talking about Malaysia rising up again to become a great world-class nation is Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, whose vision of Ekonomi Madani included the following targets:
- Top 30 biggest economies in the world in terms of nominal gross domestic product. Malaysia currently ranks 35th.
- Top 12 in the IMD World Competitive Index. The current rank is 27.
- Top 25 in the UN Human Development Index. The current rank is 62.
- Top 25 in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The current rank is 61.
I am still waiting for PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang as well as PN and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, both of whom still hold aspirations for the position of Prime Minister. This vision should outline their strategies for elevating Malaysia to the status of a remarkable world-class nation.
In the first five years of the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from 1995-1999, Malaysia was the top country in the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) on public integrity and probity.
In the 2000 and 2001 TI CPI, we lost out to Tunisia. In the last TI CPI 2022, Malaysia lost to four OIC countries, namely UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Moreover, Hadi’s explanation was to blame non-Muslims for the corruption in Malaysia, ignoring the fact that if Malaysia’s trajectory in the TI CPIs is not reversed, China will overtake Malaysia in the TI CPI series by the end of this decade.
However, perhaps the most surprising of all was Muhyiddin’s most remarkable “accomplishment” in combating corruption.
Malaysia’s descent in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) rankings is a case in point: it spanned 22 years, sliding from its initial position of 23 out of 41 countries in 1995 to 62 out of 180 countries in 2017.
Strikingly, under Muhyiddin’s leadership, this ranking plummeted from 51st in 2019 to 62nd in a mere 10 months, marking a significantly swift decline.
Muhyiddin was the premier with the worst record in fighting corruption in Malaysia. Both Muhyiddin and Hadi have no vision, plan or intention to make Malaysia rise up again to become a great world-class nation.
This is why Anwar deserves full support from Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, politics or region to make Malaysia rise up again to become a great world-class nation. – Aug 24, 2023
Veteran lawmaker and retired DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang was Malaysia’s longest-serving opposition leader (29 years on three separate occasions).
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main photo credit: CompareHero
