THE 15th General Election (GE15) on Nov 19, 2022, may end up like the 14th General Election (GE14) on May 9, 2018 – with UMNO/Barisan Nasional (BN) in the lead before the poll but not so when the results were out.
In GE14, I campaigned for the toppling of the UMNO/BN Government throughout the country but if you asked me on the morning of polling day, I would not say that Pakatan Harapan would end the UMNO/BN political hegemony on that day.
The UMNO president and prime minister at the time, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was himself very confident not only of victory that day but of a two-thirds parliamentary majority win until the end of polling on May 9,
But the Malaysian voters, whether in the country or in the Malaysian diaspora worldwide, made a supreme effort and startled not only Malaysia but the world with a change of Government on May 9, 2018.
We are now in the same position in GE15.
The UMNO/BN coalition believes that they are in the lead but the decision is not in their hands; it is in the hands of the Malaysian voters in the country and worldwide.
The question is whether we will start anew by ensuring a reset and return to the original nation-building principles for a plural society or become a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed and divided state by Malaysia’s centennial in another four decades.
I am 81 years old and have devoted 57 years of my life in pursuit of the Malaysian Dream – a Malaysia where there is freedom, justice and a good life for all Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans.
Same goal
Whether we are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, or Muslism, Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists or Christians, we sacrificed and shed tears, sweat and life for the same goal – to ensure that our children and children’s children have a better life than ourselves.
I will not be around in Malaysia’s centennial but I will go all out to pursue the Malaysian Dream until my last breath.
Although I am not on the front line of politics anymore, I will devote every ounce of my energy to the cause of the Malaysian Dream, starting with the objective to make Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the 10th prime minister of Malaysia to begin the process of Malaysian national healing and renewal so that we can become a world-class great plural nation and not a kleptocracy, kakistocracy, a failed and rogue state on Malaysia’s centennial.
This is what GE15 on Nov 19 is all about – the future of Malaysia, and not saving leaders of UMNO and BN from being charged in court and going to jail!
Like most Malaysians, I am disappointed that the 22-month Pakatan Harapan Government could not do more – but it is impossible to achieve in 22 months what we wanted to do in five years.
We never expected to be betrayed by the Sheraton Move conspiracy too.
But has the 22-month Pakatan Government been a total failure? If so, Najib will not be in jail now and UMNO and BN leaders would not be in fear of being charged with corruption and going to jail.
We must renew our hope for a better Malaysia and let us do it on Nov 19, 2022! – Oct 23, 2022
DAP supremo and veteran lawmaker Lim Kit Siang is the outgoing MP for Iskandar Puteri.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main photo credit: Kosmo!
