A SOCIAL media query asking why twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was never hauled up by the police as he had said the same thing as I did – that a non-Malay can be the Malaysian Prime Minister (PM) – caused me to do some research.
I found that the social media question was based on facts – that Dr Mahathir had more than once said a non-Malay could become a Malaysian PM.
But I also found that Dr Mahahtir mentioned this constitutional fact to frighten the Malays on the ground they had lost economic control of the country and risked losing their political power as well.
In March 2023 for instance, he said a non-Malay could become PM as early as the next two general elections which is less than 10 years away.
I differ greatly from Dr Mahathir as I do not expect a non-Malay to become Malaysia’s PM in the next 100 years although I expressed the hope that Malaysia will not take 230 years like the US for a Black American to be US President.
This will come about when “the majority of Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Dayaks dream the Malaysian Dream and not a mono-ethnic dream”.
I was stating what is in the Federal Constitution that any Malaysian regardless of race or religion can be a Malaysian PM not to frighten the Malays or non-Malays or as a provocation to anyone.
There is no race or competition for a non-Malay to be a Malaysian PM whether by Malaysia’s Centennial in 2063 which is four decades from now or after the next 100 years which is after 2123.
Rebutting PAS’ sec-gen
No non-Malay will become Malaysian PM without significant support of all the ethnic groups, in particular the Malays. Only the police know why they wanted to see me but not Dr Mahathir although he said the same thing as me that a non-Malay can be PM of Malaysia.
The PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has deemed my statement that a non-Malay could become a Malaysian PM as “poisonous propaganda”.
But this provision is in the Constitution. Is Takiyuddin saying on behalf of PAS and Perikatan Nasional (PN) that the Malaysian Constitution contains “poisonous propaganda”?
Does this mean that PAS MPs have taken false oaths when they swore that they will “preserve, protect and defend” the Federal Constitution during the swearing-in ceremony of MPs?
Let PAS be truthful with Malaysians: What are the provisions in the Federal Constitution that PAS rejects which justified the Islamist party’s president Tan Sri Hadi Awang to call it a “kafir (infidel) constitution” in the past?
Takiyuddin was quick to comment on my remarks in Manchester. Why did he keep silent on Hadi’s “thunderous silence” to substantiate his wild and preposterous allegations that DAP and I were anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Royalty, communist and spreading Islamophobia.
Does Takiyuddin agree with the PAS president?
Furthermore, why was Takiyuddin silent on the lies, falsehoods, fake news and hate speech of PAS Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Mohamad that I am cousin to the Singapore founder PM (changing his name to “Lim” Kuan Yew) and the Malayan Communist Party secretary-general Chin Peng?
What is Takiyuddin doing as PAS secretary-general to ensure that PAS leaders, including its president, do not spread lies, falsehoods, fake news and hate speech?
I posed these questions to Takiyuddin when I was in Scotland last week and I am still waiting for his answers.
‘Won’t happen in my lifetime’
PAS has clearly a better research library than I have as I do not know about the speech of Lee Kuan Yew, the former Singapore PM, to Malaysian students in London in 1964, and I do not mind him sending me a copy of that Lee Kuan Yew’s speech.
But I must disabuse him of his notion that I have “prejudice” against the role of the Malays and that I thought that having a non-Malay PM is the way for Malaysia to be considered achieving its dream of being a successful country.
As I have said, I do not expect a non-Malay to become a PM in the next 100 years, ie by 2123.
But the focus of all patriotic politicians must be on Malaysia’s Centennial in 2063 whether Malaysa can rise up again to be a great world-class nation and be a role model of the world of inter-ethnic, inter- religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation dialogue, understanding, tolerance and harmony or doomed to be a divided, failed and kleptocratic state.
Malaysia’s Centennial will happen before my time span of 100 years where I do not expect a non-Malay to be PM of Malaysia.
Malaysia’s fate will be decided by Malaysia’s Centennial in 2063 whether we can make use of critical juncture in the next three or four years to rise up again as a great world-class nation.
To ensure Takiyuddin do not misunderstand, I do not expect any non-Malay to be a PM before Malaysia’s Centennial in 2063 – in fact, I do not expect a non-Malay PM in the next 100 years which will take us to 2123! – Dec 12, 2023
Retired DAP supremo Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang was Malaysia’s longest serving opposition leader of 29 years on three separate occasions.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
