Kuala Terengganu by-election ï¿½ ï¿½308ï¿½ political tsunami on course and a dire warning to UMNO and in particular Najib

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Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 18^th January 2009:
Kuala Terengganu by-election ï¿½ ï¿½308ï¿½ political tsunami on course and a dire warning to UMNO and in particular Najib

The Kuala Terengganu by-election has lived up to its historic significance.

It has delivered two important messages.

Firstly, that the ï¿½308ï¿½ political tsunami of the March general election last year is very much on course, confirming that the paradigm shift in Malaysian politics some ten months ago was no fluke shot but represented deep-seated and wide-ranging political aspirations of Malaysians.

Secondly, a dire warning to Umno and in particular Datuk Seri Najib Razak who is to be Prime Minister in ten weeksï¿½ time of the far-reaching consequences if they refuse to heed the peopleï¿½s call for change.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in his comment on the Kuala Terenggany by-election result has likened UMNO and BN to ï¿½a sinking shipï¿½ if their leaders remain in denial.

How many UMNO and BN leaders would dare to agree with Razaleigh when he warned:

ï¿½Money, machinery and incumbency could not trump the call for change. BN will lose, and will in the end lose everything, until we respond fully and sincerelyï¿½

ï¿½Actually this was more than a referendum on the leadership. It was a test of the relevance of UMNO in its present form. If UMNO is no longer relevant to the Malays, the BN formula is dead.ï¿½

The results of the Kuala Terengganu by-election will have to be studied in detail, in particular the impact of the hudud issue in the by-election.

* Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor