Speech by Lim Kit Siang in Dewan Rakyat on the Royal Address on Thursday, 18^th March 2010: 

How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests?

In about a fortnight, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be celebrating his first full year as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

In the past year, the slogan of 1Malaysia has dominated the media, the airwaves and the television channels while the 1Malaysia logo in different shapes and sizes had littered the national landscape.

Paradoxically, however, Najib is fighting a losing battle for his 1Malaysia slogan and concept and the most disturbing recent example of such failure was when early this month, a rational and level-headed Umno leader like the Second Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohd Hanadzlah could make a racist remark when egged on by anti-1Malaysia elements when he came under the influence of Penang Umno.

Husni has yet to apologise for his racist remark at a dinner organized by the Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce, where he said: “Kalau orang Cina di Pulau Pinang buli kita, kita lawan balik orang Cina” and what Husni said had been caught on tape.

I am very surprised as DAP MPs have always found Husni as a very rational, level-headed and reasonable Deputy Minister and since Najib’s elevation as Prime Minister last April, as Second Finance Minister, and we find it most shocking that he could have uttered such a racially-laden statement, which runs counter to what Najib’s 1Malaysia represents.

The question all Malaysians must ponder is why a usually rational, level-headed and reasonable Umno leader who is very moderate in his views could make such a racist remark completely out of his character?

The only explanation is that when Husni went to Penang, he was influenced by the sustained hate campaign of UMNO Penang exploiting the “race and religion” card falsely accusing Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Pakatan Rakyat Penang State Government as anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

As a moderate Umno leader, Husni should be exercising restraint and check on the irresponsible and seditious campaign by Penang Umno, recklessly exploiting the “race and religion” card in cahoots with Umno-controlled media like Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, making a total mockery of Najib’s 1Malaysia campaign – and not to succumb to the Penang Umno virus as to condone and even to aid and abet such an irresponsible and seditious campaign of hate and racism.

When moderate UMNO leaders like Husni could lose their moderate bearings when in the Penang Umno milieu of hate politics, what hope and future is there for Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan and concept?

Has the Prime Minister got his entire Cabinet, including the Deputy Prime Minister, with him on the same page on what 1Malaysia means?

I had occasion to ask publicly last month whether the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is sincerely and seriously committed to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept – whether he is the right-hand man of Najib or former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir as the custodian and surrogate of the Mahathir legacy in the Najib premiership.

I had asked Muhyiddin whether he had Najib’s endorsement and approval for all his utterances and actions which are inimical to the realisation of the 1Malaysia slogan and concept, including:

• His defense of the racist “brain washing” and indoctrination on “ketuanan Melayu” by Biro Tata Negara despite criticisms and expose of its racist, divisive and seditious content for the past two decades;

• His attempt to mitigate the Nasir Safar outrage claiming that it could have been “a slip of the tongue” when Najib’s senior political aide labelled Indians and Chinese in Malaysia as “pendatang”, alleging that the Chinese came as beggars and the Chinese women as “prostitutes”; claimed that Umno was solely responsible in drafting the constitution sidelining the contribution of MCA and MIC; and issued the threat to revoke the citizenship of those vocal about the subject cap for SPM examination.

• His conspicuous silence at the JAKIM (Islamic Development Department of the Prime Minister’s Office) forum at the end of January for 800 civil servants tantamount to an insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept – with government speakers making inflammatory and incendiary speeches, blaming Christians for provoking Muslim anger by challenging the ban on the use of the word “Allah” and Umno/BN politicians for failing to defend Islam, with one speaker suggesting that a repeat of the May 13 riots was possible if the Christians, whom he accused of practising “extremism” did not “back down”, uttering the threat: “Who knows, there might be a Feb. 13?”

• His conspicuous silence when the racialist rantings of Umno executive secretary Datuk Abdul Rauf Yusoh at an Umno club function in London earlier this month was exposed; and

• His hamfisted attempt to aid and abet the inflammatory and incendiary campaign by Umno-controlled media like Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, government television and radio stations, playing the race and religious cards to viciously and falsely paint Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Pakatan Rakyat Penang State Government as “anti-Malay” and “anti-Islam”.

Let me ask Muhyiddin one question point-blank: Is he aware that the Najib administration’s sincerity and seriousness about 1Malaysia is under great test in Penang – why the 1Malaysia concept is being undermined and compromised in the vicious and sustained exploitation of the race and religious card by Umno media and agents in the conspiracy to defame the Penang Chief Minister and Pakatan Rakyat Penang State Government as anti-Malay and anti-Islam?

If the people of Penang regard the 1Malaysia concept as fake and hypocritical, how can he expect the people of Sabah and Sarawak and the rest of Malaysians to have much confidence in the slogan?

As Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin should be in the forefront to secure the co-operation of all MPs and political parties outside the Barisan Nasional fold to make a success of the 1Malaysia campaign, on the ground that it is a national issue and not a party agenda.

Unless the 1Malaysia concept is merely an Umno and Barisan Nasional political gimmick, Muhyiddin should have taken the initiative to approach MPs and political parties outside the Barisan Nasional to put aside all partisan differences to foster the national development of the 1Malaysia concept.

He should be meeting with Opposition MPs in Parliament to forge an all-party platform to ensure the achievement of the 1Malaysia concept at all levels of national life.

But Muhyiddin has done none of this in the past year that he was Deputy Prime Minister.

I had proposed the establishment of an Opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia which had been met with indifference and disinterest from Muhyiddin and the overwhelming majority of Barisan Nasional Ministers.

This is really quite ridiculous as Muhyiddin and the Najib Cabinet should be persuading the Pakatan Rakyat MPs to agree to the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia and not the other way round!

Why is this so? Is this because the Najib Cabinet is full of Ministers who are quite skeptical about the 1Malaysia concept treating it as nothing more than political theatre not to be taken seriously?

Who are the Ministers in the Najib Cabinet who have the 1Malaysia DNA? I do not see anyone. No wonder neither Muhyiddin nor the other Cabinet Ministers comport themselves with any conviction that they are the standard-bearers of the 1Malaysia slogan and concept.

There are three simple tests as to whether Muhyiddin and Cabinet Ministers are sincerely and seriously committed to Najib’s 1Malaysia, viz:

• Whether he or she agrees to the establishment of an Opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia;

• Is he or she prepared to declare that the basis of 1Malaysia is “ketuanan rakyat Malaysia” and not “ketuanan Melayu”; and

• Is he or she prepared to endorse the objective of 1Malaysia as defined by the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap to create a nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion or region second.

Are Najib, Muhyiddin and all the Umno leaders prepared to stand up and declare that they are Malaysian first and Malay second?

I declare that I am Malaysian first and Chinese second. Is every Cabinet Minister prepared to make a similar declaration?

How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA and able to pass these three simple 1Malaysia tests?

For that matter, how many Barisan Nasional MPs have the 1Malaysia DNA and able to pass these three simple 1Malaysia tests?

Evidently, 1Malaysia means “a thousand-and-one” different things to the Najib Cabinet and government – both to Umno and non-Umno Cabinet Ministers.

When non-Umno Ministers like the KPI Minister responsible for the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, and Ministers from the MCA, MIC and Sabah and Sarawak BN component parties dare not defend the 1Malaysia concept to speak up in Cabinet over the Jakim insubordation and insurrection, or irresponsible exploitation of the “race and religion cards” by Umno media and agents, questions are legitimately asked whether 1Malaysia has any real meaning after its articulation by Najib last April.

In fact, I would be speaking a truism when I say that the biggest enemies of 1Malaysia is not from outside Barisan Nasional, but from inside Umno.

This is why my proposal for a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia had not received any support – not even from the KPI Minister, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, which can only mean that he has no confidence that the 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap can go very far out of the laboratory stage with withstand public and parliamentary scrutiny.

The 1Malaysia GTP talks about “promoting an all-inclusive 1Malaysia media”. It said:

“However, when some of the reporting and writing becomes too ethno-centric or even takes on a more race-centred angle, it raises, rather than breaks down, barriers. Further, instead of providing constructive and valid criticism, some writers abuse the greater freedom of expression now available to use terms and express feelings that are racist or inflammatory in nature and tone.

“While censorship is antithetical to democracy, there is a need to introduce, instill and internalize a commitment to journalistic professionalism, a sense of responsibility and self-restraint, with sensitivity to the divergent views and feelings of the diverse communities in Malaysia.”

Any independent survey of the mass media scene will show that those most guilty of the sins of being “too ethnocentric or even takes on a more race-centred angle” and abuses of using “terms and express feelings that are racist or inflammatory in nature and tone”, totally insensitive to “the divergent views and feelings of the diverse communities in Malaysia” in the past two years since the March 8 “political tsunami” of the 2008 general election are the Umno media of Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian.

Nobody is suggesting the closure of Utusan Malaysia or Berita Harian but have those responsible for the 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap in particular the KPI Minister, Koh Tsu Koon done anything apart from advocating “an all-inclusive 1Malaysia media”, to communicate with the errant Umno media “to introduce, instill and internalize a commitment to journalistic professionalism, a sense of responsibility and self-restraint, with sensitivity to the divergent views and feeling of the diverse communities in Malaysia” and above all, the meaning of the 1Malaysia concept?

In a way, the Umno media are ironically furnishing the best evidence of the rise of Middle Malaysia.

In the past, the vial of poison, lies and sedition relentlessly pumped out by Umno media like Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian relentlessly for two years - for instance the falsehoods that DAP is anti-Malay and wants to abolish the Malay monarchy by establishing a republic – would have sparked unrest and turmoil in Malaysia pre-March 8, 2008 when mainstream media (msm) were virtually the sole source of information in the country.

But today, there would be those who would read this cealesless spiel of poison, lies and sedition with a yawn because it lacks credibility, although its capacity to create mischief cannot be under-estimated as not all Malaysians can escape the thrall of the Umno/Barisan Nasional monopoly of msm.

In previous years, DAP leaders would be very alarmed by such poisonous and seditious fare in the Umno newspapers.

There is still cause for alarm but also room for confidence that with the rise of a Middle Malaysia it is no more a one-sided affair where the Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian lies are taken as gospel truth. More Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Ibans, have a greater capacity to discern truth from falsehoods like those spouted by the UMNO media.

The best way to debunk the Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian poison, lies and sedition is to subject it to the exposure of reason and truth, but this does not mean that those in authority, particularly the Police and the Attorney-General should not take the necessary action against these Umno media to protect the integrity and the best interests of plural Malaysia.

Unfortunately, we do not have efficient, independent and professional national institutions whether the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Police, the Judiciary or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to fairly and fearlessly uphold what is right and true as they all have bent themselves to serve the political dictates of their political masters although they vary from the national interests.

Malaysians are entitled to ask why the Home Ministry is completely insensitive, unconcerned and indifferent about the long-standing exploitation of the “race and religious” cards by Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian making a mockery of Najib’s 1Malaysia, while trigger-happy like the latest case concerning the China Press – for wrongly reporting that the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has resigned when his termination would be effective and final in September!

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has denied that the China Press editor is being pressured to resign or face three to six-month suspension of the newspaper – saying that only a show-cause letter had been issued.

Let Hishammuddin answer in Parliament – what is the big deal about the China Press report? It had made a mistake and a correction had been made.

In mature democracies and developed countries, the media had reported about presidents and prime ministers resigning, and if they are proven wrong, correrctions are adequate although the credibility of the media concerned takes a beating.

Why should the Home Minister be breathing down the neck of the media in such a case – unless case can be made out that the report had gravely jeopardised public order or national security?

It would be the height of ridicule for Hishammuddin to attempt any such justification.

These deviations from and challenges of the 1Malaysia concept should come under the scrutiny and ambit of a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap if the Cabinet and Parliament are serious about this national objective.

Let me give notice that I will move a motion to amend the Motion of Thanks to add the words – “and to set up a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap headed by an Opposition Member of Parliament”.

The 1Malaysia Parliamentary Select Committee will not only monitor the implementation of the “1Malaysia, People First and Performance Now” principles, but also the seven clusters of issues and initiatives relating to unity, viz:

1. The economy and national unity under 1Malaysia.

2. Education and national unity under 1Malaysia.

3. Promoting 1Malaysia social interactions.

4. Managing religious and cultural polarities.

5. Promoting and practicing all-inclusive 1Malaysia politics.

6. Towards a truly 1Malaysia government.

7. Promoting an all-inclusive 1Malaysia media.

The 1Malaysia Parliamentary Select Committee will also monitor the achievements of the six National Key Result Areas or NKRAs: viz, reducing crime, combating corruption, widening the access to quality and affordable education, improving public transport, expanding rural infrastructure and raising the standard of living of low income group.

Call for Royal Commission of Inquiry on how the dreams and aspirations of Sabahans and Sarawakians in forming Malaysia had been fulfilled or betrayed in the past five decades

Last month, together with DAP MPs Hiew King Cheu (Kota Kinabalu), Teo Nie Ching (Serdang) and Lim Lip Eng (Segambut), I visited Kota Belud and Tuaran, which left us with one abiding impression – how the dreams of Sabahans in forming Malaysia had been betrayed in the past five decades.

In Kota Belud, 800 students and 54 teachers of SMK Tambulion have been suffering daily from the worst and most disgraceful 8km road which covered them in dust, turning them into orang putih, an ordeal which will last another year or two.

But this was not the only outrage in Kota Belud, for we visited Camp Paradise military complex meant to house 1,800 personnel. What we saw were impressive high-rise quarters which were virtually empty. Camp Paradise is now Ghostland Paradise with only some 35 personnel in a complex for 1,800 people – what a gross waste of public funds.

Will the Defence Ministry decide that no new army complexes would be built in the country until Camp Paradise is fully utilised?

We also visited the Jelapang Padi in Kota Belud where 5,300 acres of padi land and 500 houses were flooded under six feet of water in January caused by absence of proper drainage and irrigation system.

In Tuaran, we found that it deserves a place in the Book of Records.

This is what I tweeted from Tuaran:

• In Tuaran attend DAP CNY OH Sabah tale of horrors continue Tuaran has most unique hospital not just Msia but world - without a single bed!

• 150k ppl Tuaran have 2go2KK 4hospitalisation Big shame! 4nearly 30 yrs string of promises 2build ward w beds never met #Save Sabah/Malaysia!

• 2nd Tuaran horror Dy educ minister Fuad promised last yr work on new secondary school in Pekan Nabalu near Tuaran wld start b4 Xmas Not kept

• Horror3 - 1994 Umno/BN promised 2build bridge over Sg Damit Tuaran Promises repeated in 4 gen elections Never kept #Save Sabah/Malaysia!

Our visits to Kota Belud and Tuaran have confirmed the shocking neglect, discrimination and marginalization of the ordinary Sabahans regardless of race, religion or region by a handful of political opportunists who have waxed rich from the wealth of the state of Sabah while the people of Sabah had been reduced to the poorest in Malaysia.

2013 in three years’ time mark Sabah’s 50th anniversary in the formation of Malaysia. It is appropriate in preparing for the occasion to seriously assess whether the dreams of Sabahans in 1963 to form Malaysia together with Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia had been fulfilled or betrayed.

Have the people of Sabah been granted their full citizenship rights as Malaysians in the past five decades?

Let the debate and soul-searching begin as to how one of the richest states in Sabah had been reduced in five decades to become the poorest state in the federation.

In the nineties, the Barisan Nasional promised Sabahans that poverty in Sabah would be eradicated in the year 2,000. However, instead of abolishing poverty in 2000, Sabah’s poverty rate became the worst in the whole of the country.

Barisan Nasional next promised that hard-core poverty in Sabah would be abolished in 2010. This is another candidate heading for the mountainous dump heap of Barisan Nasional broken promises, in Sabah and in Malaysia!

Sabahans and Malaysians remember that to topple the PBS Sabah government, Umno and Barisan Nasional pledged that if they come to power in Sabah, they would be genuine power-sharing through the rotation of the post of Sabah Chief Minister among the three major communities in the state.

What is the Umno/Barisan Nasional record of their rule of Sabah in the past 16 years since 1994?

UMNO/BN had betrayed their pledge of power-sharing by rotation of Sabah Chief Minister’s post as in the past 16 years, the Chief Minister’s post was held by a Kadazan native for 9 months, Chinese for 4 years and Umno for more than 11 years!

Nothing could be more eloquent than this episode to highlight the enormity of the breach of faith and betrayal of pledge of Umno/Barisan Nasional to the people of Sabah in the past 16 years of their rule of Sabah.

This is a far cry from the great promises shared by Sabahans in the early decades of nationhood.

Bapa Malaysia and Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman made the historic proposal for the formation of Malaysia comprising Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore at a speech to the Singapore Foreign Correspondents’ Club on 27th May 1961.

The people of Sabah and Sarawak were promised progress and development, at least to the level achieved by the Peninsular states.

Have these promises to Sabah and Sarawak been fulfilled in the past five decades? The answers must be a loud No.

Where have all the wealth of Sabah and Sarawak gone to in the past five decades?

After nearly five decades, many in Sabah and Sarawak even lack the most basic infrastructures to be found in the rest of Malaysia like regular electricity supply, uninterrupted piped water and good roads and bridges.

This year, the people of Tawau celebrated Chinese New Year’s Eve in darkness because of power blackout – not a rare occurrence but a regular ordeal to the people of Tawau, Sandakan, Lahat Datuk and most parts of Sabah. The provision of piped water is in constant state of crisis. The state of the roads and bridges in Sabah are a scandal.

The people of Sabah are entitled to ask why with Sabah’s immense wealth, they cannot enjoy the basic infrastructures that are taken for granted in other states – why, for instance, Sabahans must suffer constant power black-outs which are unheard of in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Alor Star, Ipoh, Seremban, Malacca, Johore Bahru, Kuantan, Kota Bahru, Kuala Terengganu – even in Kuching, Sibu, Miri?

After Tunku Abdul Rahman’s historic proposal for the formation of Malaysia in May 1961, various consultations were conducted after various objections internally as well as from foreign powers, even involving the United Nations.

There was a Cobbold Commission which conducted a survey of the people in Sabah and Sarawak to ascertain the views on the formation of Malaysia.

I think there is no more meaningful manner for Sabah and Sarawak to mark their 50 years of Malaysian nationhood than to conduct a comprehensive review of the successes and failures in all aspects of development in these two states in the past five decades with feedback from the people Sabah and Sarawak.

I therefore call on the Federal Government, together with the Sabah and Sarawak state governments, to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry on how the dreams and aspirations of Sabahans and Sarawakians in forming Malaysia had been fulfilled or betrayed in the past five decades.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry should conduct hearings in all the 57 parliamentary constituencies in Sabah and Sarawak to give an opportunity for the voices of Sabah and Sarawak to be fully heard.

If the Federal Government is not prepared to establish such a Royal Commission of Inquiry, then the Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap should take over this onerous and challenging task.

New Economic Model – has it been hijacked by Neo-NEP Umnoputras like Perkasa

When Datuk Seri Najib Razak became Prime Minister last April, he announced that the government would introduce a new economic model for the country to ensure that Malaysia makes a quantum leap to escape the middle-income trap to become a high-income country through greater emphasis on innovation, creativity and competitiveness.

In May last year, the Second Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said the new economic model would be announced in the second half of the year.

Time is clearly of the critical essence to launch a new economic model as Husni subsequently admitted in a very frank speech in December that the country had lost a decade in economic stagnation.

In actual fact, the World Bank had recommended that Malaysia adopt a new economic model three years ago, stressing that industrial countries are already aiming for economic model 3.0, and with competition at economic model 1.0 intensifying, striving to achieve economic model 2.0 is not an option for Malaysia but a necessity.

The question is why the World Bank’s advice that Malaysia migrate to a new economic model 2.0 was ignored for three years, losing more precious time for Malaysia to catch up in the international competitiveness race when the country had become a straggler as compared to other countries.

When the country achieved nationhood in 1957, Malaysia was the second most economically-advanced country in Asia after Japan.

Today, South Korea’s GDP per capita is US$16,450, Singapore US$34,346, Hong Kong US$29,559 while Malaysia is still at US$7,469 – with the disparity between Malaysia and these countries set to become wider in the coming years and even risking of being overtaken by countries like Thailand, Vietnam and even Indonesia!

The time-line for the announcement of the new economic model has been repeatedly deferred, from last year to the beginning of this year, then to this month to coincide with the completion of Najib as Prime Minister and now finally to June when the 10th Malaysia Plan will be presented to Parliament with the NEM to be revealed later this month for public feedback.

The disruption of the plan to announce the new economic model to commemorate Najib’s first year as Prime Minister is a setback for Najib’s 1Malaysia as well as a competitive and innovative new economic model and a success for the plethora of Neo-NEP Umnoputra NGOs and NGIs to whom have been outsourced the agenda of Umno’s NEP-putras.

Malaysians and the world are wondering what new economic model of greater innovation, creativity and competitiveness could be formulated by Najib against the backdrop of reactionary and extremist pressures with irresponsible and baseless alarms like “the Chinese community will take over the country in the next general elections” and that Article 153 of the Constitution would be trampled upon with Malay interests (when they mean Neo-NEP Umnoputra interests) sidelined.

It is also pertinent to ask how Najib could inspire confidence in the Malaysia 2.0 new economic model when he has done nothing in the past year as Prime Minister to stop the brain drain of Malaysia’s talents abroad or to achieve brain gain.

One of the specific proposals made by the World Bank three years ago for Malaysia to migrate to a new economic model Malaysia 2.0 was: “Engaging and attracting back talented, experienced, wealthy and well-connected members of Malaysian diaspora”.

If Najib is incapable of checking Malaysia’s braindrain which had led to the emigration of two generations of the best and brightest overseas as to create a two-million-strong Malaysian diaspora in the world, how can the Prime Minister succeed in achieving “brain gain” or to reverse “brain drain” from the Malaysian diaspora?

It is not only non-Malays but more and more Malays have also joined the emigration trail.

I still remember the ambitious “brain gain” programme of the Eighth Malaysia Plan ten years ago to “reverse brain drain” to transform Malaysia into a K-economy and Information Society through a two-pronged strategy, viz:

How can Najib ensure that the new economic model of Malaysia 2.0 to be announced by him will not fail because of the lack of political will to carry out far-reaching government transformation programmes including restoring national and international confidence in the key national institutions and the system of governance in Malaysia?

After a year of premiership, national and international confidence in the key national institutions and the system of governance in Malaysia have deepened instead of being improved.

Although there is a lot of talk about achievements in the NKRA for combating crime, in particular street crime, the fact is that as far as the man-in-the-street is concerned, they are still hounded by the endemic crime and the fear of crime.

The fact that there are more gated-and-guarded communities in the country in the past year is the best proof that all the talk about NKRA achievements in combating crime is no real meaning to the ordinary people.

A meaningful NKRA for combating crime is when the people feel safe and secure enough to dismantle the guarded and gated communities instead of the reverse – with more people feeling unsafe as having to build new guarded and gated communities.

The Prime Minister and the Home Minister must accept the reality that an essential element to have a new start in restoring public confidence in the efficiency, independence and professionalism of the police is to have a new Inspector-General of Police.

This is why Hishammuddin should not be breathing down the necks of China Press for its report that Tan Sri Musa Hassan was resigning as Inspector-General of Police to allow the Police to start on a new page on Police Day on 25th March, there would be joy and jubilation not only among loyal and patriotic Malaysians who have always put national interests above self, but also among top police officers as well as the rank-and-file.

This is why –

• On 28^th July, 2009 I spearheaded a parliamentary roundtable reaching an unanimous conclusion that Malaysia needs a new IGP to create a safe Malaysia and break away from colonial past by introducing democratic policing to protect the people and not the regime in power;

• On 1^st August, 2009 I said in my speech in Kuantan that Musa was wreaking personal vengeance against me and other Pakatan Rakyat leaders for the parliamentary roundtable calling for a new IGP to create a safe Malaysia;

• On August 7, 2009 I issued a media statement that “Take a secret poll among the 2,000 top police officers from ASP upwards and an overwhelming majority will definitely vote for a new IGP”; and

• On August 8, 2009 I said in my media statement that “Police, Home Minister and Prime Minister will not be able to hold their heads high in international community if Musa is renewed as IGP when under his three-year leadership, only 1% of the people feel safe”.

On corruption, where are the “big fishes” the country had been promised would be netted and prosecuted in connection with the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal.

I am surprised in read in the press today a statement by the MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat that the Opposition did not want him to win and be re-elected as MCA President in the MCA “Three Kingdom” party elections.

Let me declare here and now that DAP has no interest whatsoever in the MCA “Three Kingdom” party battle, in particular in the fight to be MCA President expected to be a three-cornered one among Ong, former MCA President Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting and the MCA Deputy President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek.

I do not want to emulate former Gerakan President, Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik who recently declared that Gerakan had “lost Penang for good”, gave very low assessment of his successor Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and contemptuous dismissal of the Najib premiership when he said: “I give up la talking to this government” to make any similar comments about the MCA leaders.

But I want to tell Ong that he is to go down in history as a short-term MCA President and Transport Minister, do it with a bang and not in a whimper.

He should go all out to bring in the “sharks” of the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal to justice and not be content with the “small fries”.

For several months, I had refrained from commenting on the PKFZ scandal after putting intense pressure on Ong to “tell all” about the scandal – at one stage, posing three-questions-a-day for 36 days without pause, totaling 108 questions, to force Ong to act on the PKFZ scandal.

I wanted to give Ong a completely free hand and not to feel to be under any pressure when there were signs that some action were at last being taken to ensure proper accountability for the PKFZ scandal.

However, up to now, only four not major personalities had been charged in court for corruption and abuses of power in the PKFZ scandal before the new year, with the promise by the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Othman himself that “big fishes” in the PKFZ scandal were almost ready to be brought to book and prosecuted in court.

The whole nation waited in bated breath for the arrest and prosecution of the “sharks” of the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal, as nobody really believe that the four middling persons charged last December could be responsible wholly or even for majority part of the PKFZ scandal.

But the waiting of 27 million Malaysians have turned from day-to-day, to week-to-week and now month-to-month.

Malaysians are even more astounded when Ong attributed his political troubles and survival as MCA President to the PKFZ scandal, when the “sharks” of the PKFZ scandal are still scotfree and not accounted for.

All Malaysians want an answer from Ong – where are the “sharks” of the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?

Will Najib be the last UMNO Prime Minister and the RAHMAN prophecy fulfilled in next general election?

Coming to the end of Najib’s first year as Prime Minister, the country is bogged down with many unresolved questions and issues, including:

• the two missing jet engines disappearing all the way to Uruguay;

• the multi-billion ringgit submarine that cannot dive;

• the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal still awaiting the prosecution of “big fishes”;

• who killed DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock who went willingly to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters on July 15, 2009 and came out as a corpse the next day;

• when MACC will break its apron-strings to its political masters making it the catspaw of Umno/BN political agenda to declare war on Pakatan Rakyat instead of declaring war on corruption;

• Malaysia’s unchecked plunge down the slope of decreasing international competitiveness accompanied by avoidance of FDI and flight of domestic capital;

• First anniversary of Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan and concept dogged by the worst politicking of race and religion in recent years, spearheaded by none other than the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno media Utusan Malaysia;

• The lack of political will to institutionalize inter-religious consultation to promote inter-religious understanding, goodwill and harmony evident from divisive and protracted controversies over the use of the term “Allah”;

• the difficult birth of Najib’s Malaysia.2 new economic model with the continuing and even worsening crisis of brain drain, demonstrating that Najib’s administration lacks the political will for the government transformation to win the international competition for talents needed to successful free Malaysia from the middle-income trap and catapult to a high-income country.

• The political persecution and trials of Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim;

• the false light at the end of the tunnel for restoration of national and international confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of the judiciary highlighted by the 5-0 Federal Court decision on the two Perak Mentri Besar case;

• the escalation of Umno/Barisan Nasional conspiracy to cause the disintegration of Pakatan Rakyat and downfall of Pakatan Rakyat state governments; etc.

We have just marked the second anniversary of the historic political tsunami of the March 8, 2008 general elections which witnessed a paradigm shift in Malaysian political thinking and expectations.

What were never thought of as possible in the first five decades of nationhood have become common-place and are even in danger of being taken for granted.

All eyes and thoughts are focused on the next general elections — whether the 13th general elections will complete the process prepared by the 12th general elections for Malaysia to have a new ruling coalition in the seat of federal government in Putrajaya apart from the state government level.

The next general elections, expected in the next 18 months, will provide answers to many intriguing questions, including:

• Whether the most famous political prophecy, RAHMAN on the first six Prime Ministers will be fully completed with Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the last UMNO Prime Minister?

• Whether Pakatan Rakyat will end and replace Barisan Nasional as the new national government of Malaysia?

• Can Najib's 1Malaysia and Malaysia.2 new economic model save him and the Barisan Nasional in the next general election?

• Can Pakatan Rakyat emerge from the many internal problems of late to become stronger, more cohesive, disciplined and purposive to rally and unite Malaysians to form a new government to achieve Malaysia's full potential, both in terms of human and natural resources?

Time will tell.

Let all Malaysians unite with one resolve — to make the 13th general elections the great turning point for Malaysia to embark on the road of a truly united, just, prosperous and harmonious Malaysian nation where all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region can fully identify with and hold their heads high.

Ucapan perbahasan usul Menjunjung Titah Diraja

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