78-Day Countdown to 13GE – UMNO/BN will dish out “Lies, lies and more lies” with approach of 13GE

There is no sense of remorse or contrition by UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and their mainstream mass media (MSM) at the deluge of lies, falsehoods and invectives directed at Pakatan Rakyat parties and leaders, without regard for the most basic human decencies to respect family sufferings and sorrows because of private pain and hardships as in the case of Sarawak DAP Chairman and MP for Sibu Wong Ho Leng, his wife Irene Chang and their five children.

It is really despicable and contemptible that although Irene never gave any interview or complained against the party or party leader, a totally false and fictitious account had been published quoting her as castigating the party and party leaders as “heartless” over Ho Leng’s “brain tumour” treatment, even claiming that Ho Leng collected RM10 million for election expenses but only RM4 million were spent while RM6 million were hijacked by DAP Sarawak and DAP Hq.

As Ho Leng has said about the totally false and fictitious account about Irene complaint, “there is not even one sentence in there which is true”, the RM10 million allegation like the equally preposterous claim that the DAP spent RM1.3 million to produce the recent Gangnam video, are complete fabrications.

UMNO/BN will dish out “Lies, lies and more lies” with approach of 13GE but Malaysians, including DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders, members and supporters, must not be distracted from the Big Issues of National Reform and Renewal in the 13th general elections, now that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has come up against the wall against any indefinite postponement of the polls.

The Big Issues of National Reform and Renewal include the agenda to stamp out corruption and end the debilitating illicit outflow of capital; make Malaysia safe from crime and free from the fear of crime for its citizens, tourists and investors; restore the efficiency, independence and professionalism of key national institutions; revamp the education system to make Malaysia competitive, prosperous and progressive; and foster greater unity among Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region to make Malaysia an international model of a multi-racial and multi-religious society which is also a successful democracy.

The unscrupulous, dishonest and dastardly resort to “Lies, Lies and More Lies” in the UMNO/BN election campaign strategy is a reflection of the growing desperation felt by UMNO/BN leaders that the 13GE may see them ejected from Federal power in Putrajaya – the first time in 55 years.

This is also why UMNO/BN leaders and propagandists are also escalating the politics of hatred and conflict, inciting racial and religious polarisation although this is the very antithesis to Najib’s signature 1Malaysia policy for Malaysians to regard themselves as Malaysian first and their race, religion, socio-economic status and region second.

In fact, Malaysians today have never felt less “1Malaysia” in Najib’s four-year premiership since April 2009.

When former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir, could question the citizenship qualifications of one million non-Malays who were made citizens by Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman as part of the Merdeka Agreement and “social contract” before Merdeka in 1957, it is no less than a total repudiation of Najib’s 1Malaysia Policy.

UMNO/BN wants Malaysians to quarrel about the past – going back to over half a century.

In contrast, Pakatan Rakyat wants Malaysians to unite to build a united, tolerant, prosperous and progressive future for all our children and children’s children, so that Malaysians can stand tall in the international community of nations.

Malaysians should move forward into the future with new hopes and dreams and not allow themselves to the tied down by the past fetters of the politics of lies and falsehoods as well as the politics of racial distrust and religious animosities.

Lim Kit Siang DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timur