After alleging that I “remote-control” Pakatan Harapan leaders and MPs, will Ismail Sabri next allege that I “mind control” Mahathir, Anwar, Azizah, Muhyiddin, Azmin and Mat Sabu to be my stooges and puppets?

The UMNO/BN demonization against me has reached fever pitch, when UMNO Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob could accuse me of “remote control” of Pakatan Harapan Members of Parliament, including Muslim MPs.

Is Ismail next going to accuse me of “mind control” of all Pakatan Harapan leaders, including former Prime Minster, Tun Mahathir Mohamad, former Deputy Prime Minister and PKR Ketua Umum, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Parliametary Opposition Leader and PKR President, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, former Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Selangor Mentri Besar and PKR Deputy President, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and President of Parti AMANAH, Mohamad Sabu to be my stooges and puppets?

It is sad to see UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertoopers continuing to insult and run down their own race by suggesting that top Malay leaders who had been Prime Ministers or Deputy Prime Ministers, Presidents or Deputy Presidents of UMNO, are men of such low moral character and caliber as capable of becoming puppets or stooges after stepping down from their former positions!

Will they next suggest that former Prime Ministers Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn as well as former Finance Minister and former Semangat 46 President, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, had also been my stooges and puppets, victims of my “remote control” or “mind control” when we were working on a common cause in the national interests?

This is of course utter rubbish – but why are UMNO leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers resorting to such despicable tactics?

The reason is quite simple.

I am not the real target of the UMNO/BN feverish demonization campaign.

The real reason is because UMNO/BN leaders and propaganists are aware that the Pakatan Harapan coalition of DAP, PKR, AMANAH and Pribumi Bersatu stands a good chance of defeating the UMNO/BN coalition in the 14th General Election and take over the Federal Government from Putrajaya.

UMNO/BN leaders and propaganists have decided on a strategy to frighten the Malay voters that a vote for Pakatan Harapan will be a vote for DAP and a vote for the Chinese against the Malays – a sad and shocking resort to the politics of lies, hate and fear because the UMNO leadership believes that it has lost popular support of the Malays in the country.

DAP is not a Chinese party but a Malaysian party, comprising Malaysian patriots regardless of race, religion or region right from beginning of the DAP’s formation 51 years ago.

The very fact that UMNO leaders could not come out with a single instance to show that I am anti-Malay or anti-Islam in my 51 years of political activities and could only think of the ludicrous stratagem of a RM10,000 (upped to RM50,000 within 24 hours) best essay or social media posting competition on whether I am anti-Malay or anti-Islam is the biggest joke and confession of all!

The 14th General Elections is not a battle between the DAP and UMNO, but Pakatan Harapan versus the Barisan Nasional – and if UMNO loses Federal power, the Prime Minister will not be a Chinese but a Malay.

The real issue in the 14th General Election is whether Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, could save Malaysia from a global kleptocracy and the trajectory towards a failed and a rogue state - whether Malaysia restores its democracy or settles down as a global kleptocracy.

This is the choice before Malaysians in the 14 General Election!

Lim Kit Siang DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Gelang Patah