Call on Gelang Patah voters, regardless of race, religion or even party politics, to lead a national “Save and Reset Malaysia” movement from kleptocracy and the fate of a failed and rogue state

In the past three to four months, I had never in my life been so “famous” in the UMNO/BN owned or controlled mainstream media, as almost every day, my picture would appear and there would be a write-up about me, appearing either in New Straits Times, Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, STAR or TV3 – all trying to put me in the worst possible light.

There was for instance a standing instruction for decades in one of the major newspaper groups that my picture was never to appear in their dailies.

Why have I become so “famous” in the past three to four months when for over 50 years of my political life, I had been mostly blacked out by the UMNO/BN owned or controlled mainstream media, making me into a “non-person” as in Stalinist Soviet Union – with all the concoctions, falsehoods and lies about me?

This is really all not about me, but about the UMNO/BN propagandists, cybertroopers and leadership – their fear that UMNO/BN might be ousted from Putrajaya in the forthcoming 14th General Election expected this year, probably in September.

If UMNO/BN feel strong and invincible, they would not waste time on their political competitors, whom until recently they regard as “lightweights” and unable to threaten their political power base.

It is precisely because UMNO had a fright of its life in the 13th General Election, when it was nearly sent to the Opposition benches as UMNO/BN had only won 47% of the popular vote but because of the undemocratic and unjust redelineation of constituencies which gave UMNO/BN control of 60 per cent of the parliamentary seats, that enabled Datuk Seri Najib Razak to continue as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, albeit as the first minority Prime Minister in Malaysian history.

In the 14GE - which is going to the “mother of all general elections in Malaysia” – UMNO/MCA leaders know that despite general public disappointments and disillusionment with the electoral process, there is nonetheless the great possibility that UMNO/BN may be voted out of power. This is why UMNO/BN leaders are pulling out all the stops to carry out unethical, dishonest, unprincipled and unscrupulous tactics and stratagems against the Opposition, such as the politics of lies, hate and fear to defame DAP and myself as anti-Malay, anti-Islam and even being “communist” and “Singapore stooge” to frighten the Malay electorate.

This was why in the past two days, I was subjected to attacks by two sides of the political spectrum – on one hand, the MCA-inspired attack on me with “Missing Person” banners in the Gelang Patah constituency, while on the hand, the attack by UMNO Information Chief, Musa Annuar, offering RM10,000 prize for the best essay or social media posting on the subject: “LKS is a racist, anti-Islam and a dictator for 51 years, is it true?”

Annuar has proved himself to be a cheapskate, low-class and irresponsible politician for a responsible and respectable politicians would only make serious allegations against others when they have proofs and evidence, but Annuar Musa does the opposite – he made allegations and then desperately look for evidence to substantiate them.

But I did not realise that Annuar is such a “desperate” UMNO politician evident from his upping his RM10,000 offer to RM50,000 in less than 24 hours. Annuar has made history in Malaysia not only as a cheapskate, low-class and irresponsible politician but also as a most desperate one. Congrats Annuar!

But the “Missing Person” gambit and the RM10,000 upped to RM50,000 offer for the best essay or social media posting are just symptoms of a larger UMNO/BN disease – the preparedness of their leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers to stoop to any level to demonise their opponents.

Recently, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pet subject had been to rail against fake news and false information which he blamed the Opposition of spreading through the social media but the greatest creator of fake news and false information are none other than Najib himself and the UMNO/BN propaganda machinery and cybertroopers.

What is Najib doing to ensure that UMNO/BN do not create and spread fake news and false information against the Opposition?

Will UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers stop their fake news and false information by creating the baseless spectre and “nightmare” among Malay voters that if UMNO is defeated in the 14GE, the “anti-Malay and anti-Islam” DAP would rule in Malaysia, and that all the other parties, whether PKR, Amanah or Pribumi Bersatu are just stooges of the DAP.

For instance, the UMNO Wanita chief, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil last week raised the spectre in a recent visit to Felda Mempaga near Bentong that the Malays would be sidelined if the people supported the Opposition in the 14GE as it is akin to picking DAP to become the next government, coupled with the Big Lie that the Malays in Penang were being increasingly marginalised by the DAP leadership.

But when Pakatan Harapan presidential council accepted Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia as a member, UMNO propagandists and cybertroopers went into overdrive to accuse former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir of attempting to hijack Pakatan Harapan – evidence of a double-faced and unprincipled propaganda offensive which on the one hand accused me of dominating Pakatan while on the othr hand, Mahathir is accused at the same time of hijacking and dominating Pakatan.

We must not be the playthings of these cynical and unprincipled propagandists.

This year Malaysians will be celebrating our 60th National Day to commemorate the nation’s attainment of Independence on August 31, 1957.

In the past six decades, Malaysia failed to live up to the promises of Merdeka in 1957 for the country to be an example and showcase to the troubled world as to how diverse races, languages, religions, cultures and civilisations could successfully co-exist and integrate to build a united, harmonious, purposive, democratic, just, progressive and prosperous nation.

The 60th National Day anniversary is a fit and proper moment for the nation to undertake a “Malaysia Reset” movement, where we keep policies and measures which had done good to the country but correct or even abandon policies and measures detrimental to the nation or which had damaged the nation building process.

The incumbent UMNO/Barisan Nasional government will not conduct any such “Malaysia Reset” Movement, as a new political coalition in Putrajaya is a precondition for any “Malaysia Reset” movement and transformation in Malaysia.

Here, let me touch on 10 areas which should be the subject of a “Malaysia Reset” operation:

1. The ruling coalition of political parties in Putrajaya must be a coalition of equals, and not a “master-servant” coalition. The Alliance of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock and V.T. Sambanthan started as a consensus coalition of equals, and so was the National Front when it was started in the early seventies by Tun Razak, together with Tan Siew Sin, Sambanthan, Dr. Lim Chong Eu and leaders of Sabah/Sarawak BN parties.

But the National Front today is a very different creature if we go by the announcement of Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi that the government will take over PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (or Act 355).

There is no need here to go into the merits or demerits of Hadi’s private member’s bill motion. What is clear is that there is no consensus whether in the Cabinet or the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council for any Barisan Nasional Government take-over of Hadi’s private member’s bill, and if a Deputy UMNO President can disregard the stand and position of the other 12 non-UMNO Barisan Nasional parties, then the National Front coalition has changed it character from a coalition of equals based on consensus into one where UMNO exercises hegemony in unilaterally deciding what should be the National Front stand on any issue.

2. Malaysia should become a normal democratic country, where the voters can peacefully and democratically change the Federal government through the ballot box, as in countries recognized as normal democracies, whether United Kingdom, European countries, United States, Australia or even Asian countries like India, South Korea and Japan.

The voters should not be threatened with chaos, riots or undemocratic and authoritarian measures to frustrate the democratic will of the people expressed in a general election, as is the case in Malaysia today.

Will Najib announce that he will unconditionally accept the democratic verdict of the people in the 14GE, and that he regards Malaysia becoming a normal democratic country where the voters can peacefully and democratically change the Federal government through the ballot box as even more important than his continuing as Prime Minister?

3. Parliament must be restored as the highest legislative and political chamber in the land, in accordance with the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers among the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. At present, Parliament is a mere appendage of the Executive, and there are even important national issues which are banned from questioning or debate in Parliament, like the 1MDB scandal, while there are no ways to stop the questioning or debate of 1MDB outside Parliament, whether inside or outside the country.

4. Restoration of the independence, impartiality and professionalism of the Judiciary. In South Korea, eight judges of the Constitutional Court could unanimously uphold the impeachment of the South Korean President by the South Korean Parliament on charges of corruption and cronyism. Is it thinkable that such a thing could happen in Malaysia? This speaks volume about public confidence in the independence, impartiality and professionalism of the Judiciary in Malaysia.

5. An independent, non-partisan, professional and efficient Election Commission. This is sorely lacking at present. It is an indictment on the competence, efficiency and professionalism of the Election Commission that on the eve of the impending 14GE which may be held in September, over four million eligible voters representing some 25 per cent of some 17.6 million eligible total electorate had not registered on the electoral roll as to qualify them to cast their vote in an election.

6. A new Federal government in Putrajaya will commission a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal which has caused Malaysia to be ridiculed world-wide as a “global kleptocracy”. We will eradicate the culture of kleptocracy which has permeated into various aspects of public life, creating not only the monster of the 1MDB scandal, but also affected government institutions and government-linked agencies like FELDA and MARA.

7. An important objective of “Malaysia Reset” must involve an all-out war against corruption, cronyism and abuses of power. During Saudi Arabia King Salman’s visit to Jakarta, the Saudi visitors lavished multi-million ringgit worth of gifts on Indonesian officials, ranging from customized Arabian sabres, Rolex watches, gold ballpoint pens and diamonds rings. Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has given all Indonesian officials 30 days to report such presents. Why is the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) not doing the same in requiring all Malaysian officials to declare the gifts they received during the Saudi Arabian visit of the Salman delegation to Malaysia?

8. Malaysia should become a country where the talents and expertise of all Malaysians can find fulfilment so that the nation realise the full potential in its development in all spheres of human endeavour. Sixty years ago, South Korea was both politically and economically much more backward than Malaysia, with a per capita GDP in South Korea less than half of our country when we achieved Merdeka in 1957. Today, South Korea is one of the richest and most developed countries in the world, whose human rights and democracy have reached a stage where a South Korean President could be impeached and removed. Where did Malaysia go wrong?

9. The fulfilment of aspirations of the people of Sabah and Sarawak for an equal place under the Malaysian sun, as spelt out in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

10. Instead of being a show-case to the world of a successful and harmonious plural nation which is the confluence of the greatest religions, cultures and civilisations in the world, Malaysia has never been so polarized and divided than today.

Sixty-six years ago in 1951, the founder of UMNO Datuk Onn Jaafar was told that he was “too ahead of his times” when he left UMNO because his proposal to UMNO to open its doors to non-Malays and end the race-based communalist politics was rejected.

Fifty-one years ago, on 18th March 1966, DAP was told that we are “too ahead of our times” when we formed a political party dedicated towards the goal of a democratic, prosperous and just Malaysia for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.

Thirty years ago, in December 1987, a top official visited me somewhere in Batu where I was held in solitary confinement for 60 days during the ISA custodial detention in my second ISA detention under Operation Lalang, and I was told that I would be formally detained and be sent to Kamunting Detention Centre, because the DAP was “too ahead of the times” although DAP principles and polices are right and good for the country – but it might take another generation for them to become generally acceptable.

This is 2017, sixty years after Merdeka in 1957 and 57 years after the formation of Malaysia – after three generation of Malaysians. A “Malaysia Reset” is imperative for all Malaysians to stop thinking of themselves merely as Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Ibans and to start thinking of themselves as Malaysians!

The above ten areas should be a priority for a “Malaysia Reset” transformation after sixty years of Merdeka and 57 years of establishment of Malaysia – but such a “Malaysia Reset” is only possible if Najib, UMNO and BN in Putrajaya are ousted by Pakatan Harapan and Pribumi Bersatu in the 14GE.

This is why the stark choice of the voters of Malaysia in the 14GE is whether to Save Malaysia or to Save Najib.

I call on Gelang Patah voters, regardless of race, religion or even party politics, to lead a national “Save and Reset Malaysia” movement, because we are all Malaysian patriots who do not want Malaysia to degenerate into a global kleptocracy and caught in a trajectory hurtling towards a failed and rogue state.

This was why I had clocked nearly 20,000 kilometres in the past three months, travelling all over Malaysia, covering nearly all the 13 states, to spread the message for a “SAVE and RESET Malaysia” and for it to be the crucial issue in the 14GE.

Yesterday, when I was in Alor Star as part of the “SAVE and RESET Malaysia” campaign, DAP Kedah leaders suggested that I contest in Kedah in the 14GE.

I thank the Kedah DAP leaders for their confidence and offer.

I have been struggling with the question whether I should call it a day as I have been in Malaysian politics for 51 years, since the formation of DAP in 1966.

If I contest in the 14GE, my first choice will be Gelang Patah. But if there is a strategic reason that I should contest in another constituency, I am prepared to give it serious consideration.