My three personal objectives in the 14th GE: for Pakatan Harapan to capture power in (I) Putrajaya (ii) Johore and (iii) Malacca

When I left Malacca in 1986 to contest in Tanjong parliamentary seat in Penang, the objective was to make a bid to capture the Penang State Government.

That was the highest political ambition of the DAP three decades ago.

But we did not succeed in the two serious bids to capture the Penang State Government in the 1990 and 1995 general elections, although we laid the basis for the DAP’s eventual win of the DAP-led Penang State Government in the 2008 and 2013 general elections.

If ten years ago, in 2007, anyone had asked whether it was possible to topple the UMNO/BN coalition government in Malaysia, the answer would a categorical “No” and the questioner would even be viewed as to whether he is a bit crazy to ask such a question.

But there has been a sea-change in the political landscape in Malaysia, and we are aiming not only for a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya, but even talking about a change of government in several states.

I have said that if in the 14GE as compared to the 13th General Election in 2013, there is a swing of 10% of Malay voters and a 5% of non-Malay voters from UMNO/BN to Pakatan Harapan, out of the 165 parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia, Pakatan Harapan would win 113 seats, UMNO/BN 50 seats and PAS 2 seats.

Together with support from the voters of Sabah and Sarawak, Pakatan Harapan would he on the way to form the new Federal Government of Malaysia.

In such a scenario, Pakatan Harapan would not only be able to maintain power in Penang and Selangor, we will be able to win power to form new state governments in Perak, Negri Sembilan and Johore.

More efforts will be needed if Pakatan Harapan is to topple UMNO/BN State Government in Malacca – a swing of 15% of Malay votes from UMNO/BN in the 13GE to the Pakatan Harapan in the 14GE.

I have three personal objectives in the 14th GE: for Pakatan Harapan to capture power in (I) Putrajaya (ii) Johore and (iii) Malacca.