Soi Lek is not fully right – in fact, all former UMNO and MCA leaders who had been Ministers, Deputy Ministers and MPs should act honourably and not contest in any party posts in future

Former MCA President, Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Leok is not fully right in calling on all former MCA ministers and deputy ministers not to run for the presidency and other important central posts in the party's upcoming election.

In fact, all former UMNO and MCA leaders who had been Ministers, Deputy Ministers and even MPs, whether Dewan Rakyat or Dewan Negara, should act honourably and not contest in any party posts in future.

With top UMNO leaders are in deep denial, refusing to admit to the national infamy of a global kleptocracy and kakistocracy which they had brought to Malaysia before the 14th General Election, and continuing with the politics of lies and fear by falsely blaming me of having come to Malaysia from China when I was 16 years old, it is unlikely that the UMNO General Assembly this week will witness any redemption or salvation as a step to UMNO reform and renewal.

The Acting UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi was right when he said after the UMNO Supreme Council on May 22 that Barisan Nasional can look to other countries where long-time parties were defeated but managed to make a comeback, but very wrong when he said that BN will be able to make a comeback against a government that was built on “hatred”.

This was because Pakatan Harapan prevailed in the 14th General Election despite the worst case of the politics of race, religion, hate, fear and lies unleashed by UMNO/BN in the 14th General Elections and the peaceful and democratic transition of power for first time in Malaysian history was an affirmation of the capability of Malaysians for national correction, renewal and salvation.

If MCA and UMNO leaders in post-14GE still cannot understand why May 9, 2018 was regarded as a day of “liberation”, giving Malaysians an opportunity to build a New Malaysia, a second chance to reset nation-building policies and directions to fulfil the Malaysian Dream for Malaysia to be a “beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”, then they will never learn.

When will Zahid Hamidi and all UMNO leaders emerge from their bubble or cocoon to admit that Malaysia had become a global kleptocracy and the 1MDB international money-laundering scandal were major reasons for UMNO/BN’s disastrous performance in the 14GE?

All former MCA and UMNO leaders who had been Ministers, Deputy Ministers and even MPs, whether elected in Dewan Rakyat or appointed as Senators as in Dewan Negara, should not contest in any MCA or UMNO party posts t0 own up to their wrongdoing and betrayal of national interest in aiding or abetting in the corruption and abuses of power when in control of the Federal Government.

The more than a million Malaysians in the worldwide Diaspora had made great contributions to the countries they have migrated to, and can still contribute to the making of a New Malaysia – although in the 1970s they were dismissed as “Good riddance to bad rubbish”.

Why should the contributions of the Malaysian Diaspora be negatived and undermined by one man in the Malaysian Diaspora – 1MDB scandal “wonder crook” Jho Low and the other mastermind of the 1MDB scandal turning Malaysia into a global kleptocracy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, former Prime Minister of Malaysia.

We must not waste our “second chance” to make Malaysia a great nation, to be “a beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world” – a New Malaysia of greater national unity, integrity, democracy, rule of law, excellence, justice and prosperity, where we can leverage on the assets of the diverse races, religions, languages, cultures and civilizations which meet in confluence in Malaysia to form the basis for a new civilization based on the best values and assets of the world’s great religions and civilizations.

Lim Kit Siang MP for Iskandar Puteri