November 11, 2019 an important date in the journey to fulfil four of the five pillar-promises of Pakatan Harapan pledge of a New Malaysia, and public support must continue until the goal of a New Malaysia is achieved

Today, November 11, 2019 is an important date in the journey to fulfil four of the five pillar-promises of Pakatan Harapan pledge of a New Malaysia and public support must continue until the goal of a New Malaysia is achieved.

Today, the judiciary made two important decisions, viz: firstly, the Federal Court denied the application of leave to challenge the constitutionality of the existence of Chinese and Tamil primary schools; and secondly, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered former Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak to defend himself against all seven charges in relation to SRC International Sdn Bhd., placing the onus on the defence team to prove reasonable doubt in the cases established against Najib failing which the former premier would be convicted.

The four pillar-promises in the 14th General Election Pakatan Harapan Manifesto which these two judicial developments helped to advance are:

• Reduce the people’s burden;
• Institutional and political reforms, which includes transforming Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the world, and the restoration of the important principles of the rule of law and an independent judiciary;
• Spur sustainable and equitable economic growth; and
• Create a Malaysia that is inclusive, moderate and respected globally.

The High Court decision today on Najib’s first of several corruption trials is an affirmation that Malaysia’s trajectory to transform itself from a global kleptocracy to a leading nation of integrity in the world is on course, although Malaysia is still a long way to achieve its goal.

Imagine the situation if Najib is able to walk out of the Kuala Lumpur High Court as a free man, acquitted of all charges of corruption and abuse of power related to the SRC International charges!

If this had happened, it is likely that all efforts to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy to a leading nation of integrity in the world would have come to a halt, and Najib’s hope expressed at a function at Slim River yesterday that the Tanjong Piai parliamentary by-election would be the stepping stone for the Barisan Nasional to be restored to power and return to Putrajaya would have acquired great credibility!

With the two developments today, I am more hopeful that the second chance to reset nation-building policies made possible by the historic decision of the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 would not be squandered.

Let us admit that we have a long way to go whether to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a world-leading nation of integrity and to create a united Malaysian people who will reject the racial and religious extremism in the country.

But I am now more hopeful that we Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, have the stamina, perseverance and commitment to make the long journey together to transform Malaysia into a top world-class nation of unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity.

Can Malaysia, which had been ranked No. 62 out of 180 countries in the 2017 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) make a quantum leap to be ranked among the top 30 countries in 2030?

It is difficult but not impossible. I believe that Malaysia’s TI CPI for 2019 to be announced next year, will be able to make the biggest quantum jump, in both CPI ranking and score, which will be the greatest for Malaysia in the 25-year history of TI CPI, although in the TI CPI 2018, Malaysia was ranked No. 61 with a score of 47 out of 100 points as Malaysia was still suffering from the Najib corruption legacy problems.

I had said that November 11 and 16 will be important dates determining whether Malaysia is inexorably set in the trajectory to combat corruption and become a top world-class nation of integrity or whether global kleptocracy could make a come-back in the country.

November 11 had delivered the verdict that Malaysia must transform from a global kleptocracy to a world-leading nation of integrity.

Now, its for the voters of Tanjong Piai in the by-election on Saturday, November 16, to send out a clear and unmistakable message on behalf of 32 million Malaysians that we want Malaysia to be admired and respected by the world for being among the top 30 nations of integrity and there must be no turning back for Malaysia to become again a global kleptocracy.