Malaysia is not faced with Chinese vs Malay contest but how to inculcate among Malaysians, whether Malays Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans a “Malaysian First” mindset, mentality and loyalty

Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Anwar Ibrahim, said in Machap, Johore earlier today where former Education Minister, Mazlee Malik, joined PKR as a member, that Pakatan Harapan’s enemies have painted a picture that if PH came into power, the Chinese community would dominate the Malays.

Anwar said the same propaganda was used by its enemies in the Malacca state elections last Saturday.

He said: “Their campaign revolved around painting the perception that if PH ruled, the Chinese community would dominate the Malays.

“We know that is not true, and we have denied this in the 22 months that we were in government, but we have not been able to convince the people.”

Anwar said though PH’s performance in the 22 months was well received, racial issues against the coalition had been too ingrained and difficult to shake off.

“Though our policies were good, we still found it a challenge to get rid of this perception among the people,” he noted.

The problem described by Anwar is a very real one, and the most despicable underhand tactics of those who through lies, falsehoods and misinformation practise their divisive politics of race and religion.

Although Ismail Sabri has coined the “Keluarga Malaysia” slogan after he became Prime Minister, he was one of the most rabid racialist UMNO politicians before he became Prime Minister.

Let us hear from Ismail Sabri on his first 100 days tomorrow how he is going to reconcile his rabid racialism of the past and the “Keluarga Malaysia” slogan after he became Prime Minister.

The ICERD (International Covenant for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination) issue at the end of 2018 is the best example of the lies, falsehoods and misinformation that were used to arouse racial animosity and public emotions against the PH government.

The DAP leadership knew nothing about the ICERD ratification issue beforehand and we were taken by surprise by the then Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohamad’s speech at the United Nations that Malaysia was going to ratify ICERD.

The ICERD ratification issue gave the Malay-first politicians the opportunity to go on a racist rampage and Ismail Sabri was one of the leading proponents.

We are still living with the consequences of the toxic politics of lies, misinformation, hatred, race and religion, so deftly mobilised during the ICERD ratification fiasco in 2018, whether it be the “Sheraton Move” conspiracy in February 2020 to topple a democratic and legitimate government and replace it with a backdoor and illegitimate government, or the deadly Covid-19 pandemic which had killed over 30,000 people and caused over 2.6 million Covid-19 infections in the past 22 months.

The Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah at that time is now back as the Foreign Minister.

I call on Saifuddin Abdullah to speak the truth that the ICERD ratification issue at the end of 2008 had nothing to do with the DAP although DAP was accused of being the instigator behind the issue.

Let Malaysians know who was responsible for Mahathir’s speech in UN in 2018 – Mahathir or Saifuddin?

Will Saifuddin Abdullah speak the truth?

Malaysia is not faced with Chinese vs Malay contest but how to build a Malaysian First nation by inculcating in every Malaysian whether Malays Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans a “Malaysian First” mindset, mentality and loyalty.

The Government should be main driver of this mission but unfortunately, UMNO, Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional governments have done the opposite – and during the Malacca general election, we heard the confession of Muhyiddin Yassin how he and others in Bersatu and PKR were working against the “Malaysian First” campaign from within the Pakatan Harapan government for 22 months culminating in the Sheraton Move conspiracy.

Malaysia can only succeed as a world-class great nation if all Malaysians are united in having a “Malaysian First” mindset, mentality and loyalty.

If Malaysia ends up as a failed state, all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, will suffer.

This must be our mission, We must not continue as in the past half a century with one country after another overtaking us – Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam. The 23-month Covid-19 pandemic has shown that Malaysia is now lagging behind Indonesia, having more daily Covid-19 cases and Covid-19 deaths for months.

Shouldn’t this be a wake-up call that unless we unite with Malaysian First mission to make Malaysia a world-class great nation, we are condemned to further straggle behind other nations and may end up as a failed state.

On May 9, 2018, Malaysians declared they do want to be a kleptocracy.

We cannot be a world-class great nation in 2021. Can we become a world-class great nation before Malaysia’s Centennial in 2057?

Lim Kit Siang MP for Iskandar Puteri