DAP’s 24-year commitment to back Anwar all the way to bring about a Better Malaysia
When the Yang di Pertuan Agong consented to appoint Anwar Ibrahim as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, I texted him my congratulations.
Anwar phoned to thank me and I took the opportunity to tell him that his task as the 10th Prime Minister is to make Malaysia great again.
The DAP’s 24-year commitment to back Anwar all the way to bring about a Better Malaysia went back to Sept. 2, 1998 when Anwar was sacked from the Cabinet and started his Reformasi campaign.
I phoned Anwar to ask whether there was any basis to the various allegations levelled against him and when he denied, I told him that DAP would back him all the way to bring about a Malaysia where there is maturing democracy, freedom, respect for human rights, public integrity, meritocracy, end to the various injustices and inequalities in the country, economic prowess, educational excellence and the flowering of the various languages, religions and cultures in Malaysia based on the nation-building principles embedded in the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara of the Malay Rulers as the basis of the system of constitutional monarchy in Malaysia, Malay as the official language, Islam as the official religion and the special provision in the Constitution to eradicate poverty and backwardness.
It has been a long 24 years. Through it all, despite the pain, sufferings and sacrifices which included two terms of imprisonment and a 22-month wait for the passing of the premiership, Anwar did not bow down to adversity and oppression and the DAP had stood firm by its commitment made in September 1998.
Malaysia needs a new leader who can lead the country to punch beyond its weight in world affairs but not for the wrong reason, as when we became “kleptocracy at its worst” recently.
Malaysia has fallen from its expectations on the formation of Malaysia to be a first-rate great world-class nation and has become a second-rate mediocre country after six decades and in danger of becoming a third-rate failed, divided and kleptocratic state on Malaysia Centennial in another four decades.
Anwar’s tasks have just started, to unite a very polarised and divided nation, based on race and religion, and from kleptocracy to rise like the Phoenix to become one of top countries in the world in the fight against corruption and abuses of power.
Anwar deserves the support of all Malaysians to make Malaysia great again and punch beyond its weight in world affairs.