Challenge to Bagan and Penang, as the first front-line state for the Malaysian Dream, to secure the highest voter turn-out in the country in the 15GE
Twenty-seven years ago, I called on the voters of Bagan in the Bagan by-election to write history and make Bagan the “Bandar Democracy” by giving the DAP by-election candidate Lim Hock Seng a 5,000-vote majority as his predecessor, the DAP leader P. Patto had won Bagan parliamentary constituency in the April 1995 general election with a very slim majority and unfortunately passed away.
At the time, for the DAP to secure a 5,000-vote majority was regarded as “wild and impossible” by both friend and foe, but the Bagan voters decided that even a 5,000-majority was not enough for Bagan to create history and lay claim to the title of “Bandar Democracy”. They rallied to give the DAP a majority which is more than twice the 5,000-majority I had asked for. The majority was 11,802.
Now Bagan has a new challenge.
The greatest fear in the 15th General Election is a low voter turn-out on Polling Day on 19th November 2022.
I challenge Bagan and Penang, as the first front-line state for the Malaysian Dream where is justice, freedom, equality, prosperity and better life for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, to again create history by securing the highest voter turn-out in the country in the 15th General Election – both for a parliamentary constituency and for a state.
This will not be an easy task as there are 21 million voters in this general election, with those between 18-21 years old and voting for first time, accounting for 1.4 million, together with the problem of the general election being held in the monsoon season of heavy rain and serious floods.
There are four candidates for the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia – Anwar Ibrahim from Pakatan Harapan, Zahid Hamidi from UMNO and Barisan Nasional, Muhyiddin Yassin and Hadi Awang from Perikatan Nasional.
From the four, the best suitable and qualified is Anwar Ibrahim, who appreciates the diversity in Malaysia and the need to unite Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, if Malaysia is to fulfil her potential as a great world-class plural nation.
The other three candidates are poor choices – Zahid who wants to win the 15th general election to free UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders from being charged in court and being sent to jail for corruption and the unstated objective to allow Najib Razak to walk out of Kajang Prison as a free man without serving his 12-year jail sentence and paying his RM210 million fine.
Muhyiddin was the main protagonist in the Sheraton Move political conspiracy which toppled the elected Pakatan Harapan government and brought in an illegal, undemocratic, unconstitutional and backdoor government while Hadi has brought shame to Islam in Malaysia by saying the most shocking things – for instance alleging that the DAP is communist.
Is Hadi saying that the Penang State Government had been a communist state government for the last 14 years since 2008?
The 15th General Election will see an unprecedented cyber warfare in Malaysia with a lot of lies, fake news and false information in the social media.
For instance, the DAP National Chairman, Lim Guan Eng, is alleged to have said he was not a Chinese when he was the Finance Minister.
Guan Eng never said such a thing. I don’t think anyone in Malaysia will say he is a not a Chinese, Malay, Indian, Kadazan or Iban. What DAP wants – and this is the core of the Malaysian Dream – is that while we are Malays, Chinese, Indians , Kadazan or Iban, we have a common identity as Malaysians and we must be Malaysian First.
Guan Eng was saying that as Finance Minister, he will look after all Malaysians, regardless race, but this has been twisted to Guan Eng saying he is a not a Chinese.
Malaysians must be aware of the lies, fake news and false information that will be disseminated through the social media in the 15th General Election.