Opposition may implode first, says Kit Siang

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian politics is in uncharted waters and those who are plotting for the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government may implode first if they proceed with unprecedented extremism in exploiting the politics of race, religion, hate, fear and lies, said Lim Kit Siang (pix).
The DAP adviser said there is no guarantee the vision of a New Malaysia would succeed as there are many in the Opposition working for the implosion of PH.
He said this was seen at the just-concluded PAS Muktamar that heralded a new PAS-Umno alliance to take the extremist politics of race, religion, fear, hate and lies to an unprecedented level.
"Datuk Mustapha Mohamad resigned from Umno as he had wanted Umno to be more inclusive and moderate but this did not seem to be the path the party was taking.
"The building of a New Malaysia must go on undeterred by the machinations of the political opportunists and extremists and this is where a New Malaysia civil movement in the country and the worldwide Diaspora can play an important and rightful role," said the Iskandar Puteri MP Lim in his speech on "An Insight into a New Malaysia" in Perth, on Tuesday.
He said before the 12th General Election (GE12) in 2008, nobody would have seriously entertained the notion that it was possible and achievable.
Lim said after GE12 which saw Barisan Nasional (BN) losing power in five states, Penang, Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan, the idea of the toppling of BN became possible.
"If you ask me during the 14th General Election (GE14) campaign whether PH would defeat BN and oust Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, I would not dare answer in the affirmative.
"Although I dedicated all my energies and efforts to this purpose – to the extent that I was campaigning outside my parliamentary constituency most of the campaign period during the 11-day campaign period," he said.
He said on the night of May 9, when he arrived at the Sheraton Hotel in Petaling Jaya, where PH leaders had gathered, it seemed clear BN had lost the mandate of the people to rule.
He said what was not clear whether PH had won the simple majority of 112 seats as the Election Commission had downed tools when it found that BN candidates were on a losing streak.
Lim told the audience his greatest concern as the night dragged on would there would be a hung Parliament.
He said this would allow the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang to be "kingmaker" – which Hadi had announced was the objective of PAS.
He said imagine what would have happened if on that historic day there has a hung Parliament and Hadi was able to play the role of "kingmaker".
He said there was no doubt even before GE14 of the secret of a Umno-PAS understanding, as Hadi's first choice would be to throw the support of PAS behind Najib, regardless of the 1MDB scandal.
"On May 9 for the first time in many years, Malaysians and the worldwide diaspora, felt proud to be Malaysians, for we shocked ourselves and the world that we can peacefully and democratically change the government through the ballot box at a time whem democracy worldwide is undergoing a crisis about its relevance as a system of governance in the 21st century.
"We are doing what Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman had envisioned during the birth of the nation for Malaysia to be 'a beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world' instead of being a 'black hole' of rogue democracy," Lim said.
He said a New Malaysia is struggling to be born, which will take not 100 days or even five months but 10 to 20 years.