Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 26^th May 2012: 

Instead of raging over Mahathir’s outrageous and preposterous blog Malaysians should commiserate with him

Yesterday, former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir blogged that the Bersih 3.0 rally was a “preparation” and “warm-up” by Pakatan Rakyat for violent demonstrations to reject the results of the 13th general election should the opposition fail to win it.

He said: “Their defeat will be followed by violent demonstrations that will go on and on so that the election results are rejected and a new government is put in place, that is approved by the opposition.

“After that, they will attempt to hold an election again that they can manipulate.”

Mahathir must hold the Malaysian record of having made the most number of outrageous and preposterous statements in his political life, before, during and after his 22-year premiership (1981-2003) but what he blogged yesterday must rank as among his most outrageous and preposterous statements.

It was a complete figment of his imagination as there is no truth or basis whatsoever – like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s ludicrous allegation that Bersih 3.0 was an Opposition coup d’etat attempt to topple the government (an idea probably inspired by the discredited Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Rahim Noor) when all that the peaceful protestors were armed with, if at all, were salt and water bottles to protect themselves against any indiscriminate police teargas and chemically-lacked water cannon.

Apart from Mahathir diehards who will accept and support whatever outrageous and preposterous statements made by the former premier, two immediate and foremost reactions among thinking and rational Malaysians to Mahathir’s blog yesterday must be either to fume and rage at his vile statement or to dismiss it as a sign of senility.

Mahathir is not senile as there is a dangerous pattern and design behind his blog yesterday, which is undoubtedly his most irresponsible and reckless statement since stepping down as Prime Minister nine years ago.

Instead of raging and fuming over Mahathir’s blog, may be Malaysians should commiserate with him.

Unlike Najib and the other UMNO leaders, Mahathir seems to have realized the full import and implications of the Bersih 3.0 rally with some 200,000 to 300,000 Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, class, region, gender or age, coming out peacefully for a common national cause for a clean election and a clean Malaysia despite all the high-powered and futile campaign in the past month to vilify and demonise Bersih 3.0 and Pakatan Rakyat.

After Bersih 3.0, the writing on the wall has become clearer – that UMNO and Barisan Nasional can be voted out of power in Putrajaya by the Malaysian electorate in the 13th general election!

This realization has created in Mahathir a new sense of desperation reflected not only by his blog yesterday but also his scare-mongering in Kedah last week that the defeat of UMNO in the next general election would be akin to Malays losing political power in their own country.

Mahathir should know that it is not true that the Malays will lose political power with the defeat of UMNO, as replacing UMNO and Barisan Nasional in Putrajaya will be the Pakatan Rakyat comprising PKR, PAS and DAP; and the new Prime Minister will be Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim instead of Najib.

What is evident is that Mahathir has a personal stake in the outcome in the next general elections as to cause him to do his utmost, including concocting lies and falsehoods that Bersih 3.0 was a “warm-up” by Pakatan Rakyat for violent demonstrations to reject the results of the next elections if the Opposition should fail it or that the Malays will lose political power in their own country if UMNO is defeated.

What is Mahathir’s personal stake in the next general election?

Could it be that it has sunk in on him after the Bersih 3.0 rally that UMNO and Barisan Nasional can be voted out of power in Putrajaya in the next general election, and this meant that the long list of financial scandals and abuses of power in his 22 years as Prime Minister could finally be the subject of a full inquiry and he is doing his utmost to prevent the full story of his 22-year premiership from being told?

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor