Next general elections a “Battle Royale” for the very soul of Malaysia


Message
 - to Penang DAP State newsletter - Jan/Feb 2002
by
Lim Kit Siang

(Penang, Wednesday)The next general elections most likely in 2003 in the next 18 months will be a “Battle Royale” for the very soul of Malaysia, which will set the mould of Malaysian nation-building for decades and even generations to come.

DAP Penang must be ready and prepared to be in the vanguard of this “Battle Royale”, which will decide whether Malaysia is to preserve and sustain its 45-year Social Contract enshrined in the fundamental constitutional principle and nation-building cornerstone as a democratic, secular, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive nation or jettison it and embark on the road to reshape Malaysia as an Islamic state, whether ala-UMNO or ala-PAS.

The September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington have greatly  changed the political landscape of Malaysia, just as it has done globally for every country.

The 911 terrorist attacks is  a boon to incumbents in government, especially authoritarian regimes to  justify their undemocratic and repressive laws as well as to  introduce even more draconian legislation and policies to  further clamp down on democracy and human rights which have nothing to do with the war against terrorism  – and  the Malaysian government is no exception.

From now till the next general elections, the Barisan Nasional will play to the full  the two  911 trump cards, firstly, to conduct a “terror” election campaign which would make  the past May 13 scare tactics trotted out in every general election campaign pale into insignificance; and secondly, to create fear of PAS Islamic state as equivalent of a Taliban Malaysia, which the nightly 90-second Barisan Nasional propaganda footage camouflaged as prime-time news over national television for over three weeks before the Indera Kayangan by-election was mere rehearsal.

Come polling day in the next general elections, the Barisan Nasional would want to dragoon Malaysian  voters to believe that their votes are important to decide two critical issues in the country -  to ensure that the September 11 terror events cannot happen in Malaysia by giving  greater support to Dr.  Mahathir and the Barisan Nasional and to reject PAS’ Islamic State in favour of  UMNO’s Islamic State.

Both are false choices but is the DAP Penang prepared for the “Battle Royale” to reach and convince the voters that  they are false choices?

(23/1/2002)



*Lim Kit Siang - DAP National Chairman