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Call on Mahathir to end over two decades of unfair and undemocratic politicking so that all political parties can compete on a level playing field as lifting the one-sided ban on public rallies and ceramahs and stopping the political misuse of RTM channels Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Penang, Friday): The two-day visit to Kelantan by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad where he announced a major shake-up of Kelantan UMNO with the dropping of deputy head Datuk Annuar Musa and three other key office-bearers and launched a sustained attack on Kelantan PAS Government for its "decade of decline" in the state marked the opening salvo of UMNO and Barisan Nasional campaign for the 11th national general election to recapture the Kelantan state government. Mahathir's visit to Kelantan highlighted many grave issues about democracy, accountability and good governance which concern all Malaysians and not just Kelantanese. I will refer to two such issues. Firstly, the continued unfair and undemocratic politicking by UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders, as evident from the various public rallies held by Mahathir in his two-day visit to Kelantan and the continued political abuses of RTM which carried biased and one-sided attacks on the Opposition without any fair sense of electronic journalism in allowing the right to reply or balanced presentation. Last week, in the Israeli general election campaign, the Israeli Central Election Committee head, Judge Mishael Cheshin, cut off the live television broadcast of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, on the ground that he was engaged in "political propaganda" in attacking his Opposition. Could anyone imagine that there would be such a fair, independent and courageous official in Malaysia, who would brook no nonsense or any violation with the elementary notions of fair play and justice in political party politicking, and who would not hesitate to pull the plug of a live telecast by the Prime Minister for gross abuse of public resources? And if the answer is, and must be, in the negative, dare Malaysians ask the next questions: Why not? As Mahathir was talking about "Kelantan's decade of decline", he should also address and end Malaysia's over two decades of unfair and undemocratic politicking so that all political parties can compete on a level playing field as lifting the one-sided ban on public rallies and ceramahs and stopping the political misuse of RTM channels and other public resources. The second issue is about accountability and good governance. Speaking at a public rally camouflaged as "meet-the-people session" at the Sultan Ismail College's grounds in Kota Bahru on Wednesday, Mahathir said the world had recognized Malaysia's development plans as the best, and that the country's effective and careful approach in dealing with internal problems, including the recent economic downturn, was admired by many. He said Malaysia had emerged as the most developed among developing countries in the world. This is not correct and Malaysia must yield pride of place to a few other countries, including South Korea. But is there democratic space and proper regard for the principles of accountability and good governance to allow for a public debate as to why Malaysia needs 40 years from 1981 until 2020 to reach developed nation status when South Korea could achieve this in 15 years starting with lower per capita income. When Mahathir became Prime Minister of Malaysia in July 1981, Malaysia had a higher per capita income of US$1,840 than South Korea which lagged behind with US$1,700. Two decades later, South Korea's per capita income had increased by leaps and bounds at the annual rate of 9.36 per cent, while Malaysia lagged behind with a slower growth at 3.96% per annum. As a result, South Korea's per capita income in 2001 has not only overtaken that of Malaysia, but is 2.5 times higher. South Korean's per capita income for 2001 is US$9,400 as compared to Malaysia's per capita income of US$3,640. From 1981 when Mahathir became Prime Minister, South Korea took 15 years to become a fully developed nation in 1996 when it joined the OECD although it had a lower per capita income than Malaysia. How can Mahathir claim in Kelantan that "Malaysia has emerged as the most developed among developing countries in the world" when Malaysia cannot reach fully developed nation status in the 22 years under him as Prime Minister, and still needs another 17 years until 2020 to achieve this goal or a period of 40 years from 1981 when South Korea could do it in 15 years from 1981 with a lower per capita income?   (17/1/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman