Today is the anniversary of death of Dr. Chen Man Hin, a model Malaysian who dare to dream the Malaysian Dream and who regarded himself as a Malaysian first despite his Chinese heritage and ethnicity.
I think the biggest tribute to Dr. Chen’s Malaysian Dream was that all the 11 DAP candidates in the recent Negri Sembilan State Assembly elections got substantial Malay votes.
Malays in Negri Sembilan know that DAP is not anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Royalty, the cause of May 13, 1969 riots in Kuala Lumpur or communist, for Dr. Chen helped the needy and the poor who came to his clinic for decades regardless of race, religion or class – the poor Malays, Chinese and Indians in Negri Sembilan.
We, the living, must reaffirm Dr. Chen’s Malaysian Dream, for justice, freedom, equality and progress are for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region must be the dream of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.
We do not want a Malay Dream, a Chinese Dream, an Indian Dream, Kadazan Dream or Dayak Dream. We want a Malaysian Dream for all Malaysians.
Malaysians just had six state polls and the message is a mixed one. But what is important is that the hope that Malaysia can rise up again to become a great world-class nation and avoid the fate of a divided, failed and kleptocratic state is not a lost cause but that Malaysia can reset and return to the original nation-building principles which nation’s founding fathers (which included the first three Prime Minsters who were also UMNO Presidents) have written into the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara in recognition of Malaysia as a plural nation where there is “unity in diversity”, still exist.
The six state polls show that original nation-building principles have not been eroded beyond redemption, the institution have not been damaged beyond repair and that there is still hope for the future for all Malaysians.
I told a former judge at the wake of Dr. Chen Man Hin in August last year that the judges must now save Malaysia by upholding the founding nation-building principle of the country so that Malaysia can achieve its destiny to become world-class great nation especially with regard to the the doctrine of separations of powers, an independent judiciary, the rule of law and good governance like the war against corruption.
I have said there is no need to panic as there are silver linings in the black clouds of the six state polls.
The 22-month Pakatan Harapan government was the first step in a long struggle to make Malaysia a world-class great nation, and the 15th General Election last November and the six state polls on August 12 the second and third steps in a long struggle for Malaysia to rise up again as a great world-class nation and to avoid the fate of a divided, failed and corrupt state like Sri Lanka.
Much depends on what is done in the next four years before the 16th General Election in 2027 to decide the final fate of Malaysia.
Dr. Chen will want to see Malaysia rise up again to become a great world-class nation and not to fail as a divided, failed and corrupt state when we celebrate Malaysia’s Centennial in 2057.
He wants all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, to dream the Malaysian Dream.