I was in Klang last night with Klang DAP leaders and members in a dinner organised by DAP veteran Tee Boon Hock to mark the conferment of Tan Sri award on me.
The first time I visited Klang was 57 years ago to organise branches for the DAP but all those from Klang who attended were not born yet.
The DAP MP for Klang, Ganabatirau A/L Veraman was born in 1973 while the State Assemblyman for Banting, Lau Weng San, was born in 1979. Both Ganabatirau and Weng San were at the dinner.
In the 1969 general elections, DAP won three State Assembly seats in Klang and nearly won the Klang parliamentary seat as the Alliance winning candidate won with a majority of only 485 votes.
The May 13, 1969 racial riots were a permanent scar and reminder of Malaysians that the alternative to the original nation-building principles for a plural Malaysia which the nation’s founding fathers (which included the first three Prime Ministers who were also UMNO Presidents) had written into the Malaysian Constitution was chaos, national decline and a failed and divided state.
I was accused of causing the May 13, 1969 racial riots, but I was never in Kuala Lumpur when the riots broke out, as I had gone to Kota Kinabalu on the morning of May 13, 1969 to help in the election campaign of the independent candidates in Sabah.
I am also accused of being a communist. In actual fact, the communists wanted me to lose in the 1969 general election but they failed, as they have launched an election boycott campaign.
This was why during my first Internal Security Act (ISA) detention in Muar in 1969, I wrote to the then Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman on August 4, 1969 where I said:
“The May 10 General Elections result was a defeat for the Alliance Party. But it was a graver blow to the MCP.
“Dur8ing the general election campaign, the MCP and open auxiliaries campaigned for a boycott of elections to discredit parliamentary democracy and to prepare the political base for its second armed insurrection.
“The result of the May 10 was the people’s verdict for democracy as against the MCP campaign.”
Yet half a century later, I am accused of being a communist – a wild and preposterous allegation that PAS President, Hadi Awang, has not been able to substantiate despite being challenged repeatedly.
There are extremist and irresponsible political forces in the country which are trying to polarise race and religious relations in the country, creating enormous division in the country which can only result in continued national decline and the fate of a failed and divided state.
This is why the Yang di Pertuan Aong has advised all Malaysians to maintain political stability and restore national unity for Malaysians to be world champions again and to be a role model to the world of inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation dialogue, understanding, tolerance and harmony.
The Anwar unity government has given Malaysians an unique opportunity to reset and return to the original nation-building principles for a plural Malaysia – constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, separation of powers, rule of law, an independent judiciary, Islam as the official religion and freedom of religion for all faiths in the country, good governance, public integrity with minimum corruption, a clean and honest government, meritocracy, respect for human rights, an end to the various injustices and inequalities in the country, a world-class economic, educational, health and social system, and national unity, understanding, and harmony from our multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural diversity.
Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, must not waste this opportunity for a national reset and return to the original nation-building principles for a plural Malaysia – for such an opportunity is unlikely to present itself for a second time.
The choice for Malaysians is stark and clear – Malaysia as a failed and divided state or Malaysia producing world champions again and a role model to the world of inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation dialogue, understanding, tolerance and harmony.
Can Malaysia contribute to world peace and harmony by preventing a clash of civilisations?
I believe Malaysia can do so. But it will depend on the outcome of the six state general elections.