Two challenges for the voters Bagan Jermal, Sungai Puyu, Bagan Dalam and Prai – to stop the national decline of the last few decades and to vote for the future for Penang and Malaysia to be the role model for the world in inter-ethnic,, inter-religious, inter-cultural, and inter-civilisation dialogue, understanding, tolerance, and harmony

Twenty-eight years ago, in September 1995, the voters of Bagan saved the DAP and democracy in Malaysia after the DAP suffered its worst electoral defeat in three decades in the 1995 general elections with the government coalition winning a five-sixth majority in Parliament.

In the 1995 General Election in April 1995, P. Patto won with a 118-vote majority.

I asked for a 5,000-vote majority to save DAP and democracy in the by-election, and Lim Hock Seng won the Bagan by-election on Sept. 9, 1995 with a 11,802-vote majority and earned the title of Democracy City.

On August 12, 2023, the voters of Bagan Jermal, Sungai Puyu, Bagan Dalam and Prai go to the polls again to elect the new government of Penang.

We want an united and great victory in these four constituencies to ensure that Chow Kong Yeow will be Penang Chief Minister again with a strong mandate.

But the people in these four constituencies have two further challenges, as August 12, 2023 is not only important for Penang, it is also very important for Malaysia.

They have two challenges.

For the last few decades, Malaysia has been in national decline, losing out to Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and in danger of losing out to China, Indonesia and India.

We must not only arrest the national decline, but vote to ensure that in our children and children’s time, Malaysia will rise again to become a great world-class nation.

Penang today after the DAP came into power in 2008 is very different the days when a Prime Minister called it “Darul Sampah”.

It has won international awards and recognition for its food, beaches, nature and historical heritage. It was listed by many as a Must Visit City.

In 2008, George Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2021, Penang Hill was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

But Penang could do more.

Penang should be the front-line state to enable Malaysia to be the role model for the world in inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation dialogue, understanding, tolerance and harmony and provide the intellectual leadership for such a transformation.

These are the greatest challenges to Penang and Malaysia.