KUALA LUMPUR (July 1): The Pakatan Harapan-led (PH) government, which has today passed the half-way mark of the first 100 days in office, can expect the next five years to be challenging as it seeks to reach out to the 50.5% of popular vote who did not vote for PH in the recent 14th general election (GE14), says opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang.

In GE14, PH had secured 48.3% of the popular vote, while the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition had secured 33.9% and PAS (16.6%).

In a statement today, Kit Siang, who is also DAP Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri, said he does not believe that 33.9% of the popular vote which had supported BN, in particular Umno candidates, would have done so if they had fully understood that their vote would be regarded as a vote for Malaysia continuing as a global kleptocracy and the slew of abuses and excesses of power under Datuk Seri Najib Razak premiership. 

"Similarly, I do not believe that there would be 16.6% of popular votes for PAS if these voters had realised that their vote would be used by PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang to prop up a kleptocrat, Najib as prime minister and Malaysia continuing as a global kleptocracy -- scorned and humiliated by the world," he added.

Kit Siang conceded that there have been teething problems in the first 50 days of the PH government's ruling, whether at the federal level in Putrajaya or at the eight state governments involving PH – namely Penang, Selangor, Kedah, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor and Sabah.

"But we must always maintain a positive mindset that we want the PH government to succeed. We not only want the PH government to succeed in the first 50 or 500 days, but for 5,000 days – which means winning GE15 and GE16," he said.

"This is a tall order as the reimagining and remaking of a New Malaysia is not meant for timorous souls but for courageous Malaysians who dare to dream big dreams for Malaysia to be a world top class nation in several fields of human endeavour by leveraging on our unique assets that come from the diversity of the races, religions, languages and cultures that constitute Malaysia," said Kit Siang.

"We want to create a New Malaysia that can fulfill 'Bapa Malaysia' Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Malaysian Dream of becoming 'a beacon of light in a distracted and disturbed world' – a showcase to the world of a plural nation which is united, harmonious, just, democratic, competitive, progressive and prosperous," he added.

Kit Siang also called on DAP leaders to learn from the mistakes of Umno/BN leaders, which had resulted in the decisive repudiation of Umno/BN politics in the last general election.

"DAP leaders must always remain humble, down-to-earth, approachable, hardworking, clean and honest. DAP leaders must set an example of service to the people and nation over service to one-self.

"There is no place for the arrogant, the decadent and the corrupt in the DAP," he noted.

http://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/pakatan-govt-not-resting-laurels-it-seeks-win-over-opposition-votes-says-kit-siang