From Covid-19 second wave to Parliament lockdown

MP SPEAKS | The eighth Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has just celebrated his first hundred days which saw the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak to the lockdown of Parliament and the return of kleptocracy and kakistocracy.

If not for the Sheraton Move, there would not be a second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown of the country.

It is fortunate that Malaysia had contained the second wave of the outbreak, although, like the rest of the world, we must be prepared for any resurgence  which would be the third for us.

It is tragic that the second wave should be the cause for not only a national lockdown with the movement control order (MCO) on March 18, but also for the lockdown of Parliament, the return of kleptocracy and kakistocracy, as well as the descent of standards of governance, such as restraints on freedom of speech and widespread violation of human rights.

On May 9, 2018, Malaysia provided an example to the world of hope in democracy at a time when, for over a decade, parliamentary democracy as a system of governance was in retreat globally. 

Now, this light of hope has dimmed.

Malaysia’s best Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report in 25 years for 2019 now appears to be a fluke-shot, and the hope that it will spearhead the country to become one of the world’s top 30 in public integrity before 2030, appears misplaced.

Another fluke-shot is Malaysia’s spectacular 21-place jump in 2019 and 22-place jump of Reporter's Without Borders' (RSF) Press Freedom Index 2020 to rank at 101.

Next year’s TI CPI report and RSF’s Press Freedom Index will be most agonising affairs.

But the people must not give up hope for a better Malaysia.

We do not want Malaysia to gain new infamy, ignominy and iniquity as a democracy where the people’s mandate could be hijacked and perverted by a backdoor government to allow a reversion to the trajectory of a failed, rogue, kleptocratic and kakistocratic state where the worst elements of dishonesty, perfidy and corruption occupy high positions in government.

However hard, uphill and daunting the road ahead may be, Malaysians must reclaim the nation’s honour, rebuild and fulfil its potential for a better Malaysia.

As Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaimed “merdeka” on Aug 31, 1957, “our nation has been very lucky to have a multi-racial and multi-religious population who co-exist and live in peace and prosperity”.

We must fulfil Tunku’s Malaysian dream to become a “beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world” and renew the hopes of not only Malaysians but of the world, as we are seeing a decline of democracy and the rise of authoritarian, undemocratic and corrupt regimes everywhere. 

Our work to create a New Malaysia has entered a new phase - our challenge is to demonstrate to the world that we can reclaim our country from setbacks to transform into a leading nation of freedom, justice and integrity.

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LIM KIT SIANG is DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri. - Mkini