Kit Siang: 'New Malaysia' will take 10, 20 years to take shape

INTERVIEW | “New Malaysia” has become a phrase to describe the country following its first ever change of government in the 14th general election.

What it generally points to is the hope that the country will finally embark on institutional reform, restoring the rule of law and most importantly, be rid of corruption - plans for which were spelt out in Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto.

Since taking the helm of the government, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other ministers have appealed for more time to implement such reforms, noting, among other things, that the proverbial Rome was not built in a day.

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, too, has appealed for patience for the realisation of this dream.

“I think the ‘New Malaysia’ is not something that can be accomplished in 100 days or two years.

“To reset nation-building policies, it is an effort that requires 10 or even 20 years,” Lim told Malaysiakini in a recent interview at the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

For example, he said, the recent furore over the government’s initial but ultimately aborted attempt to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) showed that many thorny but important conversations still needed to take place before society could move forward.

But do voters have the patience to wait two decades?

The veteran politician lamented in jest how “nobody” had expected the coalition to win the election in the first place, but now people were “expected everything” from the new administration.

He thus implored Harapan to manage the expectations of its supporters, as well as win the trust of more Malay voters, or else ‘New Malaysia’ might just fail.

“So I think (voters) have to learn to (see) the big picture and the long-term perspective.

“If they don’t come on board with that perspective, then we will fail and the New Malaysia will never come into being. Then, we will go back to the corrupt, decadent and undemocratic past.

“...Whether there is going to be a New Malaysia, nobody knows. It can even fail. But it is an attempt. We should not waste this possibility....” Lim argued.

Bring grassroots along with reform

Not only that, component parties like the DAP also need to work to convince its grassroots to persist until the reform agenda comes to pass.

Lim stressed that the party’s leaders, many of whom now have roles in the federal government, must also constantly keep their ears to the ground or risk losing touch with the people.

“You must be able to bring about changes in thinking on the ground and among the grassroots. That is our responsibility.

“There’s no point of our forging ahead and we lose our ground… you must be able to bring the party along.

“...So, somehow, (we need) the magic of being able to achieve both goals,” he said.

The party recently underwent its leadership elections and saw challenges against established generals like Damansara MP Tony Pua and Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong.

According to Lim, the reason for Pua’s ouster from the party’s Selangor DAP despite previously helming the division was that he had lost touch with the grassroots. - Mkini