When Najib says that a vote for DAP is a vote for oppression of Malays while Chua Soi Lek declares that it is a vote for oppression of Chinese, time has come to save Malaysia from such dishonest, deceitful, unprincipled and immoral UMNO/BN govt

By Lim Kit Siang

In his winding-up speech at the 66th UMNO General Assembly on Saturday, the UMNO President and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak ended with the flourish urging UMNO members to work harder to convince the people to support Barisan Nasional as a vote for DAP is a vote for the oppression of the Malays.

But this is the exact opposite of what MCA leaders like the MCA President Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek is telling the Chinese up and down the country, that a vote for the DAP is a vote for the oppression of the Chinese.

It is clear that when Najib says that a vote for DAP is a vote for the oppression of the Malays while Chua Soi Lek declares that it is a vote for oppression of the Chinese, the time has come to save Malaysia from such dishonest, deceitful, unprincipled and immoral UMNO/Barisan Nasional government.

What credibility and legitimacy has a political coalition like Barisan Nasional, which is capable of such blatant deceit and dishonesty, plumbing the depths of lies and falsehoods to entrench itself in power, to dare claim that it has the credentials and moral high ground to continue to govern multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia when it is in fact actively aggravating racial and religious polarisation in the country?

Najib and UMNO leaders are lying when they said that a vote for DAP is a vote for the oppression of the Malays, just as Chua Soi Lek and MCA leaders are lying when they sounded the warning that a vote for DAP is a vote for the oppression of the Chinese.

But since both are in one political coalition, the Barisan Nasional, they should at least co-ordinate and reconcile their differences to come out with one “Big Lie against the DAP” instead of continuing to tell two conflicting lies to two different communities and to be caught “red-handed” in their lies!

Najib and the Barisan Nasional leaders should know that they are in the era of Internet and it is no more possible for the political leaders in the country to censor or manipulate the flow of information as to hide the fact of dishonesty and hypocrisy of UMNO leaders lying to the Malays that a vote for DAP is a vote for the oppression of the Malays while MCA leaders are lying to the Chinese that a vote for DAP is a vote for the oppression of the Chinese.

Just on this issue alone, with the component parties of the Barisan Nasional spreading not only blatant but contradictory lies about the DAP, showing their utter bankruptcy of political principles and moral scruples, UMNO/Barisan Nasional should be drummed out of Putrajaya.

Malaysian voters regardless of race, religion or region should rise as one to speak loud and clear in the 13GE to inform the nation and the world that they condemn, abhor and repudiate such contemptible and despicable politics of lies and dishonesty so as to introduce clean and principled governance in Malaysia.

DAP, together with PKR and PAS in Pakatan Rakyat, reject the negative and destructive UMNO/BN politics of “divide and rule” and want it to be replaced by the positive and constructive politics of “unite and rule”.

Pakatan Rakyat opposes the oppression of any race, religion or group and will ensure the end of marginalisation or discrimination of any race, religion or group which will be one of the guiding principles of a PR federal government in Malaysia.

All Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, Kadazans or Ibans will be winners in a Malaysia under a PR government.

But we cannot promise that there will be no losers if PR achieves the “impossible dream” of Malaysians to defeat the UMNO/Barisan Nasional coalition in the 13GE and forms the federal government in Putrajaya.

UMNO putras and their cronies in BN, who have waxed fat and rich at the expense of the ordinary Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, Kadazans or Ibans, will be the losers for it will be the end of the road for them to acquire ill-gotten gains at the expense of the Malaysian public.