Open Letter (Part 2) to PM & Ministers – Lessons of two “political tsunamis” in six months

An Open Letter (Part 2) to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet by DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang on Tuesday, 2nd September 2008:

5. Zero tolerance for corruption

Let the Cabinet declare a new National Integrity Plan objective of zero tolerance for corruption – with Malaysia ranked among the top 10 countries which are least corrupt in the world.

Although there is a flurry of arrests by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), Malaysians are reminded of the earlier flurry of ACA activities in the first few months of the new Abdullah premiership which finally fizzled out into nothing – with Malaysia’s ranking in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index plunging from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 43 in 2007.

Are the Prime Minister and Cabinet prepared to give full liberty and authority to the ACA to fight corruption even against Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers, Mentri-Menteri Besar and top Barisan Nasional leaders without getting any greenlight from the Prime Minister?

6. End the brain drain

Is the Cabinet prepared to admit that one fatal mistake of our nation-building policy which has led to our diminishing international competitiveness and why Malaysia has lost out to South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore in the past half-a-century and continuing to trail behind more and more countries is injustice and discrimination meted out to the best and brightest talents driving them overseas.

Is the Cabinet prepared to end this crippling denial syndrome to end the brain drain of the best and brightest talents overseas – in particular stemming the brain-drain to Singapore by reinstating the principle of meritocracy and ensuring that Malaysia’s best and brightest, regardless of race, can get the best educational and employment opportunities in their own country?

7. Admit failure of Malaysias education and higher education policies

Just refer to the advertorial of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn published in the New Straits Times of August 23, page 43 to commemorate the conferment of an honorary PhD in Education on Raja Zarith Sofiah if anyone still have any doubts of the failure of the Malaysian education system, whether primary, secondary or tertiary.

It is not just about the “murder” or may be more appropriate term “sodomy” of the English language but reflects the utter sense of irresponsibility of the educational authorities which could see Malaysia plunging from a nation with internationally-recognised high standards of English language to one where we can only hold our heads in shame.

The international repute of Malaysian universities have suffered similar decline.

Is the Cabinet prepared to take a policy decision that Malaysian universities should rank among the best in the world – with at least two among the World’s Top 100 and another two in the list of the World’s next Top 100. In other words, at least four Malaysian Universities among the World’s Top 200 Universities?

8. Usher in a new era of democracy and human

Is the Cabinet prepared to initiate action to usher in a new era of democracy and human rights with the repeal of draconian and undemocratic laws which violate human rights such as Internal Security Act, Official Secrets Act, Sedition Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Police Act?

9. Parliament

Neither the Prime Minister, the Home Minister or any other Cabinet Minister has been able to explain why government has rejected the proposal for the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on the DNA bill, raising questions about the government commitment to create a first-world Parliament.

Is Cabinet prepared to demonstrate its seriousness to far-reaching parliamentary reforms including the establishment of a parliamentary select committee whereby every Ministry would be shadowed by a Select Committee?

10. Bangsa Malaysia and Ketuanan Rakyat

Finally, is the Cabinet prepared to totally revamp government nation-building policies in accordance with the concept and vision of Bangsa Malaysia, highlighting the principle of Ketuanan Rakyat and not Ketuanan Melayu, Ketuanan Cina, Ketuanan India, Ketuanan Dayak or Ketuanan Iban?

Yours sincerely,
Lim Kit Siang
DAP Parliamentary Leader
MP for Ipoh Timor

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39 Replies to “Open Letter (Part 2) to PM & Ministers – Lessons of two “political tsunamis” in six months”

  1. Good on you YB Lim to have listed all these items.
    But I know this ppl are not prepare to do anything
    about it. What to do?

    Latest:
    The federal government is not agreeable to the suggestion by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that Sept 16 be made a public holiday in the five states under Pakatan Rakyat.
    Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said there should only be one National Day for the country.
    “We have chosen the date as our independence day. Having another date will give rise to all kinds of interpretation, polemic and this is not healthy to national integration
    “This is our stand; we give importance to unity and national integration,” he told reporters after launching the Chery multi-purpose vehicle here today.
    Any takers?

  2. Dear YB LIm,
    Rakyat Malaysia harus bersyukur kerana negara kita ada seorang YB yang baik,ikhlas dan berani seperti YB. Segala yang YB kemukakan adalah benar dan perlu diimplimentasikan oleh Kerajaan. ??????????????????

  3. LKS , if you ever get a reply it would something along this line from the PM & all his ministers in unison ” WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE BUT NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 10 POINTS ” raised by you. This kind of logic, reasoning and answer sounds familiar?

  4. why wud BN esp umno wanna retain the best brains in msia? to educate the younger generations so that they can be smarter and know how to analyse figures? does the average kampungs boys n local grads from our famous under performed unis really understand what graft is? what is means to loose billions yearly meant for the rakyat and all going down the drain that flows into the pockets of cronies?

    God forbid!!!!

    The dumber the society is the better it may be for those scums to plunder even in broad daylight!

    so dont even expect internet penetration to flow into kampungs so soon. Of cos until they can censor the internet la.

  5. 5. Zero tolerance for corruption.

    what it means by “zero tolerance” here YB Lim?

    * I think this was the whole colony struggles most, i believe it the reason and the key for this goons start playing fascism finale running wild. As the final option, they would create choas unrest among Nation and declare State of Emergency to take full polictical power.

    Check this goons in http://pembelamelayu.com/
    Aren’t this articles in this forum agains rules they claim to block MalaysiaToday?

  6. YB Lim,
    Heard from some friends working in the goverment that some Federal Ministers have been asking their close confidence to start clearing some P n C documents just in case it can fall to the wrong hands in case the PR takes over.

    Looks like the Federal Ministers are starting to panic. NOt to mention some of them are dead scare now

    Maybe after too long milking the cow, they do not know the basic on how to prioduce milk anymore to feed themselves.

  7. ACA should be under judiciary. Not the Internal Ministry or executive. Then it will be free to act on it’s own.
    Then again, our judiciary is not free from executive.
    We need to free the judiciary from executive first before anything can be done. We need to undo Mamaktir’s misdoings.

    in this lopsided government, how can we expect anything good out of it.
    I have seen so many of my ex classmates doing so well in Singapore. Having PR in just 1-2 years. Malaysia born and “educated” , and Singapore government is so smart to capitalise on this. Why are Malaysians holding high positions in Singapore,Australia, Silicon Valley etc ?
    To get into NUS and NTU is not so tough for Malaysian regardless of race. As long as you qualify, you will be in. By the time you graduate, you will definately reemain in Singapore because the fair environment created.
    Kiasu or Kiasi …. it creates competitiveness.
    Even the mere mentioning of 10% U i Tak Mau for non Malays has got so hot gas flying. stop brain drain ?

    Unlike Malaysia, junk and rubbish results students get to qualify and you get junk in the end.

    It’s also hard to believe that Tumpang Naut’s experiment is patented ? if yes, what is the patent no. Who owns the patent ? Is it not the Malaysian govt owner of this expensive patent ? or some crony ?

  8. Sdr Lim,
    You are always talking about big issues which I agree are important. But what about issues relating to environment, cleanliness, hygiene and civic consciousness? Just look around towns and cities. Most are filthy with clogged drains and uncollected garbage. What about rats and cockroaches running around near coffee shops and eateries. Do we have any plan on this? What about haphazard and double parking even along main roads? Are local authorities sleeping evening in PR controlled states? What about environment in general, the rivers, forest and parks? These also issues that affect the quality of life in general.

  9. when a team of police officer(w no uniform/id tags) raided a internet cafer,semua keluar sekarang sudah 12 malam w/o giving any cause.we play safe n thinking they r samon kaki or licenced gangsters,v swamps out.is sopan santun a compulsory course in polis academy?this type of irresponsible arrogant actions must b checked n changed?

  10. limkamput Says:
    “But what about issues relating to environment, cleanliness, hygiene and civic consciousness? Just look around towns and cities. Most are filthy with clogged drains and uncollected garbage. What about rats and cockroaches running around near coffee shops and eateries.”

    Actually, the solution for these is to bring back local council elections and to establish a accountable/responsible system of managing this day to day activities of running a city. To hold the city councillors responsible for maintainance of the towns they are supposed to be in charge of.

    In other countries, MP’s are meant to be policy makers not double checking and making sure the road sweepers and garbage collectors and health inspectors are doing their jobs.

  11. Where would the 2 top leaders & Cabinet have time to consider and deliberate on YB Kit’s 10 challenges when Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim (“Anwar”) makes them jittery and concentrate all the time on only one challenge – does he really have the numbers of at least 31 BN defections and crossovers to have an audience with the King at the Istana Negara to form the government or is he bluffing all the way risking his credibility????

    Speculations are rife that Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin is a possible defector to PKR, though Anwar brushed it aside as mere rumour (but not saying whether rumour wastrue or false) – Malaysiakini report filed by Beh Lih Yi | Sep 2, 08 6:57pm.

    What kind of psy-war is Pakatan Rakyat engaged in? The pressure is unremitting. In this blog YB has reminded them again and again on their defaults and failure to meet challenges as well as failure to learn the lessons of two “political tsunamis”. At PKR’s end, Anwar was telling press conference that his meeting of BN parliamentarians lately made “very good” progress in respect to his takeover plan. “Yes, I have met some MPs from Sabah, Sarawak and the Peninsular. My colleagues and I are finding it very difficult to meet them because we are monitored by Special Branch 24 hours a day, but we still have managed to meet them,” he said. He repeated that his plan was on schedule in the recent Al-Jazeera interview.

    There is an element here that is incomprehensible to the those uninitiated to the larger scheme.

    If Anwar’s prediction of forming the government on Sept 16 were based on substance, there is, until then, no compelling need for him to repeatedly reiterate it publicly, scaring in the process, the other side.

    If his repeated prediction were a mere hype without substance, it will damage his credibility, and by extension the credibility of entire Pakatan Rakyat coalition as well.

    Weighing the other side of the scale, when the ruling party gets scared, they might resort to drastic measures against him and Pakatan Rakyat. (There is no need for me to speculate what drastic measures these may be). Suffice to say powerful vested interests built over 4 decades will fight to the end than to allow themselves to be deposed (even in an general election), let alone by way of 31 or more defections, arguably not in accord with the democratic principles!

    So where is, on balance, the advantage in this strategy of repeatedly talking about a takeover on Sep 16th, 2 weeks away?

    Looks like there is only one challenge everyone rivets to : can Anwar do it and what premptive measures will the BN take?

  12. To summation up, all ten point make like belong to numero uno satu, sell fish majorational head of government have corruption party at our behind! Not for one day but for selama-lama nya.
    Uni THO Boleh!

  13. I personally feel that this pm of ours has mentally and physically given up the hope to right the wrongs that had piled up like guano in a virgin cave after seeing his popularity slid down the turd-lined gutter of UMNO politics.

    He might even have read your Open Letter, but having the state of mind to digest its content is just too humongous a task for him now. With 916 hanging over his neck like the sword of Damocles, even those expensive Ajwah dates taste rather mundane.

    I really hope he’d do the mother-of-all flip flops for the citizen of Malaysia. That he’d renegade on his promise to hand over the rein to his deputy but instead, pass the baton to DSAI.

    Hey, it’s my right to dream the impossible dream, ok !!!

  14. The government has no time for such letters.They feel they are doing everything right.When the pressure is too strong the DPM apologises on behalf of the MP and Umno.This is the state of affairs in this country.Only after September 16 everyone will learn how to rule a multiracial and a multireligious country.Till then we will have to wait.

  15. YB Kit, If only they are sincere and placing country before self, Malaysia will not be in this situation. They have betrayed the people by hiding behind nationalism, sovereignty, Malay supremacy and of course “arrogancy” to execute “cronycy”. The destination that was laid by the founding fathers has taken a wrong journey by irresponsible and selfish group who think they are the best and the chosen one. Malaysia has lost our competetivenes in all areas and you will be surprise to find mediocre at the helm of many organizations and that is why we can’t even protect Pedra Branca- just a case in point.If ever PR takes over the government, Yb- it will be a nightmare of a very long and winding roads. Just be prepared. IN GOD WE TRUST.

  16. Kit,

    Frankly, I do not think BN will take note of your 10-point plan. If I am not wrong, this is the fifth or sixth time you raise the same kind of issue in your blog. Yet, we see no concrete action taken by BN. Even if they do take action, it will be done in a superficial manner to please the rakyat without achieving the aim of reform.

    As the Chinese say, there is no point of “playing piano before a cow”, it just won’t be able to appreciate. Let us wait for the D-day (16 September 08) to herald the birth of a “new Malaysia”.

  17. YB Kit is obviously using this Open Letter as a public reminder to the incumbent PM and DPM to salvage the last lap of their office. Good try. Besides, it’s also a good attempt to keep these key issues at the forefront of public consciousness.

    What is more needful, perhaps, is for DAP to also attract some ‘principled’ BN MPs disenchanted with their own listlessness and loss of direction over to DAP. This will help ANwar hasten the process of the PR takeover of the national government.

    BN is not only an albatross; it’s also no longer tenable to issue them any first-aid kit or trying any CPR on them. BN is dead; rigor mortis has already set in. This is why they can never resuscitate!

  18. YB,

    apologies. sidetrack a bit.

    crude oil now at 105.46 and roughly works out like this:

    105.46 X 3.4 divide by 159 = RM2.25

    today is already 3/09/08. can pressure this stupid blardy BN to lower the pump price of petrol? this is the estimate pump price of petrol taken into account the promised 30 sen subsidy. actually, delivery cost plus other consequential cost per litre works out to be somewhere 32 sen hence the subsidy contras it.

    So, bila harga minyak nak turun?

  19. sorry to sidetrack a bit too.

    on star online today:-

    SUBANG Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh is ready to respond to allegations that she had interfered with the assigning of councillors to their zones.

    The allegations, made by Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) councillor Keshminder Singh in a local Malay newspaper, suggested that Yeoh should not interfere with the running of the council.

    He made the statement when asked about his objection to Yeoh’s presence at the council’s table during the recent MPSJ full board meeting.

    What is Mr. KS scared of ? Is he trying to exert pressure of somekind to MPSJ ? Is he involved in the laptop purchases ? I really think that there is nothing wrong with Hannah there.

    ACA should step in and investigate MPSJ ASAP. Something is not right with a councillor barking at a wrong tree.

  20. Sdr. Lim is almost clairvoyant calling for the PM to renew his leadership. Yesterday, Najib announcing that UMNO will apologize for the remark of Ahmad Ismail but was not firm on whether Ahmad Ismail would be disciplined clearly shows UMNO IS IN TURMOIL!!!!

    Najib announcement is unprecedented. I can’t recall any apology by an UMNO senior leader since 1969. It was clearly meant to put out fire within BN but clearly Najib did not recognize that what his said was a major policy change within UMNO.

    This is going to only cause UMNO more turmoil. This whole issue of UMNO stand on racial matter should have been discussed, agreed upon at least by Supreme Council and then announced to the party including disciplinary rules and guidelines.

    UMNO ultras will see the current episode as a failure of Malay leadership. Najib head is on the chopping block now.. Razaleigh is going to go for another roadshow again..

  21. The important 11th challenge (not stated in your letter) is when – and if – Anwar’s garnering of more than 31 ‘kataks’ does really happen, on or soon after 16th Sept, paving the way for PR’s leader to invoke Article 43(4) of the Constitution and seek an audience with the Yang di Pertuan Agung, will the government be prepared to commit to the Rule of Law and Democracy that it would not declare a state of emergency with army control of public order as Thai Prime Minister has done in Bangkok????

    On Rule of Law, party hopping is under existing law legal following Federal Court decision in Nordin Salleh vs Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan (1992). In 1990 Kelantan enacted anti hopping laws. Some PAS assemblymen defected to BN’s side. Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan brought an action to declare crossovers illegal. Federal Court struck down the Kelantan anti hopping law instead on grounds that it was in contravention of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of association in Article 10(1)(c) of the Constitution.

    On issue of democracy, the principles of which are contravened by crossovers, the DAP is placed in an invidious position of having on record to oppose in principle party hopping – that the leader of the coalition in which DAP is part of, is hell bent on doing without compunction…..

    Here lies the rub: if one urges the government to be democratic, the one who does the urging of democratic practice should likewise practise democracy. This is where the DAP is in a quandary. It is on record for upholding the position that party hopping is undemocratic and undesirable. So how is the DAP to chastise BN for undemocratically imposing emergency rule if it were to thwart an takeover by Pakatan Rakyat’s leader assisted via undemocratic party cross-overs? :)

  22. “Actually, the solution for these is to bring back local council elections and to establish a accountable/responsible system of managing this day to day activities of running a city. To hold the city councillors responsible for maintainance of the towns they are supposed to be in charge of.” – katdog

    I think that even with elected councillors there is still the danger of them bending to certain lobbies.
    The most important thing is that they must do what is right under the law and whatever they do must also be beneficial to the majority of the people instead of vested interest groups.
    Checks and balances must prevail.

  23. YB I could not agree more with limkumput that what is most essential now in the 5 states where PKR rule they have to start improving on the things that the rayaat need most:
    1. Clean Drains so less mosquitos
    2. Grass regularly cut and roads swept and cleaned
    3. More trees planted to beautify and cool the enviro
    4. Action to be taken against double and treble parking.
    Lets start with these so that the people in the 5 states can see immediate change. After all these are basic issues that reaches out to everyone

  24. It is true that hopping from one Party to another is unethical since candidates win on a PARTY ticket and not because they are so popular that the voters go for them. How many INDIVIDUALs standingas Independents have won an election? Very rare indeed!

    But there are also two points to consider.

    One, when BERJAYA and USNO lost the State elections and PBS won, what happened? BN by devious means or otherwise enticed PBS State Assembly persons to jump ship! And BN GLEEFULLY accepted them ! Why didn’t BN REJECT them and ask them to go by the FRONT door, not back door, and go for BY-ELECTIONS? And why did BN try the ROTATION of Chief Ministers, just like the throwing of a die or rotating the roulette? Shouldn’t they say that ANI-hopping is the RULE?

    Finally, what happened? The wheel STOPPED roatating! Now UMNO is KING there ! So, all those who jumped ship were givena JOLLY good ride under the Mahathir’s forumula of ROTATION!!!

    So, let Pakatan rakyat also play the JUMPING game, ONCE! Then STOP! No more HOPPING!

    Two, when the NATION, not just Parties in BN, is in deep trouble ECONOMICALLY; and the Financial situation is getting worse by the day with BAD management, there is a COMPELLING reason that BN MPs who are UNCOMFORABLE with the BN Administration should opt for an ALTERNATIVE Government! Pakatan Rakyat leader has promsied Sabah and Sarawak that the 20-point Agreement will be adhered to when they joined Malaysia. Beisdes they will get 20% oil royalty, not a miserly 5% ! Again, they were promised that in Sarawak, a DAYAK leader should be Chief Minister; and rightly so! And in Sabah, a Kandazan should be Chief Minister, and rightly so! UMNO has grown GREEDY and wants to grab all the choice meat, leaving CRUMBS for the others. Even Malays are fed up! The so-called NEP has been misused to get sOME UMNO members RICH; what about the rest of the Malays? Their eyes are opened now. Hence the smashing victory for Anwar Ibrahim at Permatang Pauh! He will ensure that ALL Malaysians, of whatever colour or creed, will be helped, depending on NEEDS and not on the colopr of the skin.

    So, given a choice, which Party is the right one for ALL MAlaysians? Take your pick!

    S.H. Huang

  25. The End Of Times
    Let no one in any way deceive you, for {it will not come} unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

    And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work (for 51 years); only he who now restrains {will do so} until he is taken out of the way (Mahathir Mohamed). And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; {that is,} the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence (Anwar Ibrahim) so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. (MPs who don’t jump BN’s sinking Titanic)

  26. DEAR FRIENDS,

    IF YOU THINK AHMAD ISMAIL IS RACIST, PLEASE WATCH THESE VIDEOS OF ZULKIFLI NORDIN. PLEASE WATCH ALL 8 CLIPS TO UNDERSTAND THIS PERSON. I GOT THE LINK FROM PEOPLE’S PARLIAMENT. HE REALLY FRIGHTENS ME..

    Part 1 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=badZdXOt4CU
    Part 2 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99yOPMhHR8c
    Part 3 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrb6eAtcAvU
    Part 4 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04czSwCykhk
    Part 5 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjg3tXwXwVs
    Part 6 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvQOW0TSBfI

  27. “Anwar was expected to win strongly enough for the BN candidate to lose his deposit, meaning that he (Anwar) needed a majority of more than 17,000 votes, but this did not happen.” – by Badawi

  28. GODLESSNESS IN THE LAST DAYS (OF BN)

    II Timothy 3:1-5,7 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

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