Will the opposition play its part as an honest, loyal opposition?

MP SPEAKS | At last, an opposition leader has spoken the truth when Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan lamented about the level of politicking in the country, stressing that it is Malaysia that requires a vote of confidence.

Referring to the PAS move for a vote of confidence for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the Dewan Rakyat next month, Mohamad Hassan said: "Recently, there has been a lot of politicking in Malaysia, so much so that we forget the country is facing several critical challenges.

"Malaysia is the one that needs the confidence vote. If Malaysia fails to resolve the crisis of confidence which it is facing, Malaysia will continue to remain as a mediocre country."

It is because of such irresponsible and unhealthy level of politicking by a dishonest, destructive and disloyal opposition to the Constitution and Rukun Negara, that twenty months after the historic, peaceful and democratic change of government in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 – one of the few victories of democracy in the world in the past decade - that Malaysia has become a very polarised and divided nation where the politics of race, religion, fake news and hate speech sow and incite suspicion, doubt, distrust and hatred among the different communities, and generate the baseless fear that each community is facing an existential threat concerning its ethnicity, rights, religion and culture.

It is this irresponsible and unhealthy level of the politicking that I have been demonised as a devil, a puaka (evil spirit), even jembalang (demon) and the greatest existential threat to the rights, position and future of the Malays and Islam in Malaysia, while at the same time, of becoming a “running dog” who have sold out the rights, position and future of the Chinese and non-Malays – a clear impossibility.

Malaysia will not even be a mediocre country but will become a failed state if such reckless and irresponsible politicking is the order of the day.

What, for instance, will be the fate of Malaysia if the Constitution and the Rukun Negara are trampled upon, and the important nation-building principle that Malaysia is a plural society of diverse races, languages, religions and cultures is abandoned with the formation of a Malay government as have been advocated by the opposition?

What did Mohamad Hassan do in the past decade when he was a key Umno leader to save Malaysia from being condemned by the world as a global kleptocracy and rogue state?

Will the opposition play its role as an honest, constructive, loyal opposition to the Constitution and Rukunegara instead of trying its utmost to polarise and divide Malaysians through the politics of race, religion, fake news and hate speech?

If so, is the opposition prepared to give full-hearted support to the Pakatan Harapan government to reset nation-building policies for Malaysia to return to the founding principles of the Malaysian Constitution and Rukunegara to ensure unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity in Malaysia, where there is separation of powers, the rule of law, public integrity and respect for human rights and to fulfil the five pillar-promises of Buku Harapan towards the building of a New Malaysia:

• Reduce the people’s burden;
• Institutional and political reforms;
• Spur sustainable and equitable economic growth;
• Return Sabah and Sarawak to the status accorded in Malaysia Agreement 1963; and
• Create a Malaysia that is inclusive, moderate and respected globally.

Let Mohamad Hassan speak up.

LIM KIT SIANG is MP for Iskandar Puteri.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.