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YOURSAY | ‘Kudos to Syed Saddiq for sticking his neck out for Guan Eng’

This article is 4 years old

YOURSAY | ‘We, the younger generation of Malays, share your sentiments.’

COMMENT | The Lim Guan Eng I know

Anonymous 5237890145285379: Dear former minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, this is a good article on DAP leader Lim Guan Eng. But I think it is a wasted effort.

Just look at who is the architect behind the effort to demonise the Chinese minorities and bring down Pakatan Harapan. To me, it is none other than your mentor, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

With all the racial and religious issues raised when Harapan was in power and the frequency that Mahathir was talking to Umno and PAS, one can easily conclude that he was never focused on getting Harapan to govern the country well.

So, yes, you might say good things about Lim, and you are mostly correct, but I think it is such a waste that Harapan, under Mahathir, never really stood a chance. There was never any intention to make Harapan last.

XoXo: Syed Saddiq, I do not doubt that you have spoken from the bottom of your heart and without any hidden agenda.

The damage that was inflicted by Mahathir and his former party, Umno, on Lim and DAP is so deep that one wonders whether the racial divide running through the country will ever be healed.

A true patriot has been so badly vilified and his party so effectively become the bogeyman of the Malays, whereas the real traitor is the “true hero” that is being worshipped by the Malays.

Vent: I salute you, Syed Saddiq, for braving the rabid racist wolves baying for Lim's blood in coming out with this comment.

It certainly goes much further than anything the has-been PM (Mahathir) and the wannabe PM (Anwar Ibrahim) have managed to say to date, despite relying heavily on Lim for moral support and to manage the nation's finances.

Does this comment also mark your departure from the old man's putrid politics of race and rancour? If it does, then you are the young leader we have been waiting for.

Meanwhile, we are still waiting for that pillar of apparent integrity in Harapan - Amanah - to take a stand on Lim. Will Amanah president Mohamad Sabu rise up and be heard too? Or will he just cook up a storm in his kitchen instead and let the smoke escape?

FellowMalaysian: This seems to be an afterthought action, and if true, reflects how disingenuous Syed Saddiq is. He should explain what prompted him to, out of the blue, stick his neck out to defend Lim.

Newday: Why try to find something out of nothing? The Lim haters have come out of the woodwork over the last week, spewing their contrived vitriol.

Syed Saddiq is brave enough to admit his sins of believing the long-held lies against Lim. Disingenuous? More like kudos.

RedSwan2062: Syed Saddiq, you are entitled to your opinion and I respect what you wrote. Your sincerity comes through for me.

I believe you have seen and experienced the many shades of politics more than anyone your age in these few short years. Persevere on because many of us would like to see more young people like you to be involved in Malaysian politics to build a better Malaysia.

Ignore the critics who chose to respond ad hominem to your view as they couldn't be objective and fair-minded. Fortiter in re, suaviter in modo, Syed.

No Fear Nor Favour: Syed Saddiq, I might have misjudged you in the early stages. After two years, you have indeed emerged as sensible, rational, and is not devoid of logic and reason.

Through adversity, you have emerged to be a mature and clear-thinking politician. Choose a party that will give you a platform to find a balance with purpose and meaning. Do not squander the credibility you just acquired.

The country is in dire straits and in need of young and clear-thinking young men like you to lead Malaysia to its full potential.

The political landscape of our country is in disarray. The betrayal of duties and loyalty of the politicians to the common people, coupled with greed and deceit, is beyond us.

I sincerely wish for critics not to pour cold water over this young man for speaking out truthfully. It’s not fair to criticise for the sake of criticising.

Mafeeah: I will not comment on Lim's court case because I do not have all the facts, and the book cover does not tell the full story.

However, I will still remember that good fight he had with a long-ago case of a certain girl who was a minor. He went all out. Although there was politics involved, I am glad that he brought the story up and made Mahathir think twice.

That was one of Mahathir's follies, but it was also Lim's determination to fight what was wrong at that point. I have not seen such examples for a long time, except with some of the cases that human rights lawyer N Surendran handles.

The Wakandan: I am not surprised that this comes from Syed Saddiq. Being relatively young, he is not bound by common convention but able to get out of the box to take a more radical position.

It is always invigorating to hear young Malays speak the truth about being Malaysians and a Malaysia that transcends race and religion. If only all of us can escape the trap of racial prejudice, then all is not lost.

ZainiHussin: We, the younger generation of Malays, share your sentiments, Syed Saddiq. We are sick and tired of the constant ‘Melayu vs Bukan Melayu’ narrative.

It's getting kind of overused and sickening. But change will come when the older generation, who are hell-bent on racism, kicks the bucket.

Hopefully, Malaysia will attain true independence then. Waasalam.

Black1814: It is not easy to unlock the 'DAP bogeyman' mindset and remove it from among Malays. It will take years.

I want to suggest for Syed Saddiq to start a Malay youth party and be able to share the ideologies of DAP for a greater Malaysia.

A Malay youth movement that can call a spade a spade regardless of bangsa and agama (race and religion). Malaysia deserves better Malay leadership as the Malays are the majority in this country.

Young leaders such as Syed Saddiq, Nurul Izzah, Khairy Jamaluddin, Rafizi Ramli, and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad represent the future of Malays.


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