How 'grandpa' Kit Siang can further help nation-building

comments     John Chin     Published     Updated

COMMENT The grandfather of Malaysia’s Opposition politics - the honourable Lim Kit Siang - marked an auspicious occasion on his 75th birthday a couple of weekends ago.

A special gathering was held at the five-star Equatorial Hotel in Penang, where various political personalities and associates, including his DAP comrades, made their presence felt in their gowns and tuxedos.

There was no leading figure from the BN there, though unless another elderly person - Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah - can be counted as one from the ruling coalition.

One thing for certain is that Lim remains an arch nemesis to the ruling national coalition - he is literally despised by them.

If PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had come, his appearance would have caused “news” to emanate for the ages.

But realistically speaking, Hadi wouldn’t show up as ties between him and DAP have come to a strain.

It is not the first time that PAS has politically divorced DAP.

In 1995, the same thing occurred, but at that time in the alliance of 'Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah'.

PKR leaders, despite their misgivings with DAP, were there, as well as members of the civil society and journalists who have become his lifelong friends.

Kit, as his fondly called by his inner circle, marks more than 50 years of political activism.

And he, who has experienced the racial riots of 1969, will once again be slapped with the new “realities” of Malaysian politics.

Or, when Malaysians opted for a shortcut to wealth in the 1980s by choosing to ignore human rights abuses, countering injustices and racialism.

Today, Kit is staring at decadence after decades of neglect.

Essentially, our politics are now a drawn-out affair - all sides of the equation are overwhelmed with their own internal setbacks.

The art of making the impossible a possibility

And it may compel politicians to make the art of the impossible a possibility nowadays, where “enemies can become friends” and vice-versa.

Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh, who is three years older than Kit, confided that he had attended the gathering as Kit used to be an ally during the 'Semangat 46' days.

And it was Tengku Razaleigh who continued to advocate for the “impossible” - a national unity government.

It should comprise every party, including Kit’s DAP, to steer the country away from the abyss it seems to be heading towards, Tengku Razaleigh once said.

His words, first uttered eight years ago, seem to be resonating louder than ever nowadays, with reports of a movement formed to oust embattled Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Both Najib’s coalition and Kit’s opposition seemed to have reached a stalemate in politics.

This comes against the background of the current global economic uncertainty, made worse with allegations of impunity surrounding the nation.

Lim is the surviving figure from his contemporaries who have since passed on, while one is serving time at the Sungai Buloh Prison.

Last year, the iconic PAS cleric - the long-serving Kelantan menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat - passed away after a lengthy battle with old-age aliments.

Kit’s sidekick - the legendary Karpal Singh - passed away tragically in a road accident two years ago.

A well-preserved legacy

Kit does not have to say or do much nowadays, for his legacy is well preserved as a towering Malaysian.

After all, his son, Lim Guan Eng, Penang’s outspoken chief minister, is a star in his own right.

And Kit’s legacy as a DAP activist is seen in the young and talented group he has assembled since DAP last lost heavily in the 1999 election.

The likes of Tony Pua ( photo ), Liew Chin Tong, Anthony Loke and Zairil Khir Johari have made a name for themselves as politicians.

But the question at hand is whether Kit can witness the prospect of Malaysia being ruled by parties other than the BN-Umno.

It is a poser that each opposition leader will take to bed until the 14th general election is held.

Some pundits have concluded that, for now, the opposition will give the BN a “real fight” for votes, but the outcome will remain status quo.

Why? Simply because the opposition is a quarrelsome force. It cannot find a way to be united.

In Penang, Kit’s son Guan Eng is at odds with PKR. Nationally, DAP is squabbling with PAS, which has since left the opposition alliance but remains an ally of PKR in Selangor.

Can we get any more messy?

Frankly, some pundits have predicted that quarrels within the opposition will further alienate the Malays, who are the dominant voters.

The dominant ethnic group are usually people who prefer the prospects of stability over conflict.

But a status quo doesn’t cut it for former PKR parliamentarian Yusmadi Yusoff, who says that the young are increasingly disillusioned with their country of birth.

And they are blaming both the government and the opposition for the state of affairs, which has gone on for two to three generations.

Yusmadi ( photo ) acknowledges Kit as a man of legendary status, who has pushed the barrier in the country.

Kit is an epitome of what all Malaysians should be. But he must overcome the stigma that he is a polarising figure when it comes to race relations.

Yusmadi says that he respects Kit and hopes that the veteran leader can survive in this climate of new realities.

The new realities are the digital environment, a globalised economy, higher expectations, the perception game, transparency, extremism and corruption, besides religious issues.

He hopes that Kit can interact better with the young generation - the Generation Y, who are frustrated with the lack of avenues to lead a prosperous life.

The government seems to have inhibited their young.

In the end, regardless of whether Kit can witness a new government in place, his legacy is cemented.

To make it enduring, Yusmadi suggested that Kit relates his “survival” skills to the young.

And the ultimate show of leadership that Kit can do, now, is to manage DAP with a “bigger heart”.

To be benevolent in times of grave uncertainty will allow the citizenry to move forward, instead of been stuck in uncertainty, Yusmadi said.

In this context, he urged Kit to foster better collaboration with others to ensure the country can become better, regardless of who is in power.

In the end, it is not whether Kit wins, but whether Malaysia can emerge victorious from this period of uncertainty and low self-esteem.


JOHN CHIN is the pseudonym of a practising journalist.



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