After the forced resignation of Jacob Zuma as South Africa's president, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang wonders when Malaysia will have a new dawn to save it from the "abyss of a global kleptocracy".

Lim said this is only possible if there is a change of federal government in Putrajaya in the upcoming general election.

"(This can only happen) with Pakatan Harapan replacing the Umno/BN coalition and transforming Malaysia into a normal democracy like Western countries and Asian democracies like Japan, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, where voters can peacefully and democratically change the government through the ballot box.

"Let Malaysians join the international trend to fight corruption, uphold the rule of law and good governance," said Lim in a statement today.

Citing the recent arrests and convictions of top leaders around the world, Lim said they should be salutary lessons for political leaders in Asian countries.

"That they will have to pay dearly for 'grand corruption' during their years of power whether as president or prime minister.

"It is tragic and humiliating that Malaysia is going against this international trend against corruption, for we have acquired the infamy and ignominy of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy as a result of the international 1MDB money-laundering scandal."

Despite the 1MDB scandal having been described as the world’s “worst kleptocracy” by the United States attorney-general Jeff Sessions (photo), Lim said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has not dared to form a royal commission of inquiry into the 1MDB scandal.

"Apart from the charade of the government denial of the 1MDB scandal, the MACC has become the latest international laughing-stock of having compromised its independence and professionalism, firstly, because of the appointment of its chief commissioner.

"Secondly, for being hand-in-glove in the charade denying that there is a 1MDB scandal to give immunity and impunity to 'MO1' and 1MDB criminals and thirdly, weaponised by the Umno/BN government to defame and harass Pakatan Harapan leaders."

Meanwhile, citing the 30-month jail conviction of PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli and former Public Bank clerk Johari Mohamad, Lim said they have succeeded in bringing back to national limelight the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation "cow-and-condo scandal."

"Let anti-corruption be one of the important issues in the forthcoming 14th general election in Malaysia – whether we are to save Malaysia to reset nation-building policies and direction to achieve our Malaysian dream to be an international showcase of unity, harmony, integrity, good governance, development, progress and prosperity in a plural nation, or to be trapped in the trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state," said the Gelang Patah MP.