by Lim Kit Siang
Tun Mahathir has come to Johor to help UMNO/Barisan Nasional fight Pakatan Rakyat’s Battle of Gelang Patah, which seeks to create a political tsunami from the south spreading to the rest of Malaysia, crossing the South China Sea to Sabah and Sarawak, to effect the first peaceful and democratic transition of federal power in the nation’s 56-year history.
In his speech in Johor Baru last night, Mahathir urged Johor folk to end my political career in Gelang Patah in the 13GE, saying:
“If he wants to contest in Penang, Malacca, we can understand but want to attack Umno’s fortress in Johor is stupid, doesn’t make sense.”
He further said:
“Lim Kit Siang wants to come here (to contest). I urge the people of Johor, all communities should pool their energy to ensure that the state of Johor will be the ‘burial ground’ for Lim Kit Siang’s politics.
“We must ensure that he (Kit Siang) loses in Johor. The state of Johor will continue to become the ‘fixed deposit’ for BN (Barisan Nasional).”
Mahathir said I wanted the people to ‘Change’ and ‘Transform’ the present government led by the BN, but in actual fact, it was the “DAP veteran leader who should be changed”, saying,
“We have changed six prime ministers since independence in 1957, but he has never changed. Give his children or grandchildren a chance.”
But has Mahathir who has given himself the best description of “the devil that you know” really retired from politics?
I am sure nobody would answer “No”. In fact, he is more powerful than ever from “behind the curtains of power”, with him as busy as when he was Prime Minister for 22 years, with daily statements or speeches laying the “law” for the Umno/BN leadership.
Mahathir toppled Tun Abdullah as the Prime Minister after the 2008 general elections and has openly threatened to bring down Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the Prime Minister if the latter fails to secure a better general elections win than Abdullah in the 13GE.
It is no exaggeration to say that Mahathir is in fact the “de facto” Prime Minister, the person whom Najib fears the most as Mahathir is the man who could still decide Najib’s political fate!
With Mahathir still so active in Malaysian and in particular Umno politics, I invite him to come to Gelang Patah to contest in the parliamentary elections and let the people of Johor decide whose political life should be ended, and whether Gelang Patah should the political “kubur” for me or for him.
I am prepared to submit my political life to the people of Gelang Patah, a microcosm of the Malaysian society, comprising some 53 per cent Chinese voters, 33 per cent Malay voters and over 12 per cent Indian voters.
Is Mahathir prepared to submit his political life to the voters of Gelang Patah?
After all, Gelang Patah had always been a fortress for BN – with the BN winning with some 9,000-vote majority in the 2008 GE and a humoungous 31,66-vote majority in 2004 GE.
By leaving Ipoh Timor which I had won with a majority of over 21,000 votes in the 2008 GE to contest in Gelang Patah, I am putting my head on the chopping block.
With such a history of Gelang Patah GE results, Mahathir should be very comfortable to win with a stunning majority in Gelang Patah.
I await Mahathir in Gelang Patah.
