I could not believe my eyes when just before being called to the rostrum to speak, I read the online news portal The Malaysian Insider a completely unbelievable news story, entitled:”Bersih supporters nabbed for waging war against King”.
The Yang di Pertuan Agong, the Prime Minister and the government-of-the-day can count on my loyalty and patriotism and that of the DAP in any treasonous war against the King, but we will not lend ourselves to any fictitious claims to justify gross abuse of power and blatant human rights violations against patriotic Malaysians to prevent them from peaceful and democratic exercise of free speech and free assembly.
I read with consternation The Malaysian Insider report and I believe this is also the shocked outrage of Malaysians – with the question bulking large as to how the country has swiftly descended to such macabre farce.
I call on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ensure that good sense prevail in his government despite facing the mortal challenge of a peaceful Bersih 2.0 peaceful rally on July 9 calling for free, fair and clean elections – as such a proposed peaceful rally cannot under any stretch of the imagination be equated to a “war against the King”.
In fighting for his political survival, the Najib government and Ministers should not so undermine public confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity and professionalism of the key national institutions that these pillars of the national system of governance destroys all public and international confidence in them, resulting in loss of foreign investment and a precipitate economic decline.
*** Speech by Lim Kit Siang at the DAP Ubah Dialogue organised by Johore DAPSY at Hotel Li Gardens in Masai, Johore Bahru on Sunday, 26th June 2011
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