Opening Speech by Teresa Kok, DAP National Vice Chairperson and MP for Seputeh at DAP Melaka Ordinary Convention held in DAP Melaka People’s Hall at 10 am on Sunday, December 13, 2015
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1. 1 MDB scandal will be the number one issue in the next general election
For the last few years, DAP has been accused by UMNO/ BN social media of being anti royals, anti Malay and anti Islam. But these are all pure lies and falsehoods.
DAP has been around for the last 49 years, and our record is there for all to see. Our stands on such issues are very clear.
Yet, when Umno faces an internal crisis and becomes desperate, such lies and falsehood will even be repeated at its just concluded General Assembly.
Even the Prime Minister who had declared the 1 Malaysia concept was prepared to play the race card and make outrageous , baseless attacks against the DAP.
It only shows that not only is the Prime Minister today a desperate person, he is in fact a very desperate one.
But such attacks will not successfully divert public attention from the real and number one issue that is the concerns of Malaysians and the cause of Umno’s internal crisis. There is no way that the Prime Minister can run away from this issue—the 1 MDB issue.
The Umno Assembly delegates may say they are happy with the Prime Minister’s explanation on 1 MDB at the Assembly, but the Prime Minister till today has not been able to fully and satisfactorily answer on the RM 2.6 billion donation, including five simple questions like why the need to deposit the donation into the Prime Minister’s personal accounts, how many donors were there, how have the donation been used, how much are left and where have the rest of the balance gone to?
The two keys to a successful crisis management are honesty and transparency. There are no other effective alternatives. Unless full and satisfactory answers are given, 1 MDB scandal will continue to be the main daily conversational topic of Malaysians.
We the Pakatan Harapan will definitely make it the most important issue in the next general election and it will most likely be the issue that can cause the downfall of BN government.
And if BN federal government falls, it will be replaced by Pakatan Harapan comprised of equal partners namely PKR, Parti Amanah Negara and DAP. It is not and will never be a coalition dominated by DAP as falsely alleged by Datuk Najib.
2. History has proven that DAP is a reliable , loyal coalition partner
In order to bring about political change, DAP has always taken the necessary step to work with other parties on common agenda, without compromising our basic principles.
In 1990 and 1999, we had joined Gagasan Rakyat and Barisan Alternative respectively. and after the 2008 general election, we had also joined Pakatan Rakyat.
The Prime Minister has in his policy speech at the Umno Assembly said that of DAP has never been faithful to its partners. He said that the history and track record of DAP clearly indicated that DAP is not reliable.
I do not wish to call the Prime Minister a liar but I must state the truth. History shows that we have been a trustworthy and reliable party and opposition coalition partner. We have stuck to the common agenda and objectives that formed the basis of our cooperation. We betrayed no one and we stabbed no one in the back.
On the contrary, Umno is a party that cannot be trusted. It has long behaved as a big bully to its coalition partners.
3. The most crucial and yet dirtiest general election
At last year’s Umno General Assembly, Tan Sri Muhyiddin who was the the Deputy Umno President, had warned that if BN did not buck up , it could lose Putrajaya in the next general election with a 2 % drop in votes.
“Two percent is not much. I do not know if in the following general assemblies, I will even be able to address our president as prime minister any longer, what more myself as deputy prime minister,” Muhyiddin said in his winding-up speech at the assembly.
It is clear that Umno and BN are in worse shape than last year. Our supporters must therefore not lose heart with the 2013 general election result and must go all out again in the next general election to bring about a new Putrajaya government and create new Malaysia for all.
Given the play of race card and the utterances of lies and falsehoods against the DAP at the just concluded Umno General Assembly; we can expect the next general election to be the dirtiest in the nation’s history. Probably lots of the balance of the RM 2.6 billion 1 MDB donation will be disbursed to BN parties to fight against Pakatan Harapan!
At the 2008 and 2013 general elections, the main factor that had brought about unprecedented support for the opposition was the hope that the people saw in the opposition to bring about a new Malaysia.
Hence, from now to the next general election, DAP and Pakatan Harapan must work hard to make the coalition the beacon of hope for Malaysians who want to see a new Malaysia.
Teresa Kok
