GEORGE TOWN: 2020 will be a ‘make or break year’ for Pakatan Harapan, says DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang (pix).
“2020 is the year to leave the negative vibes of 2019 behind - for Malaysians to believe again that we are capable of building a New Malaysia which had been the driving force in the last General Election,“ said Lim in a statement.
“This is why 2020 is a make-or-break year for the Pakatan Harapan Government to convince Malaysians that Pakatan is serious in delivering the promises; to reset nation building policies based on the Federal Constitution and Rukunegara.”
He spelt out the goals which Pakatan must seek to do this year, namely to reduce the people’s burden; effect institutional and political reforms; and spur sustainable and equitable economic growth.
Lim also touched on returning Sabah and Sarawak to the status accorded in Malaysia Agreement 1963; and to create a Malaysia that is inclusive, moderate and respected.
Lim said that last year, Malaysia was virtually drowned in negative vibes.
In the first seven months of the new government in 2018, there was nothing that the Pakatan could do wrong.
But in the past year, there was nothing that the PH could do right.
This is one reason why the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2019 Report which was released on the eve of the Chinese New Year was met with such grudging response, although it was the best TI CPI report in 25 years.
The country went up 10 places last year compared to 2018, placing 51 out of 180 countries.
Without the phenomenal improvements in both TI CPI ranking and score last year, Malaysia would not be making the crucial and critical break from a global kleptocracy, he said.
“If there had been no change of government, Malaysia will be sliding down the CPI score to the backend bracket, to find new company among the most corrupt nations of the world in the lower rankings.”
The TI CPI 2019 report does not mean that Malaysia has achieved the objective to become a world class nation among the leading 30 nations in public integrity, but it means that we are in the trajectory towards this direction if we build on the anti-corruption efforts of the past year.
The government must not be complacent, he said.
