Calling for perseverance on the part of Malaysians who hoped to one day see the country’s democratic principles upheld, Lim listed the many ways that Malaysia has failed to protect the rights of its citizens.
He started with the freedom of economic security that a democratic country should provide, saying it must work for all 30 million Malaysians instead of only the rich and powerful.
He then stated the Four Freedoms articulated by one of United States’ former presidents, Franklin Roosevelt, which are the freedoms of speech and worship, freedom from want and the freedom from fear.
“When we assess the state of Malaysia under these four freedoms, Malaysia is clearly a failed state,” the DAP secretary-general said in a statement today.
Fear, he claimed, is used to silence and intimidate those who dare to voice out for their rights.
It is also used in the politics of race, religion and extremism, to distract attention from the economic sufferings, corruption and the rising costs of living, Lim said.
“Non-Muslims are concerned about their rights and the status of the Federal Constitution following the proposal of adopting Islamic laws that are more aligned with hudud-like laws.
“The recent passage of laws by the Perlis state government permitting unilateral conversion to Islam through the consent of only one parent, has only reinforced such concerns.”
The “hudud-like law” in question is the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, which PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang is seeking to amend.
Hadi, through his private member’s bill, has proposed to increase the shariah court’s punitive power, allowing it to impose sentences of up to 30 years jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 lashes.
Lim also pointed to the series of arrests on activists fighting for better and corrupt-free governance, and said Malaysians are now suffering from the high costs of living due to this.
“Even condemning the genocide of innocent civilians is selective and hypocritical. Both the prime minister (Najib Razak) and PAS president (Hadi) condemned the Myanmar government for their atrocities on the Muslim Rohingyas.
“But why didn’t they condemn Iran for the human tragedy unfolding in Aleppo?
“The PAS president, who is also the vice-president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), was condemned by the IUMS itself for attending an international conference in Teheran at a time when Iran is responsible for the killings in Aleppo and Syria,” he added.
Lim then called for all Malaysians to continue fighting for their freedom, as it will ensure not only a functional democracy, but also benefit them through economic prosperity and security.