“How will a minority government, with only 47% support of the popular electorate in the 2013 general election, have the locus standi to talk about creating a national vision for 2050 without the full participation of 53% of the national electorate, who had rejected the BN government?” he said.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has touted TN50 — Malaysia’s roadmap for the next 33 years — as a shared vision that would give Malaysians, especially the youth, an opportunity to shape the nation in the years to come.
Najib, when launching TN50 on Thursday at a town hall dialogue with 500 selected Universiti Malaya students, reportedly said the shared vision must come from the people so that there was a sense of public ownership and belonging.
Malaysia is expecting its 14th general election, which is due next year, to be called this year instead.
The opposition Pakatan Harapan, together with its latest ally Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, is aiming to take on the federal government, which is led by a much-criticised BN administration affected by scandals and issues like rising cost of living.
Lim said that when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad introduced “Vision 2020” that targeted to make Malaysia a fully developed nation by 2020 when tabling the Sixth Malaysia Plan in Parliament in 1991, he had the support of the majority of the electorate.
In the 1990 polls, Mahathir led BN to win 53.4% of the popular vote. The support for BN then went up to 65.2% in the 1995 general election under Mahathir’s leadership. Ironically, Mahathir has since revealed the secret to his electoral success to be the divided opposition in each general election.
Mahathir, who has become Najib’s biggest critic in recent years, is now leading the newly formed opposition party PPBM as chairman.
“This is very different from Najib, who secured only 47% of the popular vote but 60% of the parliamentary seats because of gerrymandering and a most undemocratic redelineation of electoral constituencies,” Lim said.
“Be that as it may, there cannot be any meaningful national dialogue about a national shared vision for the future unless there is national consensus on the fundamentals of Malaysian nation-building based on the Malaysian Constitution, the 1963 Malaysian Agreement, the Rukunegara principle and Vision 2020.
“Is TN50 a rejection or fulfilment of Vision 2020, and shouldn’t there be a national reappraisal whether Vision 2020 is a success or a failure?” he said.
Lim, who is DAP’s parliamentary opposition leader, was speaking to villagers at Kampung Permatang Tok Suboh in Bukit Mertajam during a visit today.
The Gelang Patah MP also asked if an integral part of TN50 would be to “maintain Malaysia as a global kleptocracy”.
“If not, what should Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, politics, gender or age, do to cleanse and purge Malaysia of the ignominy and infamy of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy?” he said.
Lim also questioned if TN50 would reaffirm the nation’s Rukunegara principles.
He asked if TN50 would achieve a greater unity of all her peoples and to maintain a democratic way of life.
“(Will TN50) create a just society where the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared; ensure a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions; and build a progressive society that will be oriented to modern science and technology?” he said.
Lim also quoted the inaugural address of the first Caliph Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq that touched on governance, justice, relationships between the government and the citizenry, and others.
One of the lessons from the address he cited, including “the right of citizens to scrutinise their leader and to hold him accountable”.
“Malaysia is a confluence of great religions, cultures and civilisations in the world and it will do the character of Malaysian nation-building great good if the present generation are taught their wisdoms,” he said.