From Lim Teck Ghee

What has enabled the DAP to survive in such a hostile political environment and growing authoritarianism during the last 40 years?

Even members of the Barisan Nasional will not disagree that the glue that has held the DAP together is Lim Kit Siang, the party’s indomitable frontline fighter – his political opponents would say street-fighter – in taking on the BN in Parliament and outside.

Without Kit Siang, known as Kit to those around him, the DAP could very well have become part of the system of consociationalism with its leaders joining the elite of the other parties in striving for the so-called “common good” which in fact is really the common good of the participating elites, as one observer has cynically pointed out.

It is telling of the respect and admiration which Kit Siang commands that no less a politician than Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, the country’s finance minister at one time and still a leading member of Umno and contender for the position of prime minister, was moved to pen this tribute to Kit Siang on the occasion of his 70th birthday in February 2011.

In his tribute, Tengku Razaleigh wrote: “You have consistently upheld and stood your ground on matters relating to the fundamental rights of all the rakyat, irrespective of race, to free and responsible speech, the rights to enjoy a just and fair distribution of the economic and social wealth of the nation, and to political, judicial and legal justice.

“You have consistently and courageously spoken up against the corruption and the various misdeeds and defaults of the government and demanded action, both in Parliament as well as outside it, despite the possible reprisals, the threats and even possible punitive actions that might be taken against you, which in fact you have suffered in the past.

“But you have not kept your silence; you continue to grow bigger and speak even louder. “

It is clear now, with the setbacks to the Pakatan Harapan and the allegations of criminal misconduct by his son Lim Guan Eng when he was the chief minister of Penang, that Kit Siang’s political marathon journey still has some way to go.

Some analysts, whilst conceding to Kit Siang’s positive contribution to the political development and advancement of the country, may argue that he and his party could have done better. By putting the party under the microscope, they may identify and magnify weaknesses or lapses in the way the party has failed, for example, to attract non-Chinese into its leadership ranks, although this attempt to make up for lost time, as seen in the parachuting of Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim into the vice-presidency of the party, turned out to be an unmitigated disaster.

There may also be plenty to write about in the microanalysis of Kit Siang’s political failings, including his alleged dictatorial ways and intolerance of rivals. But then as Kit Siang himself wrote in an early personal note made available to me by Michael Ong on June 6, 2016:

“I spoke about ‘the loneliness of the long-distance runner’, and how this is nothing compared to the ‘loneliness of the long-distance political leader’ in the Malaysian opposition.

“….We have to bear barbs, carry crosses and wear crowns of thorns in public life, apart from the multifarious pressures and persecutions which are the lot of opposition political leaders.

“In my 24 years of political struggle, I had at times sensed black despair and wondered whether I should call it quits.”

TO BE CONTINUED

Lim Teck Ghee is a public policy analyst .

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.