Joint Press Statement on 4 January 2018
We, the undersigned 17 NGOs and 107 concerned citizens, are of the view that the upcoming 14th general election (GE14), instead of serving as a catalyst for democratization, will be a ‘race to the bottom’, with severe implications for the civic activism that emerged in the wake of the 2008 political tsunami.
With this in mind, we would like to issue a joint statement on the current democratic struggle and the integrity of political leadership as follows:
The moral bankruptcy of the current government
That the current administration under Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is morally bankrupt is beyond dispute. In any democracy, a leader implicated in a colossal financial scandal such as 1 Malaysian Development Berhad (1MDB) would have stepped down or faced a vote of no confidence in parliament, but this is not the case in Malaysia. Thus, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) will enter GE14 with Najib as a liability and the incumbent is certainly not a leader to whom we can entrust the country’s future.
The lack of moral legitimacy in PH’s prime ministerial candidate
Be that as it may, Pakatan Harapan (PH), by nominating Mahathir Mohamad as interim prime minister in the event of a regime change, now risks losing its moral authority to champion universal values such as social justice, human rights and accountability.
The biggest failure of PH lies in the fact that, while pursuing relentlessly BN’s wrongdoings, it has simultaneously been turning a blind eye to the former prime minister’s appalling records on democratic values, giving the general public the impression that it has succumbed to the culture of impunity and now puts partisan interests above democratic principles and the people’s well-being. This political expediency certainly does not augur well for Malaysians yearning for change.
In our opinion, wrongdoings of national significance committed by the current or the previous administrations are equally severe, and these include 1MDB, the crackdown on the Bersih rallies, the murder of Teoh Beng Hock, Bank Negara’s forex scandal in the early 1990s, Operasi Lalang in 1987, Project IC, the sackings of the former Supreme Court judges in 1988, among many others. By absolving Mahathir of his responsibility, PH has lost the moral authority to demand for the removal and prosecution of Najib.
We call upon both BN and PH to remove Najib and Mahathir as prime ministerial candidates, as we hold them responsible for the losses of public funds, abuse of power and human rights violations during their respective administrations.
Institutional reforms, as preventive measures against abuse of power by those in authority, are crucial to getting the country back on track. It is therefore of utmost importance that people of high integrity be chosen to ensure good governance in well-functioning public institutions.
The perpetuation of intolerance and racism
In this context, we condemn the use of race as a political ploy when it comes to key leadership positions of the country. In particular, the oft-repeated claim by Umno leaders that the Malay community would be marginalized under a government dominated by the ‘Chinese’ DAP is abhorrent.
Furthermore, PAS President Hadi Awang has openly suggested that only Muslims and members of the ‘influential race’ should be allowed to assume national leadership and form a cabinet (Islam meletakkan mestilah ketua negara dan anggota kabinetnya yang beraqidah Islam daripada bangsa yang paling berpengaruh), effectively denying non-Muslims their constitutional rights in this respect.
We urge all political parties to respect every citizen’s democratic rights to run for office, including the office of prime minister and the cabinet, regardless of their gender, age and ethnic or religious background, because the suitability of public office holders should be determined by integrity and competency.
In closing, we would like to reiterate that democratic struggle must not be reduced to a competition merely between political elites for state power, since democracy can only take root with a vibrant civil society as well as with an empowered citizenry ready to stand up for its rights.
We would like to encourage Malaysians to be an active citizen by participating in community activism and social movement in daily life, and be involved in the decision-making process at the community, local and national levels.
This is because democracy is much more than just casting one’s vote at the ballot box or pinning one’s faith on individuals, as it entails one’s participation in effecting real change throughout the political process.
Most important of all, Malaysian civil society has made tremendous progress since 2008. In appealing to personality politics in a desperate attempt at regime change instead of building on past successes, there is a strong likelihood that the hitherto achievements may go down the drain.
Endorsees, Joint Statement on Malaysia Free of Corruptors and Dictators
NGO
Malaysia Free of Corruptor and Dictator
Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia
Tenaganita
North South Initiative
Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT)
Community Development Centre (CDC)
Malaysia Youth And Students Democratic Movement (DEMA) 学运
Malaysian Election Observers Network (Meonet)
Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy 赵明福民主基金会
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM)
Johor Yellow Flame (JYF) 柔南黄色行动小组
Perak Civic Forum 霹雳公民论坛
Sunflower Electoral Education (SEED) 向日葵选举教育运动
Thinking Society 思辨会社
Imagined Malaysia
Kesatuan Mahasiswa Malaysia (KESATUAN)
Mamas Bersih 净选盟母亲团
Individual Endorsement
Lim Yi Hui 林奕慧
Josh Hong 唐南发
Chan Wei See 陈慧思
Ngeow Chow Ying 饶兆颖
Show Ying Xin 苏颖欣
Ng Yap Hwa 黄业华
Chang Teck Peng 庄迪澎
Kua Kia Soong 柯嘉逊
Haris Ibrahim
Ivy Josiah
Gayathry Venkiteswaran
S.Arutchelvan
Benz Ali
Teh Hon Seng 郑云城
Ong Boon Keong 黄文强
Ngeo Boon Lin 欧阳文风
Toh Chin Hong 卓振宏
Cheng Fui Lien 曾慧玲
Chong Yee Shan 张玉珊
Chong Yee chin 张玉菁
Wong Kee Tat 黄麒达
Liew Thin Choy 廖天才
Tam Foon Meng 谭力铭
Lim Kwong Wee 林匡維
Kassim Muhamad
Zikri Rahman
Anis Syafiqah
Lim Chee Han 林志翰
Ng Boon Hui 黄文慧
Patrick Goh
Catherine Choon
Wong Tay Sy 王泰思
Fredah Ti Binti Abdullah
Farida Jivamala Ibrahim
Yasmin Masidi
Adrian Pereira
Tong Wai Yee 唐薇宜
Ng Xiang Yi 吴湘怡
Ng Lee Yen 黄丽燕
Chew Siew Fong 周小芳
Puah Sze Ning
Mah Wei Li 马薇莉
Chong Kok Bon 庄国文
Yip sau kam 叶秀晴
Tsang Zhi Hao 曾子豪
Lee Chen Kang 李成钢
Chin Siew Chien
Wong Siew Yun 黄秀云
Lee Suk Pei 李素佩
Fion Lee 李抒芬
Lainie Yeoh 杨濢靖
Chan Yit Fei 陈逸飞
Bonnie Chiew 朱珉慧
Choo Chon Kai 朱进佳
Choo Shinn Chei 朱信杰
Hue Yuet Ngan 丘月贤
Tan Choon Joo 陈俊裕
Abdul Razak Ismail
Badrul Hisham Shaharin
Edy Noor Reduan
Muhammad Shamin bin Norisham
Yap Kuan Har 叶君霞
Loke Chee Hoo 陸志豪
Lew Yung Lin 廖永霖
Pow Kiew An 包久安
Aw Swee Sian 胡瑞仙
Aw Swee Hwa 胡瑞华
Wong Han Choo 黃漢初
Hue Shieh Lee 丘雪梨
Jenifer Tiong Ming Chen 張明真
Leong May San 梁美珊
Lee Chung Lun 李忠伦
Liang Tian Shen 龙田深
Ahmad Anwar Asyraf
Saidin Muslimin Ismail
Kunasekaran Krishnan
Mohd Eussouff Mansor
Mohd Shafiq Iqram Abdullah @ Polo
Lam Kah Hon 林嘉翰
Pablo Wong Poh Keong 黃寶翔
Chang Teck Chee 庄迪智
Oung Kang Wei 黄康伟
Chong Kok Siong 莊國雄
Goh Ke JIng 吳科勁
Joshua Pang 彭健偉
Tan Ean Nee 陈彦妮
Ng Kim Fong 吴金峰
Chong Mun yee 张敏儿
Fong Chong Meng 冯忠明
Yap Onn Sang 葉安城
Lee Hui Hui 李慧慧
Christine Loi Bih Ju 黎陛珠
Lim Huey Chyi 林慧棋
Sydney Yap Xi Ni 叶诗妮
Khoo Jeun Fun 邱振蘩
Koong Hui Yein 孔慧颖
Nik Aziz Afiq
Sharan Raj
Paranjothi Joma
Vennusha Priyaa
Faisal Mustaffa
Cheng Lee Whee
Sam Lee 李惠森
Wong Jye Mei 黄洁媚
Tung Wan Qing 鄧婉晴
Chang Keng Fuh 曾庆富
Chia Wei Loon 谢伟伦
About Us
Joint statement on Malaysia free of Corruptors and Dictators is an initiative launched by a group of activists, writers and concerned citizens who support the cause of democracy and human rights in societal development and nation building. We are worried by current state of the democratic struggle and the possible return of any corrupt political leader as prime minister in the GE14. We wish to make our voice heard by both political elites and general public, to search for common grounds and to garner supports from all parties to help drive the democratisation of our country as the political events unfold.
Spokesperson : Lim Yi Hui
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