2. Now he wants to sue me for calling him a racist. I have been called a racist and an ultra hundreds of times. I never sued anyone. I am a politician and ours is a democratic nation. I believe in free speech. If my political opponents call me names, I can reply or I can do something to prove them wrong.

3. I was called a Malay ultra when I became the Deputy Prime Minister. Yet in the 1999 Elections the Malays did not support me. It was Chinese votes which gave me a two-thirds majority. Incidentally Kit Siang and Karpal Singh, the loudest in calling me a Malay racist, lost in that election.

5. In blog.limkitsiang.com an article by Lee Hwa Beng states “This shows MCA won mainly in mixed seats where there are fewer Chinese voters while it lost in the Chinese majority seats.

6. One can deduce therefore, that the MCA won with the support of Malay rather than Chinese votes.” It is all about race and it belies the claim that race and religion are no longer issues in Malaysian politics.

7. The conclusion of the writer is that the DAP won only where the Chinese are in the majority.

8. The MCA is not racial because it is supported by Chinese, Malays and Indians. If the DAP does not play on its Chineseness, it cannot win. That is why Kit Siang chooses Gelang Patah where 53% of the voters are Chinese. By contesting there, Ghani is going to prove that Johore Chinese care for the friendship with the Malays. This was so in the past, when the Barisan Nastional won in that constituency, when Johore scored 100% victories.

9. Kit Siang’s article claims that Gelang Patah is a microcosm of Malaysian society, because it has 53% Chinese, 33% Malay and 12% Indian. Does this really represent a microcosm of Malaysian society? Gelang Patah is in fact not even the norm in Johore, much less in Malaysia. If he had said it is a microcosm of the urban society, I would agree, certainly not the racial mix and distribution in Malaysia.

10. In another of blog.limkitsiang.com article by Sakmongkol, the heading speaks for itself.

11. It says “Lim’s return to Johore emboldens the Chinese.”

12. Again the emphasis is on race, the Chineseness of Gelang Patah which causes Kit Siang to choose Gelang Patah. The writer went on to say that “We (Kit Siang is DAP”) have a chance to wipe out the MCA (a Chinese party which believes in kongsi with other races of the Barisan Nasional). Further it averred that the DAP does so to replace the MCA as the party of choice for the Chinese. Again the emphasis is racial, on the choice of the Chinese alone and not on Malaysians. MCA is pictured as the lackey of the Malays. What is the DAP going to be in Pakatan, the kingmaker, the master. In Malaysia no one race can rule this multiracial country, by proxy or otherwise.

13. Further on it says, “Kit Siang’s return to Johore is giving meaning and purpose to the Malaysian Chinese.”

14. What about other Malaysians? Don’t they count? Aren’t they deserving of a share in the power and the wealth of this multiracial nation?

15. In everything written about Kit Siang, there will always be reference to Chinese racial issues. Malay issues such as their poverty, their need to be more involved in the economy of the country, merit no analysis and support from Kit Siang.

16. That is why I called him a racist. I will not be intimidated by his threat to sue me. I know it is cheap for him. When Anwar lost in his RM100 million suit against me, he had only to pay cost of RM70,000. Had I lost I may be bankrupted.

17. Karpal knows this very well and knows about delays in court proceedings. The prospect of silencing me must look very attractive and politically smart. But I will not be silenced. If politicians fear being painted in their true colour, then take up some less challenging jobs.

2. The only party which is nearest to being multi-racial is the National Front. Although it is a coalition of parties but it functions as a single party with every race in Malaysia represented equally in its central council irrespective of the size of the component. In addition the component parties all use the same symbol during elections.

3. Its policies are accepted by all the component parties, unlike the Pakatan where each party has its own objectives and policies. The BN has a distinct leader acknowledged by every party and the Governments it forms have Ministers and Deputy Ministers from all the component parties.

5. Although the original coalition is between race-based parties as are some who joined later, a number are non-racial constitutionally.

6. The original coalition was enlarged when parties from Sabah and Sarawak joined it upon the formation of Malaysia. It is noteworthy that the PAP of Singapore did not join the coalition.

7. After the riots of 1969 opposition parties such as Gerakan, SUPP of Sarawak, PPP of Perak and even PAS joined the coalition. PAS later left the BN. At one time the BN had 14 parties representing every race and tribe in Malaysia.

8. Obviously it was difficult to get every party to accept all the policies or objectives of the coalition all the time. PAS and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) left because of disagreement with the decisions made by the centre. Still a majority of the parties stayed with the coalition, and continued cooperating in the Governments and during elections.

9. The basis of this cooperation is the principle of sharing; of give and take and of a willingness to sacrifice and concede so as to stay together. This willingness to sacrifice and to share is what makes the BN unique.

10. In the BN no party is able to get all that it considers its entitlement. Consequently no party is absolutely happy with the BN. This is good because all have to make some sacrifice.

11. If any party in the coalition is absolutely happy then one can be sure that something is wrong, that that party has not made the required sacrifice.

12. By the same token as the parties in the coalition represent the different races or tribes, then under BN rule no race will be completely satisfied. It is here that the opposition finds a chink in the BN armour. They will point out and play up the dissatisfaction of the particular race, completely ignoring the sacrifices made by the other races.

13. The attack by the opposition parties is usually racist in character, trying to shame the component racial party for not demanding and getting everything for their race. That each race must make some sacrifice so as to keep the coalition viable is ignored.

14. They also ignore the balanced provisions in the Federal Constitution. When Malay is made the national language, the other languages can be spoken and used except in official documents. When Islam is made the State religion, the constitution provides for the other religions to be practised freely.

15. The so-called Malay privileges are balanced by privileges given to the other races to retain their cultures and languages and use their own languages as medium of instructions in state-supported schools. This has never been found in other countries, developed or developing. In all these countries only the national language is official and is the medium of instruction in schools and in universities. In fact in a neighbouring country with a largely Chinese population, Chinese language schools and universities were disallowed. So this support for non-national languages and schools constitute a privilege not accorded by any other country in the world.

16. In the affairs of the BN, the willingness to share and sacrifice has enabled it to keep the many parties representing the different races together for more than half a century. The racial riot in 1969 convinced many that the coalition would break up. Some even suggested that the Malays would seize power and install a totalitarian Government. But instead the Malays and other members of the Alliance invited all the opposition parties regardless of race or principles to join the new coalition named the Barisan Nasional or National Front. This new and bigger coalition went on to win every federal election with good majorities and was able to maintain peace and stability and develop the country beyond the dream of most Malaysians.

17. Although the BN stayed in power at the national level, it lost many Parliamentary state seats to the opposition. The 2008 Election saw five states falling into opposition hands. Had the BN cheated at elections this would not be the result. As we all know in totalitarian states, the Government party invariably won 99 per cent of the seats every time. This has never happened in Malaysian elections.

18. It is clear that in Malaysia, even though multi-racial parties cannot truly be formed, but multiracial cooperation through a coalition of race-based parties is possible, viable and sustainable. In fact the opposition finally decided to copy the BN formula. However, the cooperation among the opposition partners does not amount to a true coalition. It is only meant to avoid their parties from contesting against each other during elections. The parties retain their identities and their symbols. There is no common platform or objectives. The cooperation is friable and indeed in the present elections they are not able to avoid contesting against each other. Should the opposition Pakatan win, the Government they form would not be stable and would be incapable of deciding on the numerous unpopular policies and laws that a Government is expected to adopt or enact.

19. For as long as the different races in Malaysia insist on their identification with the different countries they came from, a non-racial party cannot be viable or accepted in Malaysia. The BN pre-election coalition model is the only sustainable model until such time when the different races identify themselves completely and exclusively with Malaysia.

20. Looking at the many countries in the world where democracy has brought only divisiveness and violence Malaysia is lucky to have found a formula for the different races to work together, to be stable and to achieve remarkable progress.

5. Johore has been an Alliance/Barisan Nasional stronghold ever since independence. The three races there have been supporting each other in elections. They do not have strong racist feelings.

6. But Kit Siang is going to bring about conflict and antagonism between the races, to wage the Chinese to dislike and hate the Malays.

7. The slogan of the DAP is Malaysian Malaysia, a slogan used by the PAP in the 1964 General Elections. The slogan implies that Malaysia did not belong to all Malaysians equally. It belongs to the Malays.

8. The PAP intended to get the Chinese not to co-operate with the Malays, to end the Sino-Malay “ kongsi” of the Tunku in the Alliance Party.

9. Kongsi means not taking all our entitlements for ourselves but sacrificing some so others may get their share.

10. The PAP rejected this “kongsi” principle demanding that everything be based on merit. When Singapore left Malaysia the DAP, the PAP Trojan horse, took up the Malaysian Malaysia slogan. The intention was to draw away Chinese support from the MCA and abandon the kongsi concept with UMNO and the Malays. The meritocracy promoted by the DAP will mean diminishing opportunities for the Malays in education and in business. This will result in the Malays becoming less and less qualified and poorer. Meritocracy is not about sharing but about the winners taking all.

11. When Kit Siang decided to contest in Chinese majority Gelang Patah it is because he wanted the Chinese there and in Johor to reject working together and sharing with the Malays.

12. An unhealthy racial confrontation would replace Sino-Malay cooperation which has made Malaysia stable and prosperous. That cooperation will end when Kit Siang wins Gelang Patah. Even if there will not be violent clashes as seen in many countries where people are divided by race or religion, but confrontation between the three major races in Malaysia will be disruptive and will not be conducive to the development of Malaysia.

13. For this reason the decision of Kit Siang to contest in Gelang Patah will be the focus of the 13th General Election in this country.

14. Will the DAP end Malay-Chinese friendship and cooperation in Johor or will “kongsi” remain the bases of race relations in Johor and in Malaysia?

5. Airod, the former Aircraft Ordinance Depot of the RMAF, now operated as a private Company, accommodates a large number of passenger jets, which are serviced there. The old MAS engineering facilities are as busy as ever. MAS still do their engineering and servicing in the huge hangars there.

6. Foreign manufacturers of helicopters such as Eurocopter as well as Cessna general aviation have servicing and engineering facilities in Subang. Asian airlines often send their passenger jets for servicing by Malaysian aerospace companies.

7. New hangars and facilities are being built, necessitating expansion into the surrounding land. “Spirit” a well-known American composite manufacturer has a huge facility which will manufacture parts for the latest Boeing passenger jets.

8. Clearly a lot of investments are going into the reactivating of Subang. It reflects the growth of the aerospace industries in Malaysia, which contributes toward Malaysia’s economic growth.

9. On the north side of the runway the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base has been joined by the newly established Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. The new service operates fixed-wing aircrafts and helicopters including two Bombardier fire-fighting amphibian aircrafts.

10. Malaysia’s economic growth is real. Only the blind and the deaf will maintain that it is not real.

5. Malaysia followed the Moro fight very closely and is well aware that guerrillas can be disruptive. It can render Malaysia less stable and secure. But the situation today is much better for Malaysia to defeat any attempt at guerrilla war by the Kiram and Suluks.

6. In the first place the people’s hearts and minds are already with the Government. True there are some, including leaders of the political opposition who are not with the Government but they are not able to influence the minds and hearts of the vast majority of the people.

7. We know about relocating people who may be terrorised into supporting the invaders and we have the money to do it.

8. And most importantly we have the forces to fight any guerrillas who may be persuaded to risk their lives for a useless adventure.

9. The soldiers and police who are currently participating in the fight against the terrorist in Lahad Datu are well-trained and well equipped. The Malaysian forces have inherited the knowledge and the skills in fighting anti-guerrilla wars. The spirits of the Malaysian security forces are very good and the attempt to frighten them by mutilating the bodies of their comrades has not worked. If at all it has made our security personnel very angry and more determine to defeat the enemy. It has become almost a personal war for them.

10. Malaysians must be thankful to our boys for their willingness to die for the country. It is not a sandiwara (stage play). It is real. The deaths and the wounding are real. If we are safe and secure, if we are stable and free from fear of guerrilla attacks it is because our soldiers and police are ready to die for us.

11. If they are not, what happens in the Philippines can happen here also. We will not be able to go about our daily lives without the certainty we take for granted that nothing will happen to us.

12. Peace and stability do not just happen. They have to be worked at. They depend on our awareness and our not taking things for granted. Look around us. Look at the Middle East or South Asia or Africa or Latin America. Look also at the economic and financial problem of America and Europe.

13. Then relook at our country. I think there is much for us to be grateful about and to say thank you to the people who secure our peace and stability.

5. Clearly the opposition parties are bent on doing away with the attempt to achieve fair economic participation between the races. Without affirmative action the disparities would increase. This will not be good for Malaysian stability or economic progress.

6. Although the Opposition also have a lot of Malays, it has been amply demonstrated that they cannot handle even the administration, much less the complex resolution of the disparities between the races.

7. Some would say that as long as Malaysians do well, it does not matter what race they belong to. Unfortunately in Malaysia we all insist on becoming identified by our race. We all want to preserve our languages, our schools, our culture and even the environment we live in. If the Malaysians who do well are of one race and the poor are of another race, the race which is less fortunate will resent the economic disparity between them. This can lead to disunity and tensions between races. It may even lead to violence.

8. As a citizen I have every right to voice my criticism or to support action by political parties. When I find that the opposition rejects the NEP, I feel a need to voice my fears for the future of this, my beloved country.

9. As much as my detractors have a right to object to my continued involvement in politics, I have a right to hold a different view.

5. Somehow I am reminded of the currency crisis experienced by Europe today. Try as they might they have not been able to recover the great financial wealth which Europe had been enjoying all these many years. Trying to put the European economy and finance back into the great thing that they were is like trying to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

6. The Europeans seem to think that they can restore their wealth to its former self by some kind of financial juggling. And because they think so, they refuse to recognise that their economy is beyond repair. They are actually in a state of denial.

7. The fact is that their economy was not sound in the first place. They believed that their wealth was real but it was not. It was really make believe wealth created by trickery. Their so-called wealth was created through tricks in valuation. Share prices for example were increased not because the businesses were making profits but because of the demand for the shares. And very often the demands were artificial, cleverly manipulated by the market players.

8. The money they use for all those wealth-creating tricks were not real either. The banks lent money which they did not have. The banks created the money out of nothing. The money lent is then regarded as the asset of the bank. The more they lent, the bigger the bank’s asset. It was alright as long as they did not abuse this money creation too much. But they became greedy and created too much. This non-existent money is then invested in the shares of companies which were incapable of producing anything substantial, too much which were not profitable. They were invested in houses which did not exist or were not even built. But on paper, in their book these non-existent things were given values.

9. The money created is also lent for the purchase of non-existent currencies which only appear in the books of the banks. When this non-existent money was bought or sold the only thing that happened was the transfer of the ownership of the figures in the banks to the new owner, the so-called buyer. Somehow the owner of this non-existent money was able to buy things with it as if the money is real. This money takes the form of cheques, credit cards and entries in bank books. The owner is seemingly rich. Hundreds of thousands of these seemingly rich people push up the per capita income and GDP of the nation. The nation is then considered to be a developed nation based on figures collected of the GDP, and the per capita.

10. And there are many other financial products which do not really exist but which can be invested in to give huge profits.

11. But then the balloons burst. The borrowers failed to make even the nominal profits and returns and could not repay the loans which had been registered in the books of the banks. For a while it was possible to hide with imaginative accounting. But the amounts became so huge, running into tens and hundreds of billions that even smart accounting could not hide the losses. The great banks failed and went bankrupt.

12. When banks go bankrupt they drag down everyone with them. The so-called financial institutions collapsed. There is a recession and the financial crisis that we are seeing today.

13. What this means is that all involved, the banks, mortgage companies, insurance companies hedge funds etc…etc… lost money, huge sums of money. Now, when one loses money one becomes poor. But the Europeans do not want to admit that they are poor, that Humpty-Dumpty had fallen off the wall. They want to believe that they are still rich, that the wealth they owned before would somehow come back. That the wealth was not real did not bother them. Somehow through some kind of magic the wealth would return. Somehow Humpty-Dumpty would become whole again, like when you reverse a movie film.

14. Some even believe that they are actually still as rich as before and can continue to live the life they were used to. They rebelled against austerity measures, they go on strike, holding demonstrations because of high cost of living and unemployment. All these only worsen their situation. They refuse to accept that their country can be bankrupt.

15. Still their Governments and their experts try to think up of ways to restore their wealth without having to work for it. They still believe they can conjure a return to prosperity without doing any real business of producing goods, of trading and of providing services.

16. If before they could enrich themselves by financial manipulations, they believe they can somehow recover through the same kind of manipulation and financial tricks.

17. But the fact is that Humpty-Dumpty just cannot be put together again. So it is with the false wealth that they had created. The wealth cannot be recreated and put together in some magical way.

18. But the wealth can really come back. It will need a lot of real work – the kind of work which originally created their wealth. Real money has to be invested to produce goods at competitive prices and to sell them in the market to make real profits. With the technological knowhow they possess it would not be difficult to return to manufacturing and providing services.

19. To be competitive they must accept lower wages and lower profit margins. They can no longer give themselves huge bonuses. They must pay taxes so their Government can provide needed infrastructure. They should forsake tax havens.

20. Lifestyle will have to be changed radically. High wages for workers together with shorter working hours as well as the lavish perks will have to be revised downwards. Workers must work hard and be productive. Increases in wages must be accompanied with higher productivity. Working hours and working days must be revised.

21. Management and executives must also expect to be paid less based on their productivity and profits. Bonuses should not be automatic. Even when deserved they should not be ridiculously high.

22. It will take time. But it would not be as long as when they built their original wealth.

23. It is galling. To go back to being poor, to have to work hard to produce real things, to learn to sell in a fiercely competitive market, it will be painful. But it will be real wealth. It will be cash in the banks and not merely numbers.

24. The banks can still create money to lend but the amounts will have to be limited and the loans prudent. Leveraging must not be excessive.

25. One thing the Europeans must learn is to give up is their belligerent ways and their huge budgets on weapons. They must give up their idea that they are responsible for spreading their philosophy and systems to every country in the world. They must not resort to war because it will bankrupt them and prevent recovery.

26. I am not extending gratuitous advice to the Europeans. I am aiming this at countries which have somehow escaped the financial tsunami. Don’t copy the Europeans. If your systems are doing well, continue with them. Europeans don’t have a monopoly of wisdom.