Look beyond 'first 100 days' to the deeper reforms achieved, says Kit Siang

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia needs to look beyond the "first 100 days" marker and achieve four results to become a country of greater integrity, rule of law and democracy said DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang (pic).

He said while it is good to assess what had been achieved in the first 100 days of the Pakatan Harapan government as a form of "report card", he noted what was more important is whether the Malaysian "ship" had made a critical turn of direction.

This was from a failed, kleptocratic and kakistocratic state towards one of greater national unity, integrity, democracy, rule of law and excellence.

"While it is not possible to undo in 100 days all the abuses and excesses of power of over six decades of power, the country should have set a new course in nation-building in the first 100 days of the Pakatan Harapan government towards a New Malaysia," he said in a statement.

Lim pointed out four signs that Malaysia is heading towards a New Malaysia: 
- restoration of separation of powers in the Parliament.
- restoration of separation of powers in the judiciary.
- transformation of Malaysia from global kleptocracy.
- setting up the six parliamentary select committees for parliamentary reforms.

The Iskandar Puteri MP pointed out that the first sign of reform in Parliament was accomplished by Parliament Speaker Datuk Mohd Ariff Mohd Yusff.

He had allowed MPs to debate on the 1MDB scandal, allowed the Auditor-General and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to conduct detailed investigations into 1MDB, and appointed an opposition MP as the PAC chairman.

Lim said the second point was made with the appointment of the new Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum and new Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop.

The country expects a new era of judicial activism (a concept where judges interpret laws to favour greater fairness), he added.

Lim also said by allowing a thorough investigation into the 1MDB scandal and a clean-up of the governing system of the country, Malaysia is being transformed from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the world.

However, he alleged there were dangers posed by "irresponsible opportunists" in the Opposition (Umno) to engender distrust and enmity among different races and religions.

"There are danger signals - the resort to vicious and toxic politics of race, religion, hate, fear and lies by irresponsible political opportunists in the Opposition," he said, alleging that this has been seen in the recent Sungai Kandis by-election and would (probably) repeat in the current Balakong and Seri Setia by-elections.