Lim Kit Siang: "I Never Expected To See A Change Of Federal Govt In My Lifetime"
"It was a dream come true not only for me but for entire generations of Malaysians."
By Sadho Ram — 10 Jun 2018, 12:36 PM
For a man who spent five decades of his life on the losing side, it's natural for him to not have any hope of ever being on the side of the winning team. But what does he has to say now that his party has achieved what no one thought was even possible to dream?
The man we are talking about is DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, the 77-year-old leader who after spending almost 50 years of his life in the opposition now finds himself being a part of the Federal Government as a result of the historic 14th general election.
Today, 10 June, marks a month since the Pakatan Harapan coalition, he and his party are part of, took over Putrajaya with a promise to rebuild Malaysia.
In an interview with The Malaysian Insight, the DAP leader, who declined to be in the Cabinet because he believes there are "enough young and idealistic talents" to serve, says he will continue to play his role to build a New Malaysia, where we treat each other as fellow-Malaysians and be "a beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world."
While speaking to The Malaysian Insight, the DAP supremo, who is fondly referred to as 'Uncle' by Malaysians, said that while there was a possibility of political change in GE14, he never really expected Pakatan Harapan to win the Federal Government
"I never expected to see a change of federal government in my lifetime," he told The Malaysian Insight, adding that "it was a dream come true not only for me but for entire generations of Malaysians – particularly those in the 60s, 70s, and above."
"It was a unique experience – the feeling of hope renewed, a Malaysia reborn, of being given a second chance to reset nation-building policies."
When asked about Dr Mahathir and Anwar, Kit Siang said that he believes that time and the circumstances of the country in the years leading up to the 14th general election have changed both the men
"I believe Mahathir of today is very different from Mahathir who was Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years from 1981- 2003. He has transformed from a hegemon to a consensus-builder," the DAP leader told The Malaysian Insight.
According to him, the country, under Tun Dr Mahathir and Pakatan Harapan coalition, is now in good hands and "Malaysians can dare to dream again – and dream big."