Unity Government: A New Political Order

On behalf of the 2021/2024 Johor DAP State Committee, I would like to take this opportunity to thank DAP Secretary-General Sdr Anthony Loke who is here in Johor Bahru today to officiate the Johor DAP 2024 State Convention. Also my sincere thanks to all representatives from our Pakatan Harapan partners, as well as our members, delegates and observers for joining us.

When the 2021 Johor DAP State Convention was held on 2 May 2021, we were all wearing face masks and still learning to live with Covid-19. Soon after, the then Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin imposed another round of Movement Control Order (MCO). Muhyiddin who was in the final days of his premiership, was grasping for any chance of survival. Malaysia was facing a concurrent triple crises of politics, economy and pandemic, with a bleak outlook.

How things have changed since then.

Swimming against the tide

These years in between have taught us to persevere even during the most difficult times. As a significant political party in this nation, we have a role to lead. And when faced with adversity, we must lead our members, our society and our nation in seeking better solutions. I am proud to share that the current state committee has led Johor DAP through some of the following challenges:

1. Throughout the multiple MCO periods, our Unit Tindak team – comprised of many selfless members and volunteers – worked fast and hard to extend a helping hand to those in despair. Their readiness to stand up for the people embodies Johor DAP’s spirit that we can emerge stronger from a challenge and also our resilience even during the toughest times.
   
2. The 2022 Johor State Election was a tough one. We had not fully recovered from both the pandemic, and voters disillusionment after the Sheraton Move and after the poor outings during the Malacca and Sarawak state elections in 2021. Many predicted that Johor DAP could only retain 4 out of our existing 14 seats. But I knew that we were capable of more than that. I was confident that we could win at least 8 seats, but that was built on the basis that we needed to go all out. And all out we did go. Eventually, against all odds, Johor DAP won 10 seats thanks to our sheer determination to fight.
   
3. After the March 2022 Johor State Election, pessimism was still the prevailing mood. I told everyone that the worst was over and we would do much better during the general election provided we go all out to campaign and to make things happen. Pakatan Harapan eventually won 15 out of 26 parliamentary seats in Johor.

Building the nation

Since the November 2022 General Election, Malaysia is now in a much better time. There is a second economic takeoff which is now manifesting itself in the forms of huge investments from abroad and from domestic sources, an appreciating Ringgit, and a tight labour market with better pay for many Malaysians.

While the fruits of the takeoff may take time to reach everyone, there is no denial that this is now Malaysia’s best moment, at least since 2014.

Johor is the most important engine of the new wave of growth especially with multiple transport-related projects spearheaded by Sdr. Anthony Loke’s Ministry, as well as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.

To ensure that we could build on the current upward trajectory and to ensure that Malaysia would be a thriving economy and a nation that we are all proud of, we have a responsibility to ensure that the Unity Government led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will win the 16th General Election.

GE16 and the new political order

A year ago before the 6-state election, the prevailing question was whether the Unity Government would be susceptible to another Sheraton Coup. Many asked “could Anwar survive?” Now the question has shifted, it is now “can Anwar win GE16?”

The Johor State Assembly expires on 20th April 2027 and the federal Parliament on 19th December 2027. Using the rule of thumb from our past experiences with elections, we have to start formal preparation a year before the automatic dissolution date, and increase the intensity when it is half a year and then when it is within 100 days if the assembly or parliament was not yet dissolved.

In other words, Johor DAP and our allies will have to switch on the election mode from April 2026 and be all geared up by the last quarter of 2026.

The 2018 and 2022 general elections, as well as the Johor State Election, was a battle of three-cornered fights across the board. However, since the 6-state election in August 2023, it has been a one-to-one straight fight.

The Mahkota by-election has demonstrated that a one-to-one formula would benefit the Unity Government and would help create a much larger societal benefit if everyone from the investors, civil servants, and the wider public, sense that the government is here to stay not just for this term but highly possibly for the next term.

The leaders and parties of the Unity Government have been governing together for almost two years; we have also won some elections together although the real test is to win the GE16. More importantly, whether we could create a new political order and through which we have the time and mandate to build a much stronger Malaysia. We must impress upon our members and activists, and the wider audience, that we are nation builders, and we must think as such.

Thank you for your support

I would like to thank everyone here, including leaders and members, as well as our allies in Pakatan Harapan, for the support you provided me during my decade-long tenure as the chairman of Johor DAP.

As I have announced, I will still be contesting today to be one of the 15 state committee members, and if I am elected, I would nominate Sdri Teo Nie Ching to be the new Johor DAP Chair, hopefully with the support of all elected members. Unity is strength, unity is the key to victory.

I am confident that Sdri Nie Ching would lead the party to greater heights.

Speech by Liew Chin Tong, Johor DAP Chairman, at the Johor DAP 2024 State Convention in Johor Bahru