Happy 84th birthday, Sdr Kit

At the dinner hosted by Sdr Anthony Loke for Sdr Lim Kit Siang’s 84th birthday, the DAP Secretary-General made three very important points about our elder statesman’s unique characters: coalition builder, patriot, and idealist nation builder.

First, the coalition builder

After the dissolution of Parliament in October 2022, Penang DAP initially resolved to follow suit by dissolving the state assembly. However the national Pakatan Harapan leadership decided to defer dissolution for state assemblies of Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. After much deliberation, Sdr Anthony asked himself that question: What would Kit do? He believed Kit would have wanted to ensure Pakatan Harapan’s cohesiveness, especially in the face of a general election. Hence, he agreed with the coalition’s decision.

Kit Siang was also the person who first persuaded the DAP leadership to be part of the opposition Gagasan Rakyat in 1990, Barisan Alternatif (1999), Pakatan Rakyat (2008), and Pakatan Harapan (2015). When the situations were untenable for coalition building, he would always find ways to save the coalition.

Kit is fully aware that the DAP could never go solo in Malaysian politics. The party needs coalition partners to bring change as a team.

Second, the patriot

Sdr Kit Siang would always put the nation first, sometimes at the expense of partisan interest. In 2016-17, after the breakup of Pakatan Rakyat, no one thought it was possible for the opposition to win power. Kit realised that the only way to defeat the then powerful Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Barisan Nasional was for the then newly formed Pakatan Harapan to work with its archrival Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

National interest comes first. Kit proceeded to reach out and eventually Malaysia saw the first-ever change of government in history.

Third, the idealist nation builder

Sdr Kit first ventured into Malaysian politics in December 1965. In the last 60 years, he never held any ministerial position, not even in any official capacity. Yet he had a huge influence over the multicultural character of the nation.

Many pundits mistakenly thought that DAP’s only role is to oppose. Even some party members share such an erroneous view that the DAP stays relevant by merely opposing for the sake of opposing. I guess some of us failed to grasp the true nature of Kit Siang’s politics: he is a nation builder.

His vision for a multicultural Malaysia is simply ensuring that every Malaysian feels a sense of belonging in this country and could unleash his or her full potential to build the nation together.

It is this steadfast commitment and resolve that keep him and the DAP afloat in those long dark nights in the political wilderness.

To Sdr Anthony, his political mentor is a coalition builder, patriot and idealist nation builder. Without any doubt, I share Sdr Anthony’s view wholeheartedly.