Tommy Thomas lists 3 key points for opposition to repeat GE14 win

Tommy Thomas lists 3 key points for opposition to repeat GE14 win

Tommy Thomas said the opposition must get voters to ask themselves if a ‘Malay government’ has made the country better.


KUALA LUMPUR: Former attorney-general (AG) Tommy Thomas has suggested three “critical areas” the opposition bloc should focus on in its campaign to repeat the outcome of the 14th general election (GE14).

Firstly, Thomas said, the opposition must get voters to ask themselves whether having a “Malay government” had made the country better and more efficient.


He claimed the reason Dr Mahathir Mohamad had resigned as the seventh prime minister was because of the impression that the government was not “Malay enough”. Two and a half years later, the Cabinet was dominated by Malays and non-Malays had been sidelined, he said.

We saw all his socio-political-personal anguish and desires demonstrated in his Malay Dignity Congress, at a time when he was purportedly the PM of a multi-racial political coalition and thus, of Malaysia.

From Malaysiakini:

Dr Mahathir Mohamad's remarks on how the Malays were forced to accept orang asing (foreigners) during British rule in exchange for independence is downright insulting and unbecoming of a prime minister who represents all Malaysians, said DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh.

Ramkarpal was referring to the prime minister's speech at yesterday's Malay Dignity Congress, where Mahathir said: 

“.. Orang asing berasa selesa dengan negara kita dan mereka ingin tinggal di sini. Nak tak nak pun, kita terpaksa terima, kalau tidak kita tidak akan mencapai kemerdekaan”.

(The foreigners felt comfortable in this country and wanted to stay. Like it or not, we were forced to accept or we would not have achieved independence).

His 'orang asing' were/are of course the non Malay Malaysians, who he has never accepted as citizens of this country 

Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!

The present only toucheth thee:

But, Och! I backward cast my e'e.

On prospects drear!

An' forward, tho' I canna see,

I guess an' fear!

– Robert Burns

“The Malay electorate will say they (the Malay government) have failed, so the opposition must make that an issue,” he said during a forum titled “Dark Forces Towards GE15” in conjunction with the launch of books written by Murray Hunter and Lim Teck Ghee.

He also said the opposition must focus on corruption as a “cancer”, claiming that Pakatan Harapan had won in GE14 because voters took into account the 1MDB scandal and rampant corruption.

He said the opposition must, in its election manifesto, present voters with three to four suggestions to combat corruption.

Thirdly, Thomas said, the opposition should highlight the dire economic situation faced by the country as it was an issue that resonated with all Malaysians.

He claimed that due to mismanagement under the past two governments, Malaysia’s economy was at its worst, the nation’s debt at its highest level, and the currency at its weakest.


Lawyer-activist Ambiga Sreenevasan echoed Thomas in saying that corruption was the “biggest issue”, but also pointed out that the opposition’s chances of winning in the upcoming general election might be hampered by their disunity.

“My fear for the opposition is that not everyone is on the same page. It (winning GE15) can be done but they must all have the same plan, be on the same page,” she said.

Other panellists at the forum were human rights lawyer and activist Siti Kasim, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, Gerak Independent co-founder Tawfik Ismail, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia chairman Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj.