COMMENT | I am 81 years old and for the first time in 53 years since the 1969 general election am not a candidate, but I am as busy or even busier than candidates,  running all over the country to urge Malaysians, whether young, middle-aged or old, to continue the fight for a better Malaysia.

I have been to Sabah, Sarawak, Penang, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Pahang, Malacca and Johor in the nine days since nomination Day on Nov 5.

We may withdraw from the frontline to the rear because of age, but we cannot give up our hope and fight for a better Malaysia.

I will devote every ounce of my energy and my life to making Malaysia return to the aspirations of the nation’s founding fathers for Malaysia to become “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

Malaysia has not lived up to expectations in the last six decades.

We have failed to be “a beacon of light” to the world, but part of the growing darkness in the world where there is injustice, oppression and corruption.

In fact, corruption has got worse today than in the first days of Malaysia.

We have fallen from a first-rate world-class great nation to become a second-rate mediocre country, and if we do not buck up and instal a good government in Putrajaya and end corruption, abuses of power and disregard for many of the injustices in Malaysia, we will become a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state in 30 or 40 years before the country celebrates its centennial.

Make Malaysia great again

Have the other three candidates to be the 10th prime minister from BN or Perikatan Nasional – Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of Umno, Muhyiddin Yassin of Bersatu or Abdul Hadi Awang of PAS – agree and admit that Malaysia has fallen from the expectations of the nation’s founders like Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak and Hussein Onn to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”?

No, the trio from BN and PN would not admit that, but if they are not prepared to admit that Malaysia has fallen from our original expectations, how are they to make Malaysia great again?

Only Pakatan Harapan’s PM candidate Anwar Ibrahim recognises that after six decades, Malaysia has fallen from our expectations and we must immediately stop the decline if we are not to end up as a failed rogue and kleptocratic state in 30 or 40 years’ time.

This is why the 15th general election to elect a good government in Putrajaya is important, as well as to elect Anwar as the 10th prime minister.

When I visited Sandakan before nomination day, I asked the people of Sabah, as well as in Malaysia, two questions: Is Malaysia saveable and is Malaysia worth saving?

I believe Malaysia is saveable and Malaysia is worth saving, but we must start our salvation effort immediately in the GE15 on Nov 19.

Let Malaysians, whether in the country or all over the world in the Malaysian diaspora,  be saviours of the country, but it must start on polling day.

LIM KIT SIANG is incumbent Iskandar Puteri MP.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.