DAP veteran leader urges voters not to abandon the ‘Malaysian Dream’

DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang has penned a message of hope to voters in Melaka, stressing that reforms need one or two full parliamentary terms to be effectively executed.

Now retired from active politics, Lim, 85, has penned a new blog post called “Re-ignite the Malaysian Dream,” as a message to Melaka voters before the state election tomorrow.

Lim said Malaysians should embrace an identity that places nationality above ethnicity, where every citizen regards themselves as Malaysian first before identifying as Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban or Orang Asli.

He said such a vision would help build a nation that is democratic, prosperous, committed to the rule of law and respectful of human rights.

Lim traced the roots of the “Malaysian Dream” to before independence, citing Chinese educationist Lim Lian Geok's 1956 message to Utusan Melayu on the need to cultivate a Malaysian mindset.

Recalling his political career, Lim said he was fielded by DAP to contest the Bandar Melaka parliamentary seat in 1969, describing the election as a battle for the Malaysian Dream.

He said he had not expected the Alliance coalition, which later became Barisan Nasional, to be defeated during his lifetime, but noted that this eventually happened in 2018, although the change in government lasted only until 2020.

According to Lim, meaningful reforms require sustained political commitment over one or two full terms in office, particularly with leaders from the country's largest community taking the lead in driving change.

While acknowledging that some reforms had been implemented, he said they did not go far enough.

Lim urged Malaysians not to abandon the aspirations of the “Malaysian Dream” and to vote wisely. - November 13, 2026.