Parti politik baru KITA, semakin suburlah demokrasi di negara ini

Keynote address: Memperkenalkan KITA / Introducing KITA
Jan 19, 2011
1.
Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Salam Sejahtera and a very good morning.

Dunia politik kita kalanya amat menyedihkan, sehingga untuk hadir ke majlis seperti ini pun rakyat harus bersikap berani. Justeru, saya amat menghargai kehadiran tuan-tuan dan puan-puan ke majlis ini.

Izinkan saya mulai dengan menyampaikan penghargaan atas kehadiran wakil-wakil badan politik dan NGO dan wakil-wakil Kedutaan Asing.
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Arus politik negara kita kini berada pada tahap yang kurang baik; sentiasa tegang. Namun beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini politik tanah air menyaksikan anjakan penting bukan sahaja dari segi cara kita berpolitik, bahkan juga cara kita bertindak balas atau memberikan reaksi terhadap sesuatu persoalan politik. Ini menunjukkan bahawa apabila keadaan mendesak, apabila harapan musnah, apabila marah dan kecewa, rakyat Malaysia berani bangun dan berdiri teguh.

Parti KITA adalah hasil daripada anjakan tersebut; perkiraan politik dalam demokrasi yang sedang berkembang.

Daripada pilihan raya 2008 yang membawa perubahan besar kepada landskap politik tanah air itu, kita belajar bahawa kewujudan pembangkang yang kuat saja tidak memadai. Kita perlu pembangkang yang bagus dan membina; pembangkang yang sanggup menangani isu-isu berat dan sanggup melibatkan diri dengan orang ramai, demi kelangsungan perubahan yang bermakna — perubahan yang melampaui soal untuk menang pilihan raya semata-mata.

Menjadi pembangkang bukan hanya bererti menyuarakan bangkangan. Pembangkang juga berperanan menyumbang ke arah pembentukan sebuah negara yang kita idamkan, sebuah kerajaan yang layak buat kita. Menjadi pembangkang juga bererti kita melibatkan diri dalam politik yang berteraskan dasar-dasar yang saksama dan adil, serta ideologi yang jelas — ideologi yang dapat difahami dan diterima dengan mudah oleh rakyat negara ini. Maka, persoalannya, siapa yang anda patut undi? Apakah jenis kerajaan yang anda mahu? Pembangkang yang bagaimana yang anda mahukan?

Begitupun, pilihan kita terbatas. Selalunya, kita sukar memilih antara jauhari dengan manikam. Apakah kita mahu terus berada di bawah kerajaan yang mahu “mempertahankan Putrajaya tidak kira setinggi mana kosnya,” atau tunduk di bawah pesona sebuah barisan pembangkang yang akan berjanji apa saja dan melakukan apa saja untuk memenangi pilihan raya?

Dalam tempoh yang agak singkat, kita menyaksikan kedua-dua pakatan parti politik ini sedikit demi sedikit makin goyah. Barisan, yang telah berusia, mulai goyah kerana ia tidak mampu membebaskan dirinya daripada belenggu masa lampau. Ia terlalu takut dan terlalu angkuh untuk berubah. Pakatan yang lebih muda pula, mula goyah kerana mereka tidak mempunyai resipi perubahan yang tulen. Ia terperangkap dalam reformasi ciptaan sendiri sehingga lupa maksud perubahan sebenar.

Memang benar, parti baru ini dipandang dengan rasa curiga, malah dengan cemuhan. Ada kalangan yang mempersoalkan keperluan wujudnya sebuah lagi parti politik. Mereka meluahkan rasa tidak senang, melihatnya tidak lebih sebagai pengacau dalam pilihan raya akan datang. Ia dianggap akan menjejaskan peluang pembangkang.

Mereka inilah juga yang memuji-muji nilai demokrasi tetapi pada masa yang sama tidak mempedulikan prinsip yang paling asasi: iaitu bahawa setiap suara mempunyai hak untuk diperdengarkan. Tidak kira seberapa kecil sekali pun suara itu. Suara ini mungkin akan disambut baik oleh rakyat negara ini. Hanya masa yang akan menentukan.

Mungkin saudara-saudari hadir ke majlis ini atas sebab-sebab yang berlainan. Namun, kita semua berkongsi satu perkara yang sama. Kita semua mengimpikan sebuah negara Malaysia yang lebih baik. Saya, seperti anda juga, dan seperti jutaan rakyat yang berada di luar sana, hanya mahukan sebuah negara yang lebih selamat dan sejahtera untuk anak cucu kita. Inilah satu-satunya impian yang mendorong kita.

2.

Hari ini, kita dapati bahawa rakyat dihidangkan cara berpolitik yang ganas. Yang kita dengar dan lihat hanyalah polemik, tuduh-menuduh, fitnah-memfitnah dan kecam- mengecam di kalangan ahli-ahli politik kita; di majlis-majlis umum, di perhimpunan-perhimpunan politik yang tidak kunjung henti, di parlimen, di televisyen, di ruang maya Internet. Di ruang maya ini, ahli-ahli politik dari kedua-dua pihak sanggup menggaji parasit-parasit untuk menulis blog-blog, serta mencipta laman-laman web untuk memfitnah dan mencerca kalangan yang tidak berkongsi pandangan dan tidak sehaluan dengan mereka.

Politik hari ini lebih merupakan pertempuran sengit antara parti yang memerintah dengan pembangkang; makna dan tujuan kewujudan mereka tidak lain hanya untuk berebut kuasa. Dalam proses itu, mereka lupa perkara terpenting yang mereka mula-mula ikrarkan: iaitu untuk memelihara kepentingan dan kesejahteraan rakyat jelata.

Majoriti rakyat terpaksa mengikat perut kerana gaji yang terlalu kecil, sedangkan sebahagian besar harga barangan dan perkhidmatan telah melambung di luar kemampuan kebanyakan mereka. Di jalanan, isteri dan anak-anak kita berselisih bahu dengan penyangak, penyamun, pencuri dan penganggur. Polis, yang tugas hakikinya adalah untuk melindungi kita, dilihat lebih cenderung menggunakan kekerasan walaupun kekerasan tidak diperlukan untuk menjaga kesejahteraan awam. Anak-anak tidak bersenjata dan tahanan lokap menjadi mangsa.

Mahkamah kita pula begitu cekap dalam mempercepatkan perbicaraan kes-kes kemalangan dan memenjarakan orang miskin yang mencuri di pasar raya, tetapi terus takut membuat keputusan-keputusan penting, yang sensitif dan rumit, jika ia tidak menyenangkan golongan berkuasa. Kita biasa mendengar kisah-kisah menyayat hati di mana ibu atau bapa hilang hak penjagaan ke atas anaknya kerana pasangannya telah bertukar agama dan Mahkamah Sivil pula tidak berupaya menyelesaikannya.

Si kaya bertambah kaya. Golongan bangsawan, golongan yang mempunyai “hubungan baik” dengan pihak atasan, golongan elit, terus-menerus hidup selesa. Daripada bapa kepada anak. Daripada kawan kepada kroni. Mereka tidak peduli jika tabiat rakus mereka menjejaskan golongan terpinggir dan miskin. Mereka membuat peraturan-peraturan baru dan mengetepikan prinsip-prinsip kesaksamaan dan keadilan untuk mengekalkan kuasa mereka.

Mereka mengubah bentuk dan makna prinsip-prinsip perlembagaan; mereka menulis semula buku-buku sejarah untuk mencipta sebuah dunia baru; mereka menapis buku-buku dan filem-filem untuk menafikan apa saja daya cipta yang tersisa dalam kalangan kita — semua ini bagi memastikan agar ramuan tipu-helah dan kawalan ke atas rakyat akan mengekalkan cengkaman mereka terhadap kuasa.

Hari ini, legitimasi untuk memerintah berada dalam genggaman mereka yang kuat dan dominan. Demokrasi kebebasan dan hak individu tidak dihormati lagi. Mereka malah menafikan peluang anak-anak di sekolah untuk lebih mempelajari bahasa Inggeris, bahasa pengetahuan antarabangsa, sedangkan anak-anak mereka sendiri belajar di sekolah-sekolah antarabangsa, atau ke Amerika dan ke tempat-tempat lain. Bukan ini yang kita mahukan untuk Malaysia kita.

Kita semua bimbang tentang keadaan negara kita. Hari ini kita tidak lagi bersatu seperti dulu; ekonomi kita tidak lagi mantap; anak-anak kita tidak lagi terdidik dalam pengertian sebenar dunia pendidikan. Dunia politik kita telah menjadi medan tempur yang begitu sengit sehingga akal dan hujah telah tercampak jauh ke tepi.

3.

Sebenarnya keperluan, keinginan dan harapan rakyat adalah amat sederhana. Kita hanya mahu dilayan secara saksama dan bermaruah. Kita mahu kepercayaan dan agama kita dihormati. Kita mahu hak-hak asasi dan adat-resam kita mendapat pembelaan. Kita tidak mahu merasa bahawa kita ini warga kelas kedua atau ketiga. Kita mahu merasakan berada dalam masyarakat yang anggota-anggotanya adalah setaraf; tidak jauh bezanya diantara yang kaya dan yang miskin.

Kita tidak mahu dibanjiri dengan kata-kata basi, dengan ungkapan-ungkapan dan slogan-slogan tidak bermakna. Kita tidak mahu dituduh tidak patriotik hanya kerana anak-anak kita tidak menyertai angkatan bersenjata. Kita tidak mahu meringkuk dalam keadaan miskin dan hak-hak asasi dirampas.

Kita mahu percaya bahawa jika anak kita mendapat 10A, dia ada peluang yang sama untuk mendapatkan biasiswa seperti yang lain. Kita berharap setiap anak yang memiliki ijazah berpeluang mendapat kerja, kerana jika kerajaan memberikan pinjaman untuk anak kita melanjutkan pengajian, maka mereka harus mampu mendapatkan kerja untuk membayar pinjaman tersebut. Kita mahu jika mereka mendapat gaji yang sama seperti rakan-rakan mereka, mereka juga berhak mendapat potongan 7 peratus daripada harga rumah mampu milik.

Kita mahukan perkara-perkara yang menjadi hak kita: peluang setara untuk semua, tanpa mengira kedudukan, bangsa, atau agama. Kita mahu kesetaraan dalam perkongsian dan pengagihan kekayaan negara. Kita mahukan sekolah-sekolah dan universiti-universiti yang bagus. Kita mahu sebuah kerajaan yang telus dan bertanggungjawab; sebuah pasukan polis yang cukup bilangan anggotanya, terlatih dengan baik dan mampu menjaga keselamatan dan kestabilan yang kita perlukan. Kita mahu mahkamah dan institusi-institusi awam yang lain melindungi kepentingan dan kebajikan orang ramai, bukannya menjadi khadam golongan berkuasa.

Orang ramai hanya mahu merasa diri mereka menjadi sebahagian daripada negara ini, kerana Malaysia adalah negara dan rumah mereka. Malaysia adalah tempat lahir mereka. Malaysia adalah satu-satunya negara yang mereka kenal. Mereka hanya mahu merasakan sumbangan mereka bernilai. Mereka mahu merasa memiliki tanah air ini, tidak kira sama ada moyang mereka tiba ke sini pada kurun ke-15, atau sama ada mereka datang sebagai buruh kontrak, atau sama ada mereka hanya menjadi warganegara berikutan kemerdekaan negara daripada British.

Ini semua kehendak yang sederhana. Ia bukannya berlebihan atau tidak realistik; ia kehendak yang hakiki, yang sejagat, yang menjadi harapan dan hak setiap warga di mana-mana bahagian dunia sekali pun. Kehendak ini merupakan ciri-ciri jelas dalam hubungan antara rakyat dan kerajaan di setiap negara bebas.

Kerajaan Barisan Nasional telah gagal menerapkan prinsip-prinsip pemerintahan yang asasi bagi memenuhi keperluan kita yang paling asas. Ia telah berpaling dan mengabaikan janji-janji para pengasas negara kita. Hari-hari di mana kepimpinan diasaskan pada integriti, kebertanggungjawaban, kebolehpercayaan, kebajikan, kesaksamaan dan keadilan telah lama pudar. Para pemimpin kita telah membuang nilai-nilai ini; tuan-tuan dan puan-puan mereka telah melupakan semua prinsip yang menjadi sandaran kita sebagai bangsa Malaysia untuk mengasaskan dan membangunkan negara ini.

4.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your presence here. We are gathered here this morning to celebrate a new political party, KITA. We are here to mark a new dawn in Malaysian politics. A political party that is markedly different from the BN and the Pakatan Rakyat groupings. We unashamedly declare that we are for equality for all citizens; that our democracy is grounded on the Rule of Law; that our secular Federal Constitution is and remains the Supreme Law of the land. We believe only a moderate, democratic and liberal government can bring unity and peace to the country. We believe that without genuine unity, we will not succeed.
Tunku Abdul Rahman was, is, and always shall be the greatest hero that Malaysia has. On the day we received our Independence, on that great day in our history, Tunku Abdul Rahman said:

“At this solemn moment, therefore I call upon you to dedicate yourselves to the service of the new Malaya; to work and strive with hand and brain to create a new nation, inspired by the ideals of justice and liberty - a beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world.”

Two years later he said in Penang:

“The only good thing about the people of Malaya was that they bear no ill will towards one another. Each one goes his own way without interfering with the customs or trade of the other, at the same time they join one another in most of the common activities to their own particular race or creed. Happily with this characteristic forming the background, we can easily pursue the policy that ʻin diversity, we find unityʼ and it is in this understanding that Malaya entered the threshold of independence”.

The Tunku was, above all else, a dreamer. He was an idealist. He built this country upon the wonderful notion that unity and diversity arenʼt mutually exclusive. That they can coexist.

He built this country upon utopian ideals. And though far from immaculate, there is, nonetheless, an elegance in his conception. The idea that people of different sorts could endure and care for one another for now and forever. For themselves and by themselves. That their common humanity would displace their differences. That there would be poetry in their idiosyncrasy. And that harmony would come naturally and their compassion the final arbiter of their disputes.

My friends, today, we are here to re-launch a political party we call KITA. Today, as but a minnow in the shadow of the great Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, I implore you, and I plead with you to join hands with us to bring back real unity of the people of Malaysia. Without true unity we can never prosper; if we continue to be divided as we are today, we can never be a great nation that all of us want. Let us together resurrect the spirit of Merdeka; and honour and uphold the true intent of the 1957 Federal Constitution and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement — to once again bring unity and happiness to the people of this country.

Because there needs to be a resurgence of that kind of idealism in our politics. The politics of sacrifice for the well being of all; the politics that transcend race and narrow religious consideration. The politics of not trying to kill your opponent but to bring consensus and polite engagement to the discussion table.

The hope and the promise set out by Tunku and our founding fathers: Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Tun Ismail Abdul Rahman, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Tun H S Lee, Tun V T Sambanthan, Tun Fuad Stephens, Tun Datu Mustapha Harun, Datuk Penghulu Tawie Sli, Tun Temenggong Jugah, Tan Sri Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan and other pioneering spirits must be realized. Malaysians have goodwill; they have good sense; they have a sense of community and commonality and it is this spirit, which will bring us together again, to honour and to respect one another.

The people of this country now have choices they can make. They can continue living in the world of divide and rule — that BN way where hegemony and control are necessary features. They can opt for the nice sounding reformist Government of the Opposition and hope they are what they say they are. Or the people can be with us.

History and experience have taught us some hard lessons. That BN will always be autocratic and authoritarian. They cannot change. The present Prime minister, by training, by education, by upbringing, is most suited amongst UMNO leaders to implement progressive and modern changes to the country. But even he will not get the support from the many layers of extremists within his party.

It has taught us that the opposition, with Anwar Ibrahim as its leader, will continue to play to your emotions, will continue to lead you on that bridal path, saying anything it takes in order to take over Putrajaya, in order to cast aside his own personal problems. PAS will not abandon its Islamic state agenda. And the DAP is gravely mistaken if they think they are in an alliance that will allow Malaysia to remain free, secular, and democratic.

KITA’s main thrust is to bring back unity of the people of Malaysia; to bring back the politics of goodwill and compromise that started this nation 54 years ago. We wish to lay solid foundation for the rebuilding of this young nation; so that politics and public service can be made honourable once again. KITA is not just a political party; its a movement; its an ethos to be handed down to the future generation.
5.

Saudara-saudari, kita hari ini berkumpul di sini kerana KITA percaya dengan perkara-perkara berkenaan, dengan matlamat-matlamat berkenaan, dan dengan citra-citra unggul berkenaan. Untuk tujuan-tujuan ini KITA melafazkan ikrar berikut, tanpa ragu:

Untuk mengakhiri semua bentuk diskriminasi dan menegakkan rukun Perlembagaan Persekutuan. KITA akan mempertahankan hak semua warga secara saksama. KITA mahu undang-undang diluluskan bagi menguruskan perhubungan kaum secara sihat dan mempromosi amalan-amalan non-diskriminasi dalam negara.

KITA akan berusaha tanpa lelah untuk mencapai kesatuan bangsa Malaysia dengan menolak faham ketuanan dan apa jua jenis hegemoni. Sebaliknya, KITA akan berjuang untuk membina dunia politik yang setara dan saksama untuk semua kaum; berasaskan prinsip-prinsip yang tulus, luhur, dan berdaya maju, serta idealisme baru yang bersesuaian dengan tuntutan sebuah Malaysia yang moden dan serba merangkumi.

Perlindungan yang ditawarkan menerusi Perkara 153 dalam Perlembagaan akan dipatuhi dan dilaksanakan. Langkah-langkah yang perlu untuk mencapai matlamat utama peruntukan tersebut akan dikemukakan kepada Parlimen. KITA tidak akan membenarkan peruntukan-peruntukan berkaitan keistimewaan Bumiputera disalahgunakan.

KITA juga tidak akan membenarkan peruntukan tersebut dipakai sebagai alat untuk mendiskriminasikan. Tidak ada negara di dunia moden ini mampu bertahan jika warganya dibeza-bezakan dan dikelaskan menurut cara yang sedang kita amalkan. Golongan miskin dan terbiar di mana-mana tempat sekalipun akan terus diberi penjagaan dan perhatian khas, selain keistimewaan yang perlu bagi meningkatkan taraf ekonomi mereka.

Bagi orang Melayu, kita tidak akan melalaikan anda dengan rasa selamat yang palsu, iaitu dengan cara membuatkan anda percaya bahawa anda mempunyai hak yang lebih berbanding kaum lain. Kita akan beritahu kepada anda bahawa anda telah mempunyai cukup hak dan keistimewaan untuk berjaya; yang anda perlukan ialah menambah kemahiran dan daya saing untuk menempuh abad ke-21 ini.

Kita akan menjadikan anda mampu menjaga nama baik Melayu dengan cara memastikan anda mendapat pendidikan terbaik yang mampu negara tawarkan; dilatih oleh guru-guru terbaik; diberi kemahiran ke tahap tertinggi agar anda menjadi produktif dan berdaya saing.

KITA akan bantu golongan miskin dan kurang bernasib baik untuk berjaya dalam perniagaan tanpa perlu menyewakan atau menjual nama, serta tanpa perlu menjadi anggota parti pemerintah. Menerusi etika kerja yang betul dan perubahan budaya, anda akan membaca jenis buku yang betul, anda akan bercakap dengan yakin, dan anda akan dilengkapi untuk bersaing dalam dunia yang sentiasa berubah ini.

Anda akan menjadi manusia berjaya dalam pengertian sebenar. Anda tidak akan perlu menghunus keris agar orang gerun dengan anda, atau menyebut-nyebut tentang asal-usul anda untuk tampil istimewa. Anda tidak lagi akan sekadar menjadi sebuah takrif dalam perlembagaan Persekutuan. Anda akan jadi Melayu sejati dalam masyarakat Malaysia yang lebih besar.

KITA akan memastikan orang Islam mencapai ketinggian rohani yang dijanjikan agama Islam. Tidak ada sesiapa dapat merampas Islam daripada anda. Islam mesti dipimpin dan dipupuk oleh para sarjana dan intelektual-intelektual Islam yang berhati mulia dan berbelas-ihsan, kerana Islam adalah sebuah agama pengasih sepertimana dapat kita lihat dalam tradisi-tradisi agung Islam yang silam.

Intelektual dan sarjana hanya dapat berkembang dalam suasana bebas. Para birokrat, orang-orang yang makan gaji, dan ahli-ahli politik, hanya mampu mencemarkan nama baik Islam dengan memperkenalkan aturan-aturan yang mengekang dan mengelirukan, selain aturan-aturan yang memudaratkan keharmonian dan toleransi keagamaan di negara ini. Negara ini diasaskan sebagai negara demokrasi berperlembagaan yang sekular, dengan Islam sebagai agama rasmi, maka ia harus kekal sebegitu.

Untuk mengekalkan keharmonian dan keamanan dalam sebuah negara berbilang agama, kepercayaan agama tidak boleh menentukan dasar awam melampaui nilai-nilai kemanusiaan yang diterima umum. Jika kita memilih untuk mengabaikan prinsip ini, kita yang akan musnah.

Jika kita menerima prinsip-prinsip sekular sebagai asas dasar awam, jika kita benar-benar menerima kedaulatan Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebagai prinsip pemandu kita, akan lebih mudah untuk menemukan penyelesaian bagi persoalan-persoalan yang kita hadapi. Contohnya berkaitan rumah ibadat, konflik undang-undang peribadi, konflik bidang kuasa mahkamah sivil dan Syariah, serta banyak lagi masalah lain yang kekal tidak terungkai sampai hari ini. Islam sebagai agama rasmi akan terus dihormati dan ia akan kembali suci apabila ia tidak lagi menjadi alat politik.

Kepada anak-anak muda, KITA menjanjikan anda dasar pendidikan yang terbuka, pada tahap yang bersesuaian dengan dunia baru. Jenis dasar yang menghargai daya cipta. Jenis dasar yang membangunkan minda negara maju. KITA tidak akan menjadi golongan munafik yang menghantar anak-anak mereka ke kolej-kolej di Barat tetapi membentuk kurikulum yang berbeza untuk rakyat biasa.

Sebaliknya KITA akan membenarkan dunia akademik diuruskan oleh ahli-ahli akademik, manakala ahli-ahli politik pula tidak akan dibenarkan menentukan cara universiti-universiti dan sekolah-sekolah dikendalikan. Kecemerlangan dan kesarjanaan akan menjadi pengukur kejayaan, bukannya jumlah graduan yang dihasilkan. KITA akan melindungi anda daripada ibu-bapa dan pihak berkuasa agama yang mahu mengahwinkan anda ketika anda belum pun layak memandu kereta atau menandatangani sebarang kontrak.

Dasar ekonomi KITA adalah daripada jenis yang akan menguruskan kekayaan negara dengan hemat dan cermat. Tidak ada projek raksasa, kecuali yang benar-benar akan memberi manfaat kepada rakyat. KITA mendukung usaha Perdana Menteri untuk mengeluarkan Malaysia daripada perangkap pendapatan sederhana dengan menekankan perubahan mesra pasaran; tetapi untuk melakukan hal ini beliau perlu berani meruntuhkan dasar-dasar pro-bumiputera yang mengekang perubahan sebenar.

KITA akan bekerjasama dengan kerajaan untuk menjelaskan kepada Bumiputera bahawa kemakmuran berjangka panjang—kemakmuran yang datang menerusi ekonomi berpendapatan tinggi—adalah satu-satunya jaminan kesejahteraan mereka. Kemakmuran jangka panjang ini hanya dapat dicapai jika semua rakyat Malaysia turut memberi sumbangan apabila berlakunya perubahan struktur dasar-dasar pendidikan dan ekonomi.

KITA akan mengembalikan kuasa kepada rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak. Anda akan berpeluang melantik rakyat negeri anda dalam pentadbiran negeri. Kerja merompak kekayaan negeri oleh golongan kaya dan berkuasa wajib dihentikan. KITA perlu melantik para pemimpin yang mengutamakan kepentingan rakyat, bukannya pemimpin yang kerjanya menghampar peta Borneo untuk menuding bahagian hutan mana yang mahu mereka tarah untuk diri sendiri, sanak-keluarga dan kroni-kroni.

Rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak harus membuang label fixed deposit, simpanan tetap, yang dikenakan kepada mereka lantaran tindakan mereka yang terus-menerus mengundi rejim yang menafikan hak mereka sepanjang sebahagian besar usia merdeka. Mereka tidak harus takut membuat perubahan. Dalam beberapa tahun mendatang, Sabah dan Sarawak akan menjadi penentu perubahan bagi Malaysia secara keseluruhannya.

Rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak harus mengumpul keberanian untuk menentukan masa depan mereka sendiri. Mereka perlu sedar bahawa mereka dapat menentukan bentuk negara Malaysia. Mereka mampu menentukan sama ada Malaysia akan kekal sebagai sebuah negara demokrasi yang kosmopolitan dan berbilang etnik, atau sama ada ia akan dikuasai oleh politik hegemoni.

Mereka dapat menentukan Malaysia akan kekal sebagai sebuah negara demokrasi sekular yang bebas atau ia akan ditindas oleh majoriti. Mereka boleh memutuskan untuk menjadikan Kota Kinabalu dan Kuching sebagai pusat kekuasaan, atau mereka boleh terus tunduk kepada kalangan yang berada di Putrajaya.

Untuk tujuan ini, KITA akan berbincang dengan rakyat di kedua-dua negeri untuk mencari titik temu yang akan membolehkan hasrat dan semangat Perjanjian Malaysia 1963 dicapai. Kekayaan kedua-dua negeri ini yang telah menjadikannya antara negeri paling makmur pada tahun 1970-an perlu dipulangkan. Rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak berhak mengubah nasib. KITA akan sama- sama berjuang untuk mereka.

Kita mengiktiraf sumbangan masyarakat Cina terhadap pembangunan negara. Walaupun Yap ah Loy hanya tercatat satu baris sahaja dalam buku sejarah di sekolah, sumbangannya agak besar. Cuma saya mengharapkan anda membuka perniagaan anda dan rangkaian pembekalan kepada golongan-golongan lain.

Kita kenal semangat keusahawanan anda dan mengharap anda akan menyokong dan bekerjasama dengan warga-warga Malaysia lain yang kurang berbakat. Masa depan negara ini amat berkait dengan kejayaan dan sumbangan anda. KITA tidak akan menjatuhkan anda untuk membolehkan golongan lain naik. Anda akan menjadi rakan kongsi dalam pembinaan negara ini.

Kepada masyarakat India, khususnya yang miskin dan tercicir di kalangan anda, sama ada di kota atau di ladang-ladang, KITA akan berikan anda tanah untuk anda bangunkan, sepertimana rakan-rakan Melayu anda yang mempunyai FELDA dan FELCRA yang membantu mereka. Para nenek moyang anda telah membina landasan kereta api dan jalan-jalan negara Malaya. Nenek moyang anda juga berjasa atas kejayaan industri getah berpuluh tahun sebelum merdeka.

Usaha dan jerih-perih mereka tidak akan dilupakan. Tidak seperti MIC, KITA tidak berjanji untuk menjadikan anda jutawan; KITA juga tidak seperti Kerajaan Pakatan yang memberi bantuan tunai bersifat sementara kepada anda. KITA akan memberi sokongan yang sebenar dan bermakna.

KITA akan membasmi korupsi, tidak kira dari mana datangnya. Barisan pegawai tinggi pasukan polis dan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah akan kembali dipenuhi oleh pegawai/kakitangan berintegriti dan bermaruah. Untuk melengkapi hal ini, kami akan memastikan pejabat Peguam Negara bertanggungjawab atas tindakan-tindakannya. Tidak lagi memadai untuk Peguam Negara mengatakan sesuatu kes itu ditutup tanpa dia perlu memberi penjelasan di Parlimen.

Undang-undang akan dibentuk untuk mengatur pendanaan politik, memandangkan inilah sumber utama korupsi. Perkhidmatan Awam akan diterajui oleh mereka yang bersedia untuk bersikap profesional dalam menjalankan tugasan dan mereka yang memahami peranan mereka sebagai pelindung kepentingan awam serta benci menjadi juak ahli-ahli politik.
6.

Inilah kembara yang sedang kita mulai. Inilah perubahan sebenar yang KITA ingin laksanakan. Tidak syak lagi anda tertanya-tanya, bagaimanakah KITA akan lakukan semua ini? Bolehkah KITA menunaikan ikrarnya? Apa beza KITA dengan semua parti politik lain serta janji-janji mereka?

Apa yang memisahkan KITA dari mereka? KITA berterus-terang, tulus dan tidak gentar. Ideal politik KITA jelas dan konsisten. KITA tidak perlu berselindung. KITA tidak menyebut satu perkara di London tetapi kemudian menafikannya di Kuala Lumpur. KITA tidak sebut suatu perkara di depan Melayu dan sebut yang lain pula di depan bangsa lain.

Tiga perkataan membezakan Parti KITA dengan parti-parti lain: Moderat, Demokratik, Liberal. Parti ini parti yang berideologi — berakar pada falsafah yang liberal, berpandukan prinsip yang demokratik, dan dipacu berteraskan sifat-sifat kesederhanaan. Parti KITA tidak lahir untuk memonopoli atau mengawal mana-mana kelompok. Jauh sekali untuk mengubah catatan sejarah yang tidak kita sukai.

Parti KITA lahir bagi membolehkan rakyat Malaysia hidup bersama dan dapat saling menerima. Parti KITA tidak percaya dengan pendirian-pendirian yang ekstrem; tidak menentang semata-mata kerana hendak membangkang, atau kerana ia kerja politik yang mudah atau kerana hendak mendapatkan “mileage” politik.

Parti KITA percaya masih ada ruang untuk politik yang berteraskan idealisme yang tulen di Malaysia ini. Yang turut membezakan kita daripada yang lain ialah Parti KITA siap untuk berjuang dalam jangka panjang. Tujuan Parti KITA bukan untuk mendapatkan sebanyak mungkin bilangan kerusi dalam pilihan raya akan datang. Perjuangan Parti KITA bukan hendak mengambil alih Putrajaya. Kita berjuang untuk membawa perubahan sebenar dalam cara berpolitik dan nilai politik.

Parti KITA sedar bahawa anjakan yang kita inginkan ini akan mengambil masa untuk membuahkan hasil. Tsunami politik tidak akan berpanjangan. Sifatnya adalah sementara. Ia berlaku secara mendadak dan mengejutkan. Tetapi ujian sebenar tiba sebaik saja air telah surut. Perubahan sebenar tidak terhasil melalui sikap gopoh dan tindakan spontan. Perubahan sebenar dan berpanjangan lahir melalui evolusi, bukan revolusi.

Justeru, majlis pada hari ini adalah untuk meletakkan batu asas sebuah harapan baru buat generasi masa depan Malaysia. Untuk memberi harapan kepada generasi muda bahawa politik dan khidmat awam boleh dipulihkan maruahnya. Inilah Parti KITA.

Saya bukan orang muda. Perjalanan ini bakal memakan masa yang panjang dan mungkin akan melepasi tempoh hayat saya. Usaha ini bukan untuk saya tetapi ia untuk anda, anak anda, cucu-cicit anda. Justeru, Parti KITA bukan sebuah parti politik semata-mata, ia sebuah gerakan, sebuah etos yang perlu diwarisi; sebuah permulaan.

Saya harap anda akan menyertai Parti KITA. Anda semua, muda-mudi berjiwa bebas- merdeka, anda pemelihara masa depan Malaysia. Saya harap anda akan bersama-sama untuk mencapai impian ini, untuk menghidupkan citra unggul ini, untuk memikul wawasan gemilang bernama MALAYSIA.

Terima Kasih.

Zaid Ibrahim
19 Januari 2011, Kuala Lumpur
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1.

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Salam Sejahtera and a very good morning.

We, KITA, truly appreciate your presence. For it is a sad indictment of our politics when our citizens have to summon up all of their courage, just to attend an event such as this.

I wish to begin by mentioning my outmost appreciation for the presence of representatives of political parties, NGO’s and foreign embassies.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The last several years, however, has seen a marked shift, not just in the way we conduct our politics but in the way we react to it. It has shown that when pushed against the wall, when devoid of hope, when angry and frustrated, Malaysians have stood up and stood tall.

KITA is a product of that shift. Of our constantly evolving body politic in an expanding and developing democracy.

Because if we’ve learned anything in these years following 2008’s watershed general election, it is that having just a strong opposition is insufficient. We require a good and constructive opposition; an Opposition that tackles the hard issues and engages the public so that meaningful reforms can take place. One that goes beyond just winning elections.

Because to be in opposition is about more than just opposing. It is about providing the kind of government we need, the kind of government we deserve. It is about a politics that is grounded on fair and just policies and clear ideology, both easily understood and acceptable to the people of this country. So who do you vote for? What kind of government do you want? What kind of opposition do you want?

Alas, our choices are limited. We are torn between the devil we know and the deep blue sea. Do you stay with a government that just wants to “defend Putrajaya at all costs.” Or do you succumb to the charms of an opposition that says and does whatever it takes for the sake of winning elections.

In a relatively short period of time, we have witnessed both coalitions slowly come apart. Barisan, for being unable to shed the shackles of their past. For being too afraid and too arrogant for change. Pakatan, for being too much of a marriage of convenience and not enough of a genuine movement. For being so caught up with reformasi that they’ve forgotten all about reform.

It is true that KITA has been treated with some suspicion. Even contempt. There are those who question the need for another political party. They express dismay at the notion of it serving as nothing more than a spoiler in the next general election, that it would ruin the chances of the opposition.

These very same people that espouse the virtues of democracy now disregard its very fundamental tenet. That every voice has a right to be heard. No matter how small. And this voice may well be accepted by the people of this country. Only time will tell.

Maybe you have different reasons for being here, but there is one thing that we share in common. Our dream for a better Malaysia. Because I, like all of you, like the millions of our countrymen outside this hall, just want a safer and happier country. For our children. And for our children’s children. It is the only thing that drives us.

2.

Today, we find ourselves in a political wild west. Because all we ever hear and see are the polemics, the rhetorical and verbal crossfire between our politicians; at public functions, at the unending political rallies, in parliament, on television, in cyberspace. Where politicians from both sides of the spectrum hire parasites to write blogs and create websites to defame, slander, and abuse those who are not in tandem with their thoughts.

Today’s politics are all about the ruling party and the opposition in active combat; the fight for power the be all and end all of their existence. In the process, they have forgotten the most important thing that they were sworn to do — to look out for the interests of the people.

Ordinary people have to toil with wages that are too little to live with. Prices of most goods and services are beyond the reach of many. Our wives and children and parents, are accosted in the streets, in broad daylight by the disenfranchised and the unemployed. Our police, who are meant to protect us, instead shoot unarmed kids and beat up ordinary citizens. Our courts, expedite accident cases and jail the poor for stealing from supermarkets but remain fearful of making tough decisions where they might cause displeasure to the powerful. We hear of heart wrenching stories where one parent loses his or her rights to custody because the other spouse has converted.

The rich get richer. The aristocrats, the well connected, the elite, continue to rule. From father to son. From father to daughter. From friend to crony. They have little or no regard for the rights of the poor, the marginalized, and the less fortunate who remain on the far fringes of development. They make new rules and discard established principles of fairness and justice to enrich themselves.

They reconstruct and redefine constitutional principles; they rewrite the history books to create a new world; they censure books and films to deny whatever creativity that’s left among us; all these to ensure this crude mixture of lies spin and control will keep their stranglehold on power.

In their Malaysia, legitimacy to rule accrues to the strong and the dominant. And they even deny our children in schools the chance to learn more English, the international language of knowledge; although their children go to international schools, or to America and elsewhere. It is not what we want for our Malaysia.

We are all concerned about the state of our country. We are today no longer as united as we were before; our economy is no longer as strong; our children are no longer educated in the true sense of the word. Our politics has become combative to the point where reason and measured arguments have been left on the wayside.

3.

The truth of the matter is that our needs, our wants, our desires and expectations are incredibly modest. We want to be treated fairly and with dignity. We want our beliefs and religious faith to be respected. We want just a little respect for our basic rights and for our customs. We don't want to feel they were second or third class, but among a class of equals.

We don’t want to be inundated by platitudes, by meaningless phrases and slogans. We don’t want to be accused of being unpatriotic because our children do not join the armed services. We do not want to languish in poverty and deprivation.

We want to believe that if our child gets 10A’s, he or she will have the same opportunity to get a scholarship as the next child. We expect that every child with a degree should be employable. Because if the government grant our children loans to further their studies, they should be able to get jobs to repay the loans. We expect that if they earn the same as our colleagues, that we too can get a 7 per cent discount on an affordable house.

We want what we are entitled to: equal opportunities for all, regardless of caste, colour, or creed. We want equitability in the sharing and distribution of the nation’s wealth. We want good schools and good universities. We want a government that is transparent and accountable; a Police force that is adequate in numbers, well trained and which can provide the security and stability we require. We want the courts and the other public institutions to protect the interests and welfare of the public and not serve those in power.


People want to feel they belong because Malaysia is their country and their home. Malaysia is where they were born. Malaysia is the only country they know. They want to feel that their contribution matters. They want to feel a sense of ownership over this land, regardless of whether their forefathers landed on these shores in the 15th century, or whether they came in as indentured labourers, or whether they just became citizens following our independence from the British.

These are modest hopes. They are neither lofty nor unrealistic; they are real, they are universal, they are what every citizen in any part of the world expects and is entitled to. These hopes characterize the relationship between those governed and the government of every free country.

The Barisan Nasional Government has failed to implement the basic tenets of governance to realize our basic hopes. They have reneged and discarded the promises of our founding fathers. Long gone are the days of leadership based on integrity, accountability, trustworthiness, goodwill, fairness and impartiality. Our leaders have discarded these values; they have forgotten, ladies and gentlemen, all of those principles that we Malaysians, founded and built this nation upon.

4.

Tunku Abdul Rahman was, is, and always shall be the greatest hero that Malaysia has. On the day we received our Independence, on that great day in our history, Tunku Abdul Rahman said:

“At this solemn moment therefore I call upon you to dedicate yourselves to the service of the new Malaya; to work and strive with hand and brain to create a new nation, inspired by the ideals of justice and liberty — a beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world.”

Two years later he said in Penang:

“The only good thing about the people of Malaya was that they bear no ill will towards one another. Each one goes his own way without interfering with the customs or trade of the other, at the same time they join one another in most of the common activities to their own particular race or creed. Happily with this characteristic forming the background, we can easily pursue the policy that ʻin diversity we find unityʼ and it is in this understanding that Malaya entered the threshold of independence”.

The Tunku was, above all else, a dreamer. He was an idealist. He built this country upon the wonderful notion that unity and diversity aren’t mutually exclusive. That they can coexist.

He built this country upon utopian ideals. And though far from immaculate, there is, nonetheless, an elegance in his conception. The idea that people of different sorts could endure and care for one another for now and forever. For themselves and by themselves. That their common humanity would displace their differences. That there would be poetry in their idiosyncrasy. And that harmony would come naturally and their compassion the final arbiter of their disputes.

My friends, today, we are here to re-launch a political party we call KITA. Today, as but a minnow in the shadow of the great Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, I implore you, and I plead with you to join hands with us to bring back real unity of the people of Malaysia. Without true unity we can never prosper; if we continue to be divided as we are today; we can never be a great nation that all of us want. Let us together resurrect the spirit of Merdeka; and honour and uphold the true intent of the 1957 Federal Constitution and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement — to once again bring unity and happiness to the people of this country.

Because there needs to be a resurgence of that kind of idealism in our politics. The politics of sacrifice for the well being of all; the politics that transcend race and narrow religious consideration. The politics of not trying to kill your opponent but to bring consensus and polite engagement to the discussion table.

The hope and the promise set out by Tunku and our founding fathers: Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Tun Ismail Abdul Rahman, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Tun H S Lee, Tun V T Sambanthan, Tun Fuad Stephens, Tun Datu Mustapha Harun, Datuk Penghulu Tawie Sli, Tun Temenggong Jugah, Tan Sri Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan and other pioneering spirits must be realized. Malaysians have goodwill; they have good sense; they have a sense of community and commonality and it is this spirit, which will bring us together again, to honour and to respect one another.

The people of this country now have choices they can make. They can continue living in the world of divide and rule — that BN way where hegemony and control are necessary features. They can opt for the nice sounding reformist Government of the Opposition and hope they are what they say they are. Or the people can be with us.

History and experience have taught us some hard lessons. That BN will always be autocratic and authoritarian. They cannot change. The present Prime minister, by training, by education, by upbringing, is most suited amongst UMNO leaders to implement progressive and modern changes to the country. But even he will not get the support from the many layers of extremists within his party.

It has taught us that the opposition, with Anwar Ibrahim as its leader, will continue to play to your emotions, will continue to lead you on that bridal path, saying anything it takes in order to take over Putrajaya, in order to cast aside his own personal problems. PAS will not abandon its Islamic state agenda. And the DAP is gravely mistaken if they think they are in an alliance that will allow Malaysia to remain free, secular, and democratic.

KITA’s main thrust is to bring back unity of the people of Malaysia; to bring back the politics of goodwill and compromise that started this nation 54 years ago. We wish to lay solid foundation for the rebuilding of this young nation; so that politics and public service can be made honourable once again. KITA is not just a political party; its a movement; its an ethos to be handed down to the future generation.


5.

My friends we are gathered here today because we believe in these things. In these honourable goals. In these lofty ideals. And it is towards these ends that we pledge the following. And without reservation:

To end discrimination in every form, faithfully upholding the tenets of our Federal Constitution. We will defend the rights of all citizens as equals. We want legislation to be passed to manage healthy race relations and promote non- discriminatory practices in the country.

KITA will work tirelessly towards the unity of the Malaysian people by rejecting notions of superiority and hegemony of any kind. Instead, we will strive to build a new political engagement as equals; based on honest, sincere, healthy and progressive principles and a new idealism that suit the demand of a modern and all inclusive Malaysia,

The protection of Article 153 of the Constitution will be honoured and implemented. Parliament will be presented with the measures undertaken to ensure the ultimate objectives are achieved. That being said, we will not allow the provisions pertaining to special privileges for the Bumiputeras to be abused.

Nor will the special privileges to be an instrument for discrimination. No country in the modern world can survive where its citizens are differentiated and classified in the way we are doing. The poor and the neglected wherever they are will continue to be given special care and attention as well as the necessary privileges to uplift their economic positions.

To the Malays; we will not lull you into a false sense of security by leading you to believe that you have more rights than others; We will tell you that you have enough rights and privileges to succeed; only that you need to be skilled and competitive for this 21st century.

We will make you worthy of the proud race you belong to; ensuring that get the best education the country can offer, that you be trained and retrained by the best teachers. That you are skilled to the highest level so you can be productive and competitive.

We will assist the poor and less fortunate among you to succeed in business without having to rent or sell your name; or be a member of the ruling party. With the right work ethic and cultural transformation, you will read the right kind of books, you will speak with confidence, and you will be equipped to compete in this changing world.

You will be achievers in the real sense. You will not have to unleash the keris to be feared, or assert your origins to be special. You will not just be a definition in the Federal constitution. You will be truly Malay in the larger Malaysian community.

We will ensure that the Muslims achieve the spiritual heights that Islam promises. No one can take Islam away from you. Islam must be led and nurtured by scholars and intellectuals with the heart; with Compassion as Islam is a Compassionate religion; as we have seen in the great Islamic traditions of the past.

But intellectuals and scholars can only flourish in a free environment. Bureaucrats, wage earners, and politicians can soil the good name of Islam by introducing restrictive and confusing rules and regulations that are inimical to harmony and religious tolerance in the country. We were founded as a secular Constitutional democracy where Islam is the official religion and we must remain so.

To maintain religious harmony and peace in a multi-religious country, religious beliefs must not and cannot dictate public policy beyond accepted common values of humanity. If we chose to ignore this, it will be at our peril.

If we accept secular principles as the basis of public policy, if we truly accept the supremacy of the Federal Constitution as our guiding principle, it will be a lot easier to find solutions to our issues; like those pertaining to places of worship, conflicts of personal laws; conflicts of jurisdictions between civil and Syariah courts and a myriad of other problems that have remain unresolved to this day. Islam the official religion will continue to be respected and its purity and sanctity restored when it no longer becomes the instrument of control and the object of political posturing.

For the young we promise you a liberal education policy of a standard befitting the new world. The kind that rewards creativity. The kind that develops first world minds. We will not be hypocrites who send their children to the colleges in the West but devise a different curriculum for the ordinary rakyat.

Instead we will allow the world of academia to be managed by academics; and politicians will not be allowed to dictate how universities and schools should be run. Excellence and scholarship will be the barometer of success; not the number of graduates we churn out. We will protect you from your parents and the religious authorities who will marry you when you are still unable to drive a car or sign a contract.

Our economic policy will be one that that will manage the wealth of the country with prudence and care. No projects of grandeur, but those that truly benefit the people. We support the effort of the Prime Minister to take Malaysia out of the middle income malaise by emphasizing market friendly reforms; but to do this he must have the courage to dismantle the so called pro-Bumiputera policies that inhibit true reforms.

We will work with the Government to explain to the Bumiputeras that long term prosperity — the kind that comes through a high income economy — is the only guarantee for their own well being. And this long term prosperity can only happen with the contribution of all Malaysians; who will do so when there are major structural and policy reforms in education and economic policies.

We will let the people of Sabah and Sarawak be in charge once again. You will have a chance to fill up the administration of the State with your people. The plunder by the rich and powerful must stop. We must have leaders who will prioritise the interest of the people rather than spreading out a map of Borneo and pin-point the forest reserve they want to carve out for themselves, for their families, and for their cronies.

The people in both Sabah and Sarawak should throw away the insulting notion that they are a fixed deposit, which essentially is means that no matter what, they will unthinkingly vote in a regime that has denied them for the best part of our independent years. They must not be afraid to make changes. In the coming years, Sabah and Sarawak will be the lynchpin of change for the larger Malaysia.

Sabahans and Sarawakians must have the courage to determine their own future. They must realise that they can determine the kind of country Malaysia will become. They can determine if Malaysia is to remain a cosmopolitan multi-ethnic democracy or being ruled by the politics of hegemony.

They can determine if Malaysia is to remain a free secular democracy or a tyranny of the majority. They can decide if Kota Kinabalu and Kuching are to be the centre of power or they can continue to be subservient to those in Putrajaya.

To this end KITA will engage with the people of both states to find common ground so that the intent and spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 will be achieved. The wealth of the two states which in the 1970's made them amongst the most prosperous must be given back to them. The people of Sabah and Sarawak deserved their change of fortune. KITA will fight for them.

We recognize the contributions of the Chinese community to the development of this country. Although Yap Ah Loy is only a one-liner in our history books, the contributions are significant. However we expect you to open up your businesses and your supply chain to others.

We know of your entrepreneurial spirit but expect you to support and collaborate with other Malaysians who are less gifted. The future of this country is inextricably linked to your success and your contributions. We will not bring you down so others can move up. You will be partners in the rebuilding of this country.

As for the Indian community, to the poor and the displaced among you, whether in the cities or from the estates, we will give lands for you to develop, like your Malay counterparts who got FELDA to take care of them. Your descendants built the railways and the roads in our old Malaya. Your descendants were responsible for the successes of the rubber industry well before Independence.

Their efforts and their toils will not be forgotten. Unlike the MIC, we do not promise to make you millionaires; nor are we like the Pakatan Government that give handouts in competition with BN. Instead, we will provide real and meaningful support.

KITA will alleviate corruption, regardless of where it emanates. The top brass of the police force and the Anti Corruption Commission will once again be filled by men of integrity and honour. To complement this we will make sure the Attorney General office will be accountable for their actions. It will no longer suffice for the Attorney General to say the case is closed without him explaining in Parliament why this is so.

Laws will be instituted to regulate political funding as this is the primary source of corruption. The Civil Service will be helmed by men and women who are prepared to be professionals in the exercise of their duties; those who understand their role as protector of public interest and who abhor playing surrogates to the politicians.

6.

This is the journey that we are embarking upon. This is the real change what we, that KITA, want to effect. And there are no doubt pressing questions on your mind. How will we do this? Can KITA deliver? What makes us any different from all those other political parties and their promises?

What separates us from the rest? We are straightforward, sincere and we are not afraid. We are certain and consistent in our political ideals and do not need to fudge. We do not say one thing in London but disclaim it later in Kuala Lumpur. We do not tell the Malays one thing and the other ethnic groups something else.

What makes us different are the three words: Moderate. Democratic. Liberal. Because we are a party of ideology. Rooted in a liberal philosophy, guided by democratic principles, and governed by moderation. We are not here to monopolize or control any group; we are here not to change the course of history that we dot approve of.

We are here to make Malaysians live together and be at peace with one another. We do not believe in extreme positions. We reject the notion of opposing something for the sake of it, for the sake of political convenience, or even expedience.

We believe that there is room in Malaysia for the politics of idealism. What separates us from the rest is that we are in this for a long haul. Because this isn’t about garnering the most number of seats in the next election. Because this isn’t about trying to take over Putrajaya. This is about real change in the way we do business. Because what we have now is broken. Because what we have now just isn’t working.

And we realize that such a shift will take time. Political tsunamis do no last. They are a flash. They are a sudden and overwhelming convulsion. But the real test is what happens once the water has receded. Because real change does not come from a rash and reckless knee-jerk. Real change, lasting change, is evolutionary not revolutionary.

And that is why we are here today. To lay the foundation for a new hope for the future generation of Malaysians. politics. To lay the foundation for the young that politics and public service can be made honourable once again. This is what KITA is.

I am certainly not a young man; and this is a journey that will transcend my lifetime. This is an undertaking not for me, but for you and your children and your children’s children. Because KITA is not just a political party, it is a movement, it is an ethos to be handed down. It is a beginning.

And so I hope you will join us. All of you prodigal daughters. All of you wayward sons. You custodians of our future. I hope you will come together to fulfil this dream, to live up to this ideal, to see through this glorious vision that is Malaysia.

Thank you.



Zaid Ibrahim
19 January 2011, Kuala Lumpur