KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — The Semenyih by-election provides an opportunity for voters to express their rejection of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s intended political comeback, veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said today.

The Iskandar Puteri MP said voters will also be able to reject the extremism expressed by former Umno minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who had questioned the appointments of non-Malays and non-Muslims to the posts of finance minister, attorney general, and chief justice.

"The Malaysian Constitution is very clear that these posts should be open to any Malaysian who is both qualified and competent to carry out the responsibility of the job,” Lim said in a ceramah yesterday.

The text of his speech was made available to the media.

"The March 2 by-election provides an excellent opportunity for the people of Semenyih to declare loud and clear they do not want Najib to make a political comeback and least of all, as Malaysian prime minister,” he said.

He added that Malaysians should also be patient in allowing the legal process to take place in bringing criminals and culprits to justice.

"Many Malaysians are very disappointed that Najib, who had brought infamy and ignominy to Malaysia with his 1MDB as well as other 1MDB-liked corruption scandals in Felda, Felcra, Maraand Tabung Haji, turning Malaysia into an international butt of jokes as a global kleptocracy, is not paying for his corruption and crimes in Sungai  Buloh Prison but is allowed to strut all over the country in his Malu Apa Bossku campaign,” he said.

Lim said Semenyih voters should vote for Pakatan Harapan in their show of continued support towards the ruling party and the so-called "New Malaysia” agenda.

He said though the ruling party has promised structural and institutional changes to bring forth the New Malaysia, he said it was impossible to undo the mess left by the former Barisan Nasional government.

"It is not possible to undo the 60-year mess of government wrongs, deviations and abuses of power in 100 days, a year or two, or even in one electoral cycle.

"We must develop the Big Picture vision and the long-term perspective that we must be committed to  structural and institutional reforms but they must be sustainable with increasing support for all sectors of the Malaysian people, regardless of race, religion or region, so that these structural and institutional reforms can be an integral part of the nation-building process,” Lim said.