KUALA LUMPUR: DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang announced his retirement from politics today at the party's 17th National Congress in Shah Alam.
The Iskandar Puteri member of parliament said he would refrain from offering himself in political positions and this includes contesting parliamentary or state assembly seats in future.
"I will not contest for any position, including the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) today - you should delete No. 39 from the CEC candidate list," he said in his speech.
Lim said he has been with the party for 56 years, which celebrated its anniversary two days ago, and has seen it develop from a small opposition which fought the first general election in 1969.
He said DAP then grew into a major political party in the Pakatan Harapan coalition which won the 14th General Election in 2018 and formed the government in seven states.
"We represent the hopes and aspirations of Malaysians who want the nation to stand tall in the world because of our achievements in various fields of human endeavour and for our ability to leverage on the best values and virtues of the diverse races, religions, cultures and civilisations that meet in confluence in Malaysia.
"We must reignite hope and confidence in the future as we hold in our hands the ability to reverse the national decline of the past half a century.
"Never before in the history of DAP is it more important that we must have unity, solidarity, commitment and resolve in our long-term commitment to realise the Malaysian Dream.
"I am privileged to share this journey to realise our Malaysian Dream to be a world-class great nation with many patriotic Malaysians, both inside and outside the DAP.
"The battle for the Malaysian Dream must go on until it is achieved but this is in your hands," he said.
The recent Johor state general election, added Lim, was a salutary reminder that the party's Malaysian Dream for a united, democratic, just world-class great Malaysia is a long-term political struggle.
"There are many ups and downs, gains and losses, but we must remain constant in our objectives and never compromise our principles and ideals," he said.