KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 ― Lim Kit Siang dubbed Malaysia the “sick man of Asean” today, claiming that missteps by the administration have cost the country dearly, forcing it to face decline in a number of areas, including the economy, education and even sports.

The DAP veteran urged for a change in leadership, saying the only way to “cure” Malaysia's “sicknesses” was to vote in a new government in the next general election to be held in 2018.

“Malaysia is seriously sick and the only way for the country to be healthy, vibrant and vigorous again and stop being the 'sick Man of Asean'  is the cure of a change of government in the 14GE,” he said in a statement here, referring to the 14th general election.

One sign of Malaysia's “sick” state, Lim said, is the weakening economy and the decline of the ringgit.

“The value of the Malaysian ringgit is one eloquent indicator of our plight, losing 25 per cent of its value in 12 months as to hit RM4.4 to the US dollar,” the Gelang Patah MP said.

He noted that 50 years ago, the Malaysian ringgit was one-to-one to the Singapore dollar.

Today, however, the ringgit has fallen to the “pathetic” position of over RM3 to one Singapore dollar, he said.

“The situation has got so bad that the Malaysian ringgit is not accepted in Hat Yai in neighbouring Thailand,” he pointed out.

Malaysia's education and sports sectors have performed no better, Lim added.

He said the education system here has become a “joke”, pointing out that Malaysia's local universities have long dropped out of the world's top ranking learning institutions.

In sports, Lim noted that Malaysia currently ranks 171st out of 208 nations in the FIFA rankings although the country was once known as among the top in Asia.

Other areas of decline, according to the DAP MP, can be witnessed in Malaysia's system of governance, human rights record and corruption level.

“Malaysia has become the Sick Man of Asean,” he concluded.