The DAP organisng Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, today (19.7.68) issued the following statement :
DAP advice to Gerakan to keep the campaign to save 11 youths strictly above party politics
The Gerakan leader in Penang, Mr. Teh Ewe Lim, was reported in the press today as saying that the nation-wide signature campaign to save the 11 youths, initiated by the DAP, was not effective enough.
He announced that the Gerakan will hold a public rally in Penang on Sunday on this subject. This, Mr. Teh said, is a more effective way.
We earnestly urge Mr. Teh and his colleagues to keep this mission of mercy and humanity strictly above party politics.
Although the DAP initiated the nation-wide campaign, it has never been a DAP campaign. It is a campaign of all Malaysians who feel strongly that the 11 youths should be spared death at the gallows.
This is borne out by the fact that tens of thousands of Malaysians who are not DAP members have voluntarily and strongly come out in support of the national signature campaign to petition the Sultan of Johore to exercise his powers of mercy.
We in the DAP want to keep this campaign absolutely above politics, above all political considerations. It does not help the cause of the 11 youths one bit if one party or one group starts to cast aspersions on another, and vice versa.
Everyone joins in the national call for mercy and humanity, not because he is a Gerakan member, DAP member, UMNO, MCA or MIC member, or because he is a Malay, Chinese or Indian, but because he is a human being who can feel for a fellow human being, who understands how precious human life is.
Since the start of the nation-wide signature campaign, we have received letters from all over the country asking for signature forms to start the campaign in the towns, villages and kampongs where the DAP has no organisation.
All Malaysians must be encouraged by this outpouring of human feeling among Malaysians.
With a new signature to the campaign, a new hope is registered for the reprieve of the 11 youths.
For those in other areas who wish to do their part to help bring about the reprieve of the 11 youths, by petitioning to the Sultan of Johore, they are asked to write to Mr. Lau Dak Kee, Secretary, Save the 11-youths National Signature Campaign, c/o Democratic Action Party, 63-D Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur for books of signature forms.
Audited on 2021-03-29.