The DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, today (11.11.68) issued the following statement:
The UMNO Secretary-General, Inche Khir Johari, has indulged in his usual past-time of mud-slinging the opposition party. He said yesterday that DAP’s ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ slogan was dangerous, but added that it was ‘nothing new’ as the Alliance had been working on the concept.
What Inche Khir meant is that the DAP’s Malaysian Malaysia campaign was dangerous to the Alliance Party and its election chances, as the majority of thinking Malaysians support the concept.
In a multi-racial society like ours, only a policy which gives to every citizen, regardless of his race, religion or language, an equal stake in the future of this country can succeed in uniting the diverse peoples into one nationhood. This, in short, is the meaning and objective of a Malaysian Malaysia.
Inche Khir even claims that the Alliance is working gradually for a ‘Malaysian Malaysia.’
We invite Inche Khir to outline the basic principles of a ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ – to let the people know whether he really understands its meaning.
Surely, a party which professes to believe in a ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ would not have practised the racialism the Alliance did for the last 13 years? A party which professes a ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ would also not bring out and stress racial differences by dividing citizens into ‘bumiputeras’ and non-bumiputeras’?
Today, even in schools, school-children have grasped that they are divided into ‘bumiputeras’ and ‘non-bumiputeras’, which connotes some form of inequality and injustice.
In other words, an entire new generation of Malaysians are growing up who feel that they are regarded and treated as second-class citizens, because they are classified as ‘non-bumiputeras’.
Is this the way to build a Malaysian Malaysia, when a new generation of Malaysians are being instilled a growing sense of grievance and injustice?
What the Alliance is now doing is to institutionise the division of Malaysians into ‘bumiputeras’ and ‘non-bumiputeras’. This is against everything a Malaysian Malaysia means.
Inche Khir Johari and the Alliance are worried about the headway the DAP is making among thinking Malaysians, with its concept of multi-racialism.
He has therefore chosen to smear the party with unfounded charges of communalism. Inche Khir Johari should stop deceiving himself and the public.
We recall that a few months back, Inche Khir accused the DAP of being ‘100% communal.’ When he was challenged to go on TV with a DAP representative to substantiate his charges, Inche Khir Johari had no reply. This illustrates the emptiness and irresponsibility of Inche Khir’s charge.
Our invitation to Inche Khir to substantiate his charge on TV remains open. If he again shirks away from a TV confrontation with the DAP to substantiate his serious charges, he must stand exposed as a cheap-publicity seeker, irresponsible politician and a downright liar.
(Lim Kit Siang)
Organising Secretary
Issued by DAP Information Office.
KL: 563377
Audited by: Kieran L. N.