Press Statement by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, on April 24, 1969:
The Party Rakyat and its Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Inche Hasnul bin Hadi, have started attacking me and my party at their rallies and election campaign. Inche Hasnul has asked me a few questions.
I will answer these questions in the course of the campaign, but as this is my first public pronouncement on the Party Rakyat, I wish to put on record a few points first.
Before Nomination Day on 5th April 1969, we in the DAP reached and electoral understanding, first with the People’s Progressive Party, and later with the Gerakan Ra’ayat Malaysia, to avoid three-cornered election fights which can only benefit the Alliance because of split opposition votes.
The DAP was also prepared to reach an electoral understanding with the Party Rakyat, but the Party Rakyat spurned and rejected having anything to do with an electoral understanding with the DAP. The Party Rakyat was determined that in Bandar Melaka Parliamentary Constituency, there should be a three- cornered fight. What are the motives for the Party Rakyat decision, only Party Rakyat officials will know. I leave it to the people to draw their own conclusions.
Everyone in Bandar Melaka know that the Parliamentary and State contests in this general elections are between the DAP and the Alliance. The Party Rakyat just does not stand a chance of winning. All that the Party Rakyat might do is to draw away some opposition votes, and thus help the Alliance to win.
All those who want to see the Alliance defeated must unite and vote for the Rocket, any vote for a third party will only reduce the votes to the Rocket, and help the Alliance.
Under no circumstances must the voters of Bandar Melaka allow their votes to be split up, otherwise the only winner is the Alliance.
It has come as a shock to me to receive reports that Party Rakyat election workers and campaigners are advising voters that if they do not want to vote for the Rakyat, the bull’s head, then they should vote for the Sailing Boat.
Inche Hasnul and Party Rakyat, it would appear, would prefer to see the Alliance win, rather than the Rocket win. Inche Hasnul wants the Rocket to do down in defeat together with the Rakyat – even if the price is another Alliance victory. I do not think the people of Malacca want to have another Alliance victory in the State and Parliamentary seats in Bandar Melaka. I am sure they will exercise their choice wisely, and solidly vote for the Rocket.