Press Statement by Lim Kit Siang, M.P., Secretary-General DAP.
Renewed challenge to Tun Tan Siew Sin
Last Saturday, I have had occasion to challenge Tun Tan Siew Sin to stake his entire political reputation and career on who asked for the meeting between us at the Commonwealth Society Building on March 7.
This is important because if this can be established, it will be clear which side has been telling untruths and fabricating stories.
Three days ago, Tun Tan said in Parliament that I had asked to see him at the Royal Commonwealth Society “but did not turn up because he was afraid that he might be seen by others.”
The next day, the MCA Secretary-General, in a prepared text, said that there was such a meeting after all,”at my own request” through Mr.Alex Lee.
When challenged to stake his entire political reputation and career on who asked for the meeting, Tun Tan kept silent. He got Mr.Alex Lee, instead, to give an improved version.
Mr.Alex Lee now claims that the meeting came anbout because ‘a leading member of DAP, Mr.X, approached Tun Tan and indicated Mr.Lim Kit Siang, wanted a meeting with Tun Tan” and he, Mr.Alex Lee, finalised the meeting between Mr.X and Tun Tan.
The MCA has now given three different accounts of the meeting, and the more they try to explain away the truth, the more different accounts they will have to give.
I will advise MCA leaders that the best policy for politicians is to be honest and truthful, for once you started to tell a lie, you will have to tell a hundred other lies to cover up the original lie.
I am not interested in Mr.Alex Lee, for he is only trying to cover up for Tun Tan, even if it means having to tell untruths. I will therefore not like to put him in a spot by asking him to solemnly swear by his statement.
In fact, the intermediary, the Mr.X Mr.Alex Lee was referring to, was contacted by Tun Tan directly to arrange a meeting with me, and that Mr.Alex Lee never came into the arrangements until he turned up at the Commonwealth Society Building to open up the place for the meeting.
I want here to renew my challenge to Tun Tan Siew Sin to stake his entire political reputation and career on the question as to who asked for the meeting between us on March 7.
Mr. Richard Ho, M.P,Sitiawan (D.A.P) met Tun Siew Sin because of feelers and approaches by Mr.Alex on behalf of Tun Tan. Mr.Goh Hock Guan’s meeting is also the result of the initiative from Tun Tan and his MCA officials.
From the MCA account, it would appear that the DAP leaders are tripping over one another’s toes to see Tun Tan to get a place in the MCA and the Government. Everybody in Malaysia knows that if this had been our intention, we would have been in the MCA long ago.
It is no problem at all to get into the MCA. But it is no easy thing to get into the DAP.
For over a year, MCA and Alliance operators had been trying to induce DAP MPs and State Assemblymen to defect and join the ruling party with material, monetary and other inducements and temptations.
For instance, the DAP State Assemblyman for KotaTimor, Malacca, Berbard Sta Maria, was offered a State Executive Councillorship in the Malacca State Government and other material inducements if he would defect to the Alliance.
To the DAP’s eternal credit, all such offers and inducements had been spurned.
The story that Mr.Goh Hock Guan went to see Tun Tan and offered to dissolve the DAP in return for three Ministerial and three junior Ministerial posts and key positions in the MCA is so preposterous that no one in his senses will believe it. For it is inconceivable that ant human being, with the least shred of human respect, would ever do such a thing.
To establish the truth, I would therefore ask Tun Tan Siew Sin to speak the truth-Stake his entire political reputation and career on who asked for the March 7 meeting between him and me.
As human beings make error, I am prepared to accept if he should admit that he was mistaken, that the MCA Secretary-General’s statement was wrong, that in actual fact, it was he, Tun Tan, who asked to have a meeting with me.