Month: August 1971

DAP calls for electoral reforms

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr Lim Kit Siang, when he officially opened the Niyor DAP Branch in Johore on Monday, 30th August 1971 at 2 p.m.

DAP calls for electoral reforms with (i) automatic registration of eligible voters; (ii) compulsory voting (iii) reduction of voting age to 18

This is the third DAP branch in the Bekok constituency to be officially opened in four days – after the Chamek DAP Branch and Cha’ah DAP Branch.

There is no better evidence than these official openings of the DAP’s growing and expanding ground support in Bekok and in Johore. I expect to see more branches to be opened in Bekok and Johore, to provide more vehicles for the propagation of our creed to build a democratic socialist Malaysia. Continue reading DAP calls for electoral reforms

Trade with China

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr Lim Kit Siang, at the fourth anniversary celebration of the Muar DAP Branch on Monday, 30th August 1971 at 8pm

If Malaysia wants to exploit to the full trade with China, she must establish diplomatic relation with the People’s Republic of China

The China trade mission has come and gone with an agreement to buy 40,000 tons of rubber, 5,000 tons of palm oil and 50,000 cubic metres of timber logs.

While these are not huge figures, the DAP welcomes the fact that Malaysia and the People’s Republic of China are embarking on more proper trade relations. Continue reading Trade with China

DAP Calls for full employment policy & essential commodities price reduction

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr Lim Kit Siang, when he officially opened the Cha’ah DAP Branch in Johor on 29th August 1971 at 5.30pm

DAP calls for (i) full employment policy (ii) positive government steps to reduce price of essential commodities, like rice, sugar, salt and cooking oil

This is the second DAP Branch in the Bekok constituency to be opened, a further evidence of the solid gains we made in the Bekok by-election.

When we contested in the Bekok by-election, we spoke of the grave problems of unemployment in the country, and the growing hardships of the people. Continue reading DAP Calls for full employment policy & essential commodities price reduction

Johore Politics

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr Lim Kit Siang, when he officially opened the Chamek DAP Branch in Johor on 27th August 1971 at 4pm

The official opening of the Chamek DAP Branch marks the first fruit of the DAP’s campaign in the Bekok by-election in May this year.

Although we lost the by-election, we have succeeded in establishing nuclei of dedicated supporters and members of the Party in the constituency, which will be further evidenced in the next few days when the Cha’ah DAP Branch and the Niyor DAP Branch will be officially opened.

It is not an easy matter to build up a branch. It is even more difficult to maintain it. They call for a high quality of dedication, sacrifice, public spiritedness and commitment to the cause for a democratic socialist Malaysia from our members, cadres and officials. Continue reading Johore Politics

A Letter to Malay Mail – Labour Law Issue

The Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr Lim Kit Siang, today sent the following letter to the Editor, Malay Mail, Kuala Lumpur [17.8.71]

Copy

The Editor,
Malay Mail,
Kuala Lumpur

Sir,

My attention has just been drawn to a letter by a so-called labour leader, Mr S.J.H Zahidi, Secretary-General of the MTUC, in the Malay Mail of August 10, 1971.

Referring to my speeches in Parliament in the debates on the labour laws, Mr. Zaidi said that unlike the DAP, the MTUC “have never confused its national problems with the Government with those of its international obligations and responsibilities to Malaysia as a whole.” Continue reading A Letter to Malay Mail – Labour Law Issue

Betrayal on Members

Speech by DAP Malacca State Chairman and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr Lim Kit Siang, at a meeting of the Malacca State DAP Sub-Committee on Monday, 9th August 1971 at 5pm

Last week, after seven members of the party in Malacca had declared their betrayal of the cause of the DAP, there was a deliberate and sustained campaign to try to get other DAP members and officials, particularly in the state of Malacca, to join them in a collective walk-out from the party.

During those few days of the campaign, I deliberately kept away from Malacca, although some of our comrades urged me to come to Malacca to counter this vicious and anti-party campaign. Continue reading Betrayal on Members

DAP’s Rural Drive

Extracts of speech by DAP Secretary-General, Mr Lim Kit Siang, at the inaugural meeting of the National DAP Rural Oganisation Sub-committee held at the DAP Headquarters in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 8th August 1971 at 10am

DAP’s Rural Drive

The DAP is now embarked on the second phase of its party programme. This is the organization of the rural areas.

The task of organizing the party in the rural areas is any times more difficult than the organization of the urban areas. In the rural areas, we are going to encounter many obstacles, for instance, the use by UMNO of religion to buttress their political influence.

In the long run, however, the arguments of class and economics, of poverty and exploitation, must prevail over the misuse of religion for political ends. Continue reading DAP’s Rural Drive

Public Rallies, DAP-MCA secret talks & Parliament

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr Lim Kit Siang, at the DAP Public Rally at Bandar Hilir Padang, Malacca, on Sunday, 1st August 1971 at 8pm

Public Rallies

This is not the first DAP public rally in Malacca after the 1969 General Elections, but the second one.

The people of Malacca will remember that two days after polling day, on May 12, 1969, the DAP held a victory rally at this very padang after a victory and thank-the-voters procession round the town the same afternoon. Continue reading Public Rallies, DAP-MCA secret talks & Parliament