Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the closing of the First DAP National Chinese-speaking seminar held at Morib on Sunday, 19th Sept. 1972 at 2 p.m.
DAP sets up National New Villages Sub-Committee to champion the cause and right of 750,000 new villagers
The DAP has set up a National New Villages Sub-Committee which will champion the cause and right of the 750,000 new villagers in Malaysia to participate fully in the government’s economic development programme.
The New Villages Sub-Committee will be spokesman for the aspirations of the 750,000 new villagers to be brought into the mainstream of economic development, and to receive equitable government development funds for new village development.
For two decades, the new villages have been neglected by the government in social and economic development, and have been treated as step-children.
The DAP New Villages Sub-Committee will act as watchdog for the interests of the new villagers to ensure that the government give them better economic future and check the present new village economic drift, decline and decay.
The DAP National New Villages Sub-Committee will
1. Collect data and information about all new villages in Malaysia, and research into their socio-economic needs and problems;
2. Publicise the problems and poverty of new villages, their economic backwardness, unemployment, and press for the transformation of new villages into new growth centres through modernization and dispersal of industries;
3. Press for modern social services, such as public housing, electricity, water, medical services, improved educational opportunities and increased recreational and community service for new village. It is indeed shocking that many new villages still do not have piped water and electricity when the government boasts so much of Malaysia as being the second Asian country with the highest national per capita income.
4. Overseer and supervise the granting of titles of land to new villagers who occupy them, as promised by the Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, two weeks ago.
5. Press for the allocation and granting of new land to the landless in the new villagers, to help solve the grave problem of new village unemployment.
6. Ensure that the new villages get a fair and equitable share of government development funds every year.
7. Expose the corruption, inefficiency, bureaucracy and maladministration of new village administration.
8. Voice the needs, sufferings and aspirations of the 750,000 new villagers in Malaysia.
The DAP National New Villages Sub-Committee will be headed by Sdr. Yap Pian Hon, Selangor Assemblyman for Serdang.
Other members are: Vice Chairman: Sdr. Liew Ah Kim (State Assemblyman)
Secretary : Sdr. Lau Dak Kee
Asst. Sec : Lee Hoi Siong
Members : Lee Kaw
: Koo Tien Fook
: Chan Kok Kit
: Siew Koh Mee
: Chan Fu King