DAP Secretary General’s Desk by Mr. Lim Kit Siang on 21st September 1971.
Dear Comrade,
In the last three weeks, five DAP branches were officially opened: in Chamek, Cha’ah and Niyor in Johore, Jimah in Negri Sembilan and Kota Urara in Malacca.
In August and September, four rallies had been held – in Malacca, Kampar, Penang and Cha’ah.
Last month, we organised a seminar for Johore/Malacca DAP officials, and last weekend, we concluded the First National Chinese speaking seminar.
Apart from other branch activities, it is clear that the DAP has regained a sense of direction and purpose after the black and dark days of May 13, 1969.
We are on the go again. However, we have only taken the first step in our organization initiative, and the journey ahead is still a very long way, with no end in sight.
We must not only be on the go, nut more important, we must develop the spirit and stamina to go for a very long way.
Just as depression and despondency are infectious, so too are confidence and vitality. I have received many requests from branches to hold public rallies on their areas.
I must caution, however, against peaking too soon, i.e. stepping up our activities at such great pace, that in six months or one year’s time, we exhaust our energies, and begin to decline from the peak.
Ideally, the peak should only be reached to coincide with the general elections.
Thus, while we must get going at a measured pace, we must avoid being caught up in a fever of activities.
Political Talks and Classes
I would emphasise the holding of regular political talks in all branches. Such talks must be greatly publicized, in the press, but even more important, by hand-bills.
One main objective of such talks should be to attract new people into our fold, increase our membership and extend our base influence.
Sub-Committees
The Party has set up various sub-committees recently to help the Central Executive Committee in its party work. Some of the sub-committees are as follows:
(1) Urban Organisation Committee to draw up a blueprint for the organization of the urban areas in West Malaysia. The members are:
Dr. Chen Man Hin
Goh Hock Guan
Fan Yew Teng
Lee Lam Thye
Lim Cho Hock
Peter Dason
Lau Dak Kee
Oh Keng Seng
Lee Kaw
Patrick Jaswan
Yap Pian Hon
Khoo Chin Tow
Liew Ah Kim
Lim Kim San
Lim Kit Siang
(2) National Rural Organisation Sub-Committee to spearhead the DAP’s expansion drive into the rural areas. The members are:
Chairman: Daing Ibrahim bin Othman
Vice Chairman: Ibrahim bin Singgeh
Haji Mohamed Shariff
Secretary: Taib Siron
Asst. Sec: Yunos Said
Treasurer: Abdul Aziz Ismail
Members: Lani Kassim
Peter Dason
Fan Yew Teng
Bernard Sta Maria
Kwa Tse Tui
Hussein bin Shukor
Muluk bin Daud
Mohd. Salleh Nakhoda Hitam
K. Ramasen
(3) DAP National Registration of Voters Sub-Committee to launch a nation-wide DAP campaign to get maximum number of eligible voters to register. The members are:
Chairman: Fan Yew Teng
Vice Chairman: Daing Ibrahim bin Othman
Secretary: Choong Quek Thiam
Members: Loh Thian Choy
K. Ramasen
Patrick Jaswah
(4) DAP Political School Preparatory Committee to inquire and report into the feasibility of setting up a Political School to train cadres who are ideologically committed, infused with the spirit of sacrifice and readiness to wage a long protracted struggle, inculcate the habit of continuous study and self-criticism, and produce a batch of party organizers who will provide the ideological and organizational backbone for the movement.
The members are:
Chairman: Fan Yew Teng
Vice Chairman: Peter Dason
Secretary: Yap Pian Hon
Asst. Secretary: Yunos bin Said
Members: Bernard Sta Maria
Lau Dak Kee
K. Ramasen
Chian Heng Kai
Felix Anthony
Patrick Jaswan
S. O. Wong
(5) DAP National New Villages Sub-Committee to champion the cause and right of 750,000 new villagers in Malaysia. The members are:
Chairman: Yap Pian Hon
Vice Chairman: Liew Ah Kim
Secretary: Lau Dak Kee
Asst. Secretary: Lee Hoi Siong
Members: Koo Tien Fook
Chan Kok Kit
Siow Weng Hock
Chan Fu King
Chow Fook @ Chee Saik Choik
Eh Ben Tang
Lee Hwa Sing
Chow Chee Teck
Lai Meng Chong
(6) DAP Education Bureau to examine and study education issues. The members are:
Chairman: Dr. Chen Man Hin
Vice Chairman: D. P. Xavier
Secretary: Chian HengHai
Asst. Secretary: Haji Mohd. Shariff
Members: Dr. A. Soorian
Chan Kok Kit
K. Ramasen
Hor Cheok Foon
Taib Siron
(7) Election Preparation Sub-Committee to make preparations for elections and by-elections throughout the country. The members are:
Chairman: Loh Thian Choy
Secretary: Choong Quek Thiam
Other members to be co-opted.
There are five other sub-committees which were formed much earlier, viz: Disciplinary Committee, Labour Bureau, Membership Sub-Committee, Political Education Sub-Committee, Finance Sub-Committee.
Punctuality
I will urge all members and leaders to be punctual for all party meetings and functions. Unpunctuality is a grave defect, affecting not only oneself, but others, in holding up party matters and wasting the time of other comrades.
Widest Circulation
I have launched this series of ‘From the S.G.’s Desk’ is not given widest circulation among members, defeating the very purpose of this viewspaper.
There are branches which do not pin it on the notice boards for all members to read. Some secretaries have developed the habit of keeping circulars from Headquarters only for himself.
The purpose of ‘From the S.G’s desk’ and party circulars is not to inform the Branch Secretary alone, but to keep branch members in touch with party thinking and affairs.
All branch secretaries should therefore immediately see to it that ‘From the S.G.’s desk’ is given the widest circulation to all party members, and that all other party literature should also be given the widest circulation – except confidential or private communications.
Party Song
I am appointing a three-man sub-committee to select a party song. They are:
Chairman: Hor Cheok Foon
V. Chairman: Samuel Raj
Secretary: Mohamed Amin