Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a one-day seminar organized by the Kuala Lumpur DAP Branch held at 63-D Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. 24th Oct. 1971 at 4 p.m.
Call on people assert their basic political and economic rights if they want a more just and equal Malaysian society
The people of Malaysia must assert their basic political and economic rights if they want to build a more just and equal Malaysian society for themselves, their children and their children’s children.
Month after month, we find people all over the country becoming more and more frustrated by the political and economic policies of the government.
Politically, they find that their elected representatives are not allowed to fully voice the people’s hopes and fears. Economically, youths multiply who could not find jobs and a decent opportunity to earn an honest living. The situation is even worse for no-citizens, who have no other home but Malaysia.
The people of Malaysia must realize that it lies in their own hands to bring about political and economic changes for the better. It is no use of the people just complaining and cursing. They must all do something about it, however little it may be for each person.
It is the greatest mistake for Malaysians to regard politic as something which has nothing to do with them. Unemployment, poverty, corruption, rising prices of essential foodstuffs adding to the hardships of the people, poor quality of our children’s schooling, etc. are all the result of political mismanagement, which can only be reformed through political action.
This is why it is important that every Malaysian must exercise his basic political and economic right, to pool the strength and unity of all the masses to build a more just and equal Malaysia.
When DAP workers go round to register voters, we find some people refusing to register, who yet are discontented with the political, economic, social and cultural conditions in the country. Unless these people are prepared to do their little bit to oppose and change all the political, economic and social injustices, then it is not only useless just to grumble, they have forfeited the right to complain. Furthermore, they are condemning the children to live and grow up in a society with great injustices.
The people of Malaysia should therefore bestir themselves from their political apathy. Don’t just grumble and complain. Join forces with others who are equally discontented with the political and economic policies of the government, and from unity will go the strength and force to bring about changes and improvements.