Statement by DAP Secretary-General and Parliamentary Candidate for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at a Press Conference in Ipoh on Monday, 19th August 1974 at 11.30 a.m.
1. Chances of DAP capturing Perak State Government good
The chances of the DAP capturing Perak State Government in the August 24 general elections is good, provided that every vote is cast for the Rocket candidate.
At the Malaysian level, the National Front will form the Malaysian government with Tun Razak again as Prime Minister, but I urge the people where all the 46 Parliamentary candidates of the DAP is contesting to solidly vote for DAP candidates to deny the two-thirds majority to the National front to tamper with the constitution at will.
The people should also teach political parties which have betrayed their interests, like the PPP and the Gerakan, a lesson so that future political opportunists will know that they cannot escape the judgement of the people.
2. Call on the voters of Batu Gajah to vote for Sdr. Chian Heng Kai, who will toghther with Sdr. Chan Kok Kit (Kepong) will be appointed to be the DAP Parliamentary spokesmen on Chinese education in Parliament
We have fielded Sdr. Chian Heng Kai, Central Executive Committee member and policy formulator of the Party on Chinese education, in Batu Gajah. A Formosan university graduate, he is the editor of the Chinese Rocket. He has proved himself in the years he had devoted himself to the cause of the part and people that he is one of those who had iron in the soul, who he is prepared to make personal sacrifices for his beliefs.
Sdr. Chian Heng Kai will be appointed as the DAP Parliamentary Spokesman on Chinese Education in Parliament, and together with Sdr. Chan Kok Kit (who is standing in Kepong Parliamentary), they will bring the battle for a rightful place for Chinese education in Malaysia into Parliament.
3. Challenge to Lee San Choon to cut the cockerel’s head to prove that I, or Dr, Chan Man Hin, or any other DAP top leaders apart from Goh Hock Guan, had taken part in the so-called MCA-DAP talks apart Ministerial or Assistant Ministerial appointments.
All the National Front component parties have become politically bankrupt and have started to resort to falsehoods to try to mislead the people.
Lee San Choon is a good example. He said at the Malacca National Front public rally on Saturday night that when the MCA opened its doors two years ago, the DAP and the MCA entered into talks for the DAP to join the MCA, not about how to serve the people, but about Ministerial and Assistant Ministerial appointments for DAP leaders.
The people can still remember that in mid-1971, when Goh Hock Guan gave his version about what transpired in his meetings with Lee San Choon and Tun Tan Siew Sin, Lee San Choon challenge Goh Hock Guan to cut the cokerel’s head to prove he is not lying. Goh Hock Guan responded by claiming that he has sent six cockerels to Lee San Choon’s house, which he never really did.
At that time, we already had doubts about Goh Hock Guan’s version concerning his talks with Lee San Choon and Tun Tan Siew Sin, and we cannot help suspecting that Goh Hock Guan was trying to feather his own nest, and join the MCA and the government by compromising the DAP. Events have proved us right.
It is thus clear that even during 1970, Goh Hock guan had betrayed the party in thr hope of getting some government offers.
Goh Hock Guan’s talks with Lee San Choon and Tun Tan Siew was completely without authority, and he had no authority to talk about Ministerial or Assistant Ministerial appointments.
I challenge Lee San Choon to prove that other DAP top leaders, like myself, and Dr. Chan Man Hin, had in anyway involved in the so-called talks about ministerial and Assistant Ministerial appointments for DAP leaders.
Since Lee San Choon had dared to challenge Goh Hock Guan to cut the cockerel’s head to prove that he was telling the truth, I hereby solemnly challenge Lee San Choon the cut the cockerel’s head before Polling Day on August 24 to prove that I, or Dr, Chan Man Hin, had taken part in discussions or talks with any MCA about Ministerial and Assistance Ministerial appointments for DAP leaders.
Goh Hock Guan will be the last person the DAP Central Executive Committee would send to any discussions to present the Party, for he had proved to be a man who have no principles or firm convictions.
4. The National Front, a getting-together of nine parties into one, is a farce.
The National Front, which claims that it is a get-together of nine political parties into one, is a farce, for there is no genuine unity of ideas, principles, but an opportunistic get-together for the sake of political survival.
Thus, MCA want to down the Gerakan , Gerakan finish off the MCA, the UMNO want to clip the wings of PAS, and PAS to expand at the expand at the expense of UMNO; PPP want to finish off the MIC, and vice versa. Where is the unity for national interest?
I have said in the Petaling Jaya public rally last week that shortly before Nomination Day, an emissary of S.P. Seenivasagam approached me with a proposal and offer to seek our help to knock out Tan Sri Manickavasagam in Port Kelang. The PPP wanted to make use of the DAP, in the hope that if the MIC candidates are all knocked out at the general elections, S.P. Seenivasagam would become the only person who will be invited to enter the Cabinet to represent the Indians.
I have not seen any denial. If S.P. Seenivasagam denies, then I will come out with all the details in the Ipoh Public Rally which I will be attending on August 21.
Thus, the National Front parties will all fight among themselves after August 24. They do not deserve support, for they have not only betrayed the people’s trust, but are not engrossed in the business of how to preserve their political and personal interests regardless of the hopes and wishes of the people.