DAP to establish a Federal Territory division to expand and deepen the party organisation

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at a party for workers and supporters for the federal Territory Parliamentary general elections on Saturday, 31st August 1974 at 8 p.m.

1. DAP to establish a Federal Territory division to expand and deepen the party organisation

In winning two federal territory Parliamentary seats, the Kuala Lumpur Bandar and Sungei Besi, and our good performance in Damansara and Kepong, the DAP has confirmed that it is the major political force in the Federal Territory.

The DAP will establish a Federal Territory Division to expand and deepen the party organisation and convert the DAP from a party with mass influence and following into a mass government.

This new phase of the party’s organisation and struggle will be led by our two federal territory Members of Parliamentary. Sdr. Lee Lam Thye and Sdr. Farn Seong Tang, and our other comrades and leaders. I will like to see branches sprouting up in various parts of the federal territory, so that in the next general elections in 1979, we can make a serious bid to capture all the Federal Territory Parliamentary seats.

2. DAP conducting a post-mortem of the 1974 general elections and preparing a five- year plan for the party’s expansion and activities

The DAP is conducting a post-mortem of the 1974 general elections and preparing a five-year plan for the party’s expansion and activities. We will consolidate ourselves in areas we have won, and begin to work in areas where we have lost or in new areas.

We will work out a special programme to expand into the rural area to win rural Malay support, and will consider the possibility of establishing branches in the East Coast like Kelantan and Trengganu. I have already received approaches from some persons in Kuantan on the formation of a DAP Kuantan branch, and we hope also to establish branches in other parts of Pahang.

There is no holidays for Dap MPs, State Assemblymen or leaders and members. All DAP MPs and State Assemblymen have started to serve their constituents and the people, and all DAP official and members must now begin work to strengthen the party organisationally, raise the ideological consciousness of the members and the people, to prepare immediately for the next general elections in 1979.

The first meeting of nine DAP Members of Parliament and 23 State Assemblymen in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow will lay down the guidelines for DAP elected representatives to serve the constituents and represent the people in Parliament and the state Assemblies.

3. DAP calls for the establishment of Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate into all complaints, irregularities and unethical practices during the 1974 General Elections to cleanse up the electoral process

The 1974 General elections is the most unfair and undemocratic general elections in the history of Malaysia, full of unethical practices like using money to buy votes or even candidates, irregularities like the mass cancellation of voters from the electoral register, inefficient electoral arrangements deliberate or otherwise calculated to advantages the National Front; abuses of the electoral process like the use of threats and intimidation of another May13,etc.

The DAP calls for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate into all these electoral irregularities and unethical practices to cleanse the electoral process so that the people can confidence in the ballot box system.