Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a tea party at 77 20/9 Paramount Garden, Petaling Jaya, to thank members, workers and supporters who helped in the general elections campaign in the Petaling parliamentary constituency on Sunday, 1st Sept. 1974 at 5 p.m.
1. DAP to press in Parliament and the State Assemblies for legislation to forbid Menteri Besar, Chief Minister and State Executive Councillors from private business transactions during their public position for personal aggrandisement
The various States are swearing in their Menteri Besar, Chief Minister and State Executive Councillors. A burning issue in the 1974 general elections was corruption and misuse of political power for personal ends by high political officials whether at Parliamentary or State government level.
State Executive Councillors, in particular, are the central targets for such malpractices, whether involving land, licences or concessions.
To ensure a clean, honest and dedicated State Government system, the DAP calls on Tun Razak to introduce legislation to forbid Menteri Besar, Chief Minister and State Executive Councillors from engaging in any private or personal business transaction during their term of office. The DAP will press for this anti-corruption legislation in Parliament and the various State Assemblies.
If the National Front MPs and State Assemblymen are genuinely upholders of a clean, honest government, then I can see no reason why they should hesitate or be reluctant to support this DAP proposal to ban State Executive Councillors from making use of their office for personal gain.
2. DAP want the National Front to introduce far-reaching labour law changes in the first meeting of the new Parliament to protect workers from management victimisation, intimidation and dismissal
Every time before a general elections, the Alliance and now the National Front would promise drastic changes to the labour laws to protect the legitimate rights of workers to get a fair share of the fruits of their labour. Invariably after general elections, the rights of workers are further trampled upon.
During the 1974 general elections, Tan Sri Manickavasagam, on behalf of the National Front, promised again to have changes to the labour laws to right and correct the bias of the labour laws in favour of the capitalists.
The DAP want far-reaching changes in the labour laws to be presented in the first meeting of the new Parliament, so that workers can fully become partners of Malaysia’s economic development, and not its slaves to enable the tycoons and capitalists, foreign and local, to become richer and richer.
At least two Members of Parliament from the DAP’s nine-man Parliamentary team will be assigned the responsibility of specializing in labour affairs and problems, and championing the cause of labour in Parliament, to ensure that the voice of workers are heard loud and clear in the Dewan Rakyat.
3. DAP has started an the task of re-organisation of Selangor DAP
We have not done very well in Selangor, winning only one State seat. However, we have to bear in mind that the Selangor of 1974 is completely different from the Selangor in 1969, because of the exclusion of nine State Assembly seats from Kuala Lumpur following its exclusion from Selangor to form the Federal Territory.
However, we have started re-organising our party organisation in the various parts of Selangor, and the response and support that the people in various parts of Selangor have shown us is a matter of great encouragement to us. I have no doubt that I five years’ time, in Selangor, we will be able, after we have put the Dap Selangor house in order, to regain our old political power and influence. The big membership applications from different parts of the country after election day from young Malaysians is a good indication of our bright future, and we welcome all Malaysians who are above 17 years to join us in our political battle.