Inquiry as to how an important State document like the Essential (Essential Powers) Ordinance could get lost

Speech delivered by DAP Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, 21st Nov. 1975 when starting his debate on the Prime Minister’s Department during the Committee of Supply.

Inquiry as to how an important State document like the Essential (Essential Powers) Ordinance could get lost

The loss of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No.1 of 1969, o the basis of which far-reaching Regulations were made gravely affecting the lives, rights and liberties of Malaysians, including Regulations which over-ride Constitutional guarantees and liberties, has caused considerable public concern and anxiety.

The public cannot understand how such an important document can get lose in the very heart of the Government. While I appreciate that the Ordinance was signed at a time when the country was in very troubled times, the question cannot be asked why only Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No.1 has been most, and not Ordinance No. 2, 3, 4 or the scores of other Emergency Ordinances which were made during the 1969 Emergency.

I understand that when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong signs an Ordinance, he signs not merely one copy, but four or five copies. What has happened to the other copies?

This matter should be investigated by a Special Committee of Inquiry, especially at a time when more and more incidents of loss of government documents are occurring, like the recent mysterious fire at the Selangor RIMV where over 30,000 documents and files were destroyed.

Another reason why an enquiry must be held, is that whatever the determination in a Court of law about the legal consequence of the loss of Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No.1 of 1969, we in Parliament must look at the larger implications of national questions, for in the absence of such an Ordinance No.1 of 19969, the question of the legality, constitutional it and propriety of a series of Emergency Acts taken by the Government in 1969 is thrown in to the open.

Parliamentary Select Committee to clear the name of NBI Director and his officers

The Minister of Law yesterday referred to the current situation where a lot of flying letters are going around implicating, suggesting and accusing many government leaders of corruption, and as the Minister had pointed out, even implicating and accusing the Director of NBI of corrupt practices.

This is a very grave matter which should not be treated off-handedly. Without casting aspersions on the Director NBI or its officers, I feel that it is a matter of public interest that Parliament should set up a Select Committee to clear the name of the NBI Director. The Minister of Law had said that the NBI Director is a man of integrity and a man who is beyond reproach, and I am sure that the Parliamentary Select Committee to clear his name would be a welcome opportunity for him to rebut all implications, inferences of dishonesty and establish beyond a shadow of doubt about the integrity and incorruptibility of NBI officers.

Hope that there will be a Purge of Corrupt Big Fishes

The Minister for Law’s said that the BSN is going after the ‘big fishes’ and not just ’ikan billis’. We are glad to hear from him that a ‘big fish’ would soon be caught, and the people in the country are awaiting the concrete results of such a statement. One big fish caught, however, would not be enough, to recapture public confidence in the integrity of public officers, what is needed is a purge of dishonest and corrupt public officers in the country.