Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Lim Kit Siang, congratulates Kenering DAP candidate, Tbrahim bin Singgeh, and Perak Chairman, Sdr. Lim Cho Hock, for the ‘more than satisfactory’ results in the Kenering by-election.
I am more than satisfied with the DAP results in the Kenering State Assembly by-election, for the DAP has achieved what we had set out to do in contesting the Kenering State Assembly by-election.
Firstly, we had slashed the Barisan Nasional majority by over 2,000 votes. In the 1974 general elections, which was a direct contest between Tan Sri Ghazalie Jawi of Barisan Nasional and Sik Sdri. Zaharah binti Ibrahim of DAP, Tan Sri Ghazalie Jawi won by a majority of 5,218 votes. This has now been slashed to 3,195 votes. If the Pekemas candidate, which was supported by the PSRM and KITA, had not interfered, this majority would have been reduced even further.
In the 1974 General Elections, the results were:
Tan Sri Ghazalie Jawi (National Front) : 6,369
Zaharah binti Ibrahim (DAP) : 1,151
In the Kenering by-election yesterday, the results were:
Tajul Rosli bin Tan Sri Ghazali (NF) : 5,172
Ibrahim bin Singgeh (DAP) : 1,977
Abdul Yusop bin Alan Mat Eusin (Pekemas) : 715
Secondly, by-elections in Malaysia are always favourable to the ruling party because they are able to concentrate all their resources and even threats and intimidations in one area, and despite this, the DAP has been able to register great progress in the support of the people. When the DAP entered the Kenering by-election, we did not have a single branch in Kenering. (Pekemas claim that they more than 10 branches in the constituency) .
We contested Kenering by-election to prepare the ground for the coming general elections, and the Kenering results in the by-election give hope that in the general elections, the DAP stands a good chance of winning the Kenering seat. It is also a vindication of the progress that the DAP is making in the kampongs and rural areas in Perak and other states.
We do not expect to win rural seats overnight. Political struggles do not operates like that. What we want, annd what we have achieved, is consistent and steady progress in winning over the support the people of all races, whether in towns or kampongs.
Thirdly, I am happy with the result for it showed that the voters of Kenering are sophisticated, and not easily subject to intimidations. As I had occasion to complain to the Minister of Information, Dato Taib Mahmud, in Parliament a few days ago, Information Department officers are going round the constituency threatening the voters with all sorts of consequences, like imposition of curfews and withdrawal of land given out by the government, should they vote for the DAP. These threats, which are abuse of government powers, have failed to check a nearly 100% increase in DAP votes. The Minister of Information has promised to look into my complaint, and I propose to pursue this matter further with him.
I had said in a DAP public rally in Grik on November 13 that the people of Kenering who want to see a change of Barisan Nasional policies and to register their protest and objection against Barisan National policies should treasure and cherish their votes by solidly voting for the DAP candidate. For a vote for the Pekemas is a vote wasted. Events have again proved the correctness of our analysis.
If all those who voted for the Pekemas candidate had voted for the DAP candidate, then the majority of the Barisan Nasional would have been reduced from 5,218 to a mere 2,000 votes, and it would be a great victory for the people and setback for the Barisan Nasional.
I congratulate the DAP candidate for Kenering, Sdr. Ibrahim bin Singgeh, and the Perak State Chairman, Sdr. Lim Cho Hock, for the Kenering by-election results, which should give a further boost to Perak DAP branches to re-double their efforts to establish DAP influence more deely all over the Perak.
And to all DAP Perak leaders and members who have worked hard during the Kenering by-election campaign, I say: Well done!