Speech by DAP Secretary-General, Member of Parliament for PETALING and Malacca State Assemblyman for Kubu, LIM KIT SIANG, at a thanksgiving party for election workers of the Sungei Besi Parliamentary Constituency held at Sungei Besi Branch on Sunday, July 16 at 5 p.m.
DAP will probably contest the Perlis State Assembly by-election in Titi Tinggi
There will be a by-election in the Perlis State Assembly seat of Titi Tinggi soon, as the MCA candidate who was returned unopposed has passed away. The DAP will probably contest the Perlis by-election. This will make the DAP expand the another state in Malaysia, as the DAP had not contested in Perlis before although we have a branch in Kaki Bukit in Perlis.
The DAP must always expand to bring the ideals and message of a democratic socialist, Malaysia to an ever-increasing number of Malaysians.
The DAP has broken the Barisan Nasional stranglehold in Sabah with our parliamentary victory in Sandakan. This leaves only three states, namely Sarawak, Kelantan and Trengganu where we do not have a presence.
We should remedy the Sarawak absence soon, as we are determined to set up DAP branches in Sarawak in the very immediate future. It is my personal hope that when the nest elections is held in Peninsular Malaysia, the DAP will also be fielding candidates in Kelantan and Trengganu.
Call n Barisan Nasional leaders to prove they are democrats by accepting the verdict of the people
In the week after the election results in Peninsular Malaysia Barisan Nasional leaders have been critical of the electoral support secured by the DAP, and talking about ‘polarisation’ and ‘anti-establishment’ trend in the urban areas.
The Barisan leaders should prove that they are democrats by accepting the verdict ot the people – which is to demand changes in the government’s education, economic, social and cultural policies.
If there is any polarisation in the country, it is the Barisan policies which have created it. UMNO keeps calling on Malays to unite as Malays, MCA calling on Chinese to unite as Chinese, and MIC calling on Indians to unite as Indians. It is such racial calls which are the greatest obstacle to Malaysian unity. Parti Gerakan of course is a special class by itself. Gerakan leaders are opposed to MCA calling on Chinese to unite as Chinese, but do not oppose UMNO calling on Malays to unite as Malays.
In the interest of national unity, I call on the Barisan leaders to stop making such racial calls, and to work for the unity of all Malaysians by calling on them to think, act, feel and unite as Malaysians.
Thanks to Sungei Besi workers and voters
On behalf of the Party, I wish to thank the Sungei Besi voters for their resounding vote of confidence in the DAP and the DAP candidate, Sdr. Chan Kok Kit, who was not allowed to campaign as he is held under detention – but romped home with the record-breaking majority of over 33,000 votes.
The DAP is making arrangements for the constituency needs and problems of Sungei Besi Parliamentary constituency to be looked after. Sdr. Lee Lam Thye, KL Bandar Member of Parliament, is in overall charge of the constituency problems in Sungei Besi. He will be assisted by a Special Constituency Service Committee for Sungei Besi, which is headed by Sdr.K.C.Cheah. A full-time political secretary for Sungei Besi, Sdr. Robert Ng, has also been appointed.