Be Ready for Voters’ Registration Campaign in September
In the last three general elections, the Dap found on each occasion that in all the constituencies we contested, we had many supporters who could not vote for us because they are not registered voters. There is no doubt that we would have more elected MPs and State Assemblymen if all our supporters had registered as voters.
Up till now, DAP branches and state committees had not given the voters registration month the importance it deserved. The Party, all down the line from national to state and branch levels, should give serious attention to the voters registration exercise this year, which will be held next month in September. There are of course many difficulties and obstacles in the way of facilitating our maximising registration of eligible voters, but it is up to our resourcefulness and indemnity to overcome these difficulties and obstacles.
I am appointing Sdr. Lee Lam Thye as chairman of the 1979 DAP National Committee for the Registration of Voters, and every State should appoint a member to serve on this Committee, and communicate the name to Sdr. Lee Lam Thye by before August 14, 1979, so that a meeting of this National Committee could be held to map out the strategy and advise states and branches how to go about this campaign this years. Sdr. Fadzlan Yahya will serve as Secretary of this Committee.
Congress Organising Committee
As I had circularised to branches, Sdr. P. Patto is the Chairman of the Fifth Party Congress Organising Committee. After the Perak State Convention on August 4, 1979, Sdr. P. Patto will send out to the various states a preliminary list of branches entitled to send delegates to the Fifth Party Congress to be held in Kuala Lumpur/ Petaling Jaya on Dec. 1 and 2. This preliminary list of branches entitled to send delegates to the Party Congress will be on the branches which were accredited as entitled to send delegates to the respective State Conventions.
Branches which for one reason or another were able or permitted to send delegates to the Conventions would be given opportunity to remedy the defect, before a Final List of Branches entitled to send delegates to the Party Congress is prepared and issued.
Once the Final List is issued, no other branches will be permitted to dens delegates to the Congress.
Second 10,000-People DAP Dinner
In conjunction with the Party Congress, it is proposed to organise the DAP’s Second Ten-Thousand People Dinner. However, as the accounts of the First 10,000 People Dinner have not been closed, the formation of the Organising Committee for the Second 10,000 People DAP Dinner 10,000-People Dinner.
I will announce details of the Organising Committee for the Second DAP 10,000 People Dinner once I have received a report from the Party National Treasurer, Sdr. Lee Kaw, that the First 10,000 People Dinner Accounts have been settled, which is expected in a fortnight’s time.
To ensure the success of the Second 10,000 People Dinner, apart from the Dap Solidarity Dinners listed in the National Organising Secretary’s Party Diary (accompanying), no Selangor Branch should organise any dinners until next years.
State Branch Officials’ Conference
By August 4, all the State Committees in Peninsular Malaysia would have been elected through direct elections at the State Conventions. All State Committees will now be directly answerable to the branches and the members of the State for the progress, expansion and success of the Party in each state.
One new problem however has arisen. Unlike the previous State Committees, not all branches would have representatives on the State Committees, and the problem of State-branch relationship may become remote or non-existent unless we devise some institutional measures.
It is now proposed that the State Committees should convene a conference of branch officials in each State at least once in three months, to discuss branch, party, organisational and political problems, to ensure that there is the closest contact between the branches and the State Committee, and also among the branches.
Before the State Committee fixes the dates for these Branch Officials Conference, the dates should be cleared with the National Organising Secretary first to ensure that there would no conflict with other State Branch Conference dates.
For these State Conference of Branch Officials, each branch should be asked to send the Branch Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer unless other programmes are also planned involving other officials, e.g. Organising Secretary or Publicity Secretary.
Chinese edition of Time Bombs in Malaysia
Publicity and communication is one of the most important aspects of political work. Unfortunately, the Chinese edition of ‘ Times Bombs in Malaysia’ has not been sufficiently pushed by the States and branches, and State and branches which have sold the Chinese Time Bombs in Malaysia have also not forwarded the sales money to Headquarters.
A new national effort is necessary to re-organise the campaign to disseminate as widely as possible the Chinese Time Bombs in Malaysia, e.g. ensuring that all dinners include sales of Time Bomb book, and I am appointing the Acting Publicity Secretary, Dr. Tan Seng Giaw, to be responsible for this campaign.
Johore DAP
At the Johore DAP State Convention, I announced that the appointment of Sdr. Chan Teck Chan as the CEC special officer for Johore to revitalise Johore DAP branches and to work for the objective of winning at least half a dozen State Assembly seats in Johore in the next general elections.
All Johore DAP Branches should respond to this challenge, and prepare to put Johore on the DAP Political Map of the country and not continue to trail behind other states.
DAP Building Fund
With the Party’s continued expansion, both in West Malaysia and in Sabah and Sarawak, there is an urgent need for the Party to have a Party Headquarters with more space and room than we have at present in Paramount Gardens, Petaling Jaya.
The Party is now in the final stage of working out plans for the launching of a national campaign for a DAP building, which should not only be able to house the headquarters staff and operations, but also have space for meetings and conferences.
Party Treasurer, Sdr. Lee Kaw, is who is in charge of this project, will announce details of this campaign when finalised and approved by the party leadership.
Conclusion
In July 1978, the DAP reached a new height of political and party success in the general elections. But it would not be the summit for the DAP, but merely the scaling of another new peak.
In the next general elections, we must scale even greater heights, and get not only more than 16 parliamentary seats, but also over 700,000 voters, together with the serious bid to capture power in Penang.
If we are to achieve all these ambitious plans, then the Party must hum with life and dynamism at all levels from now all to way to the next general elections.
These are our challenges. Let us set out on our new conquests.