State Committees and Finance
I had asked for new approaches and concepts in organization to better equip the Party for the Eighties. New ideas and approaches should not be confined to Organisation, but must apply to all fields of Party activity.
In F.SG.D. (SG/6/80), I had dwelt on the ‘Responsibility and Challenge of State Committees’. What I said there was only the beginning of new ideas on State Committee’s new responsibilities in the Decade of the Eighties.
I want here to discuss the State Committees ‘responsibility with regard to Finance. In the Eighties, the Party, including State Committees, must adopt a more outgoing approach to make the State Committees completely self-sufficient in finance to launch a variety of programmes in the State.
In fact, I do not see why State Committees in States which have several MPs and State Assemblymen could not tap public support in the form of financial contributions to build up sufficient finances not only to do away with the monthly rebates from the CEC to the States, but even to make monthly contributions of no small sum to the Central Executive Committee. Alternatively, the State Committees can continue to receive the rebates, but each State Committee will have to organize fund-raising activities specifically for the CEC funds annually, under the direction and supervision of the National Treasurer.
In this connection, State Committees can take a leaf from Pahang DAP State Committee, which has no single MP or State Assemblyman, and which covers the biggest state in Peninsular Malaysia, but is yet able to raise and organize its finances to pay for a full-time Organising Secretary.
Voters’ Registration
I am quite impressed by the work done so far by the National Voters Registration Campaign Committee to work out the strategy and guidelines for the voters’ registration campaign by all States and branches this year.
It should be an example to all committees, bureaus and officials that when responsibilities are assigned to them, they must be carried out with a high sense of duty, seriousness and urgency.
The National Voters’ Registration Campaign Committee has sent to the printers posters and handbills which will be used by all states and branches in the campaign. The total printing cost will come to some $7,000 which would be borne by the States and branches, based on the number of copies allocated to States and branches by the Committee. States and branches which want more would have to place early orders with the Committee.
The Party will not charge states and Branches fees for planning and creative work!
Rocket
Further to F.SG.D. (SG/6/80) re: new arrangement and responsibility by State Committees with regard to Rocket distribution and finances, Sdr. Dr. Tan Seng Giaw will assume full charge of the circulation, distribution, finance, subscription of the Rocket, and State Treasurers should make out their monthly Rocket cheques to Sdr. Dr. Tan c/o DAP Hqrs.
I am surprised that some states/areas/branches are taking so few copies of the Rocket which indicate a completely new attitude is needed in these areas considering the pivotal importance of the Rocket and other party literature in the DAP’s Political Offensive in the Eighties. I have been told by the Rocket Editor, Sdr. Nair, that Kuala Lumpur has taken only 100 copies for the second number of the Rocket. In the sixties, Kuala Lumpur led all States in the number of Rockets sold in the country. KL should dispose not 100, but at least 2,000, Rockets every issue.
Political Education Committee
The DAP Political Committee, comprising Sdr. Chan Teck Chan, Chairman, Sdr. Fadzlan Yahya Vice Chairman, Sdr. M. Nair, Secretary, Sdr. Seow Hung Khim, Sdr. Lau Dak Kee, Sdr. Ling Sie Ming, will hold its inaugural meeting in DAP Hqrs on Sunday, 27th July 1980 at 2.30 p.m. to work out a national programme of political education activities for the Prty.
Apart from national seminars, like the DAP MPs/SAs seminar in Cameron Highlands in August and the DAP National Cadres Seminar in Port Dickson in December, each state should organise a state-level seminar at least once within the next six months ending February 1981.
Committees and Bureaus
Other Party committees and bureaus are in the process of re-constitution and formation, and this process should be completed by the first week of August.
New committees or bureaus may be formed apart from the pre-existing ones, like the Education Committee, Bureau of Cultural Affairs, etc.
Trade unionists and party positions
A recent amendment to the Trade Unions Ordinance, given Royal Assent on 22nd May 1980 and Gazetted on 29th May 1980, has slightly varied the capability of trade unionists to hold party positions.
In 1969, the Trade Unions Ordinance was amended to provide that “A person shall not act as a member of the executive of a trade unions, and shall be disqualified for election as such member, if ……… (cl) he is an officer or employee of a political party.”
The word ‘officer’ has now been amended to ‘officer bearer’ which is defined as follows:
““office bearer”, when used with reference to a political party, means any person who is the president, vice-president, secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer or assistant treasurer of the political party, or who holds any office or position, by whatever name called, which is analogous to any of those mentioned above, or who holds any office r position in the political party whereby he exercises management or control of the affairs of the political party.”
Positions not caught by the above definition are now open to trade union officers in the Party.