Cultural Revolution without Red Guards
The Party is in the process of carrying out a Cultural Revolution – but one without Red Guards. There must be a conscious effort by all party leaders and members to bring about change of attitudes to party commitment, party responsibilities and the need to set an example of leadership to others.
Party leaders, if they are to be good party leaders, must be prepared to commit a greater totally of their lives to the cause of the Party.
Although the party had launched a political offensive on all fronts beginning June 1, 1980, this message has not sufficiently permeated all levels of party leadership and organisation.
There are still many branches and leaders/members who are still unadjusted or unacquainted to the demands of the Party in the New Era. In fact, there are still many branches which have not seen either the English Rocket (four issues of which have already been published) or the Chinese booklet. State Committees must regard this, the re-orientation of branches and members to the New Party Era of the Eighties, as their most urgent task, as it is clearly impossible for me to visit all branches to spread the message.
In any event, after the F.SG.D, it would be an absolute shame should there be branches which did not participate in ordering and selling the Rocket or any one of the political booklets.
Index of Political Health of Branches
Apart from the requirements with regard to membership as stated in F.SG.D 13/80, the Party Headquarters is finalising regular reports on the political health of each branch. The index of political health of each branch will be based on political activities, such as the number of Rockets, booklets taken, sold and settled with HQ for each issue; activities during the Voters’ Registration Campaign; branch programmes; ect. NOS Dr.P.Patto will give full details of this Index in his MOO.
State Committees have not sufficiently realised their duties and responsibilities in providing leadership to branches in their states. While delegating great responsibilities to the State Committees in party development and expansion in their respective states, I will not hesitate to by-pass States Committees if I find that they are not working competently. By the same analogy, I would not hesitate to by-pass branches if branch committees are unable to provide proper leadership.
State Committees should include, at every meeting, specific items of “Organising Secretary’s Report: Publicity Secretary’s Report; Political Education Secretary’s Report” – for the State Committee will be collectively responsible for the success or failure of organisational, publicity and political education efforts in each state. The failure of the state publicity secretary, for instance, in the field of Rocket and booklet sales, is also the failure of that State Committee!
Political Education
In this connection, I want to clarify a circular issued by the Selangor Political Education Secretary stating to the effect that I had instructed that political talks be held for the English-speaking only. I had never issued such an instruction. What I said is that I am planning a series of ‘brain storming sessions’ for three regional centres each month, which will be conducted in English. Political talks, whether at the regional state or branch level, in other languages will be organised by the Political Education Committee.
To avoid unnecessary diversions, officials and leaders of the Party at all levels should learn to understand instructions without putting their own misinterpretations.
Tour Of Parliamentary Constituencies
I started on my tour of Tanjung Parliamentary Constituency on 16th August, 1980, but postponed the second part of my visit to 11th October and 12th October because of rain and other developments.
The purpose of my visit to DAP Parliamentary and State Assembly constituencies are three-fold:
1. to meet a cross-section with the electorate to hear their views and understand their problems;
2. to assess the performance of DAP MPs and State Assemblyman in the constituency;
3. to check up on party organisation and branch activities and morale.
Programmes of parliamentary and state assembly constituencies should therefore be drawn up with these three objective mind, so that at the end of the tour, I could make up a report covering these three separate headings. For purpose (2), there should be a meeting if all members/ branches in the constituency, where all members would be free to air and even criticise the MP and/ or SA concerned about his performance.
After my visit to Tanjung, the constituencies I will visit will be in the following order:
2. BRUAS
3. DAMANSARA
4. BUKIT MERTAJAM
5. KELIAN PAUH
6. BUKIT BENDERA
7. PASIR BEDAMAR
8. SUNGAI BESI
MPs/SAs concerned should prepare a draft programme of my visit for my approval. The dates for the above visit will be announced later.