Beware of the Barisan and MCA stepped-up campaign to discredit and destroy the DAP through a organised and systematic campaign of smear, lies and malice
I had hope that after the Party Annual Conference in Seremban on Dec, 21, the Party will be able to get on with its work to rebuild itself in conjunction with the Party’s 15th Anniversary along lines designed by the Central Executive Committee since the Cameron Highlands Meeting in August 1980, to infuse the Party and the party leaders and member with a new sense of purpose, and to prepare for the next general elections which could be held within 18 to 24 months.
This has not been the case. Day in and day out, party leaders and members have been deflected by the intensified campaign of smear, lies and malice in the Barisan-controlled press calculated to:
1. Discredit the Party in the eyes of the public
2. Paralyse and break the will, stamina and spirit of DAP leaders.
In my 15 years’ political struggle, I have never been subjected to such a systematic and organised attack on my character and credibility as of now, and I know that it is designed to try to paralyse and break my political will, stamina and spirit.
It is with anticipation of this large design of the Barisan Nasional and MCA which had prompted among other things, my resignation as Party
Secretary-General at the end of November last year; for I sensed that I going to become more and more, the target of attack on the unfounded, malicious and vicious propaganda that I am suppressing the Chinese educated in the Party.
This malicious attack by the MCA and the Barisan is not a new development. Ever since the 1970s, the MCA in particular had tired to discredit and undermine the DAP’s public support by foisting this falsehood in public. The MCA know that in an open contest for ideas, political principles and the integrity and spirit of sacrifice of Party leaders, the MCA is no match for the DAP. This has been borne out in every general elections since 1969.
The MCA’s only chance of beating the DAP in general elections is to destroy the people’s faith and confidence in the DAP and DAP leadership, and this is what precisely the MCA and Barisan parties are seeking to do.
In the past, the MCA and Barisan’s malicious campaign that the DAP leadership is anti-Chinese educated had not made any impact, because of the solidarity and unity of the Party leaders and members.
But this time, the MCA and Barisan pedlars of lies, malice and venom thought they could get more mileage because they hope to make use of internal problems to lend seeming justification to their campaign of character assassination.
For instance, recent party problems were presented in the Barisan-controlled press, day in and day out, together with a chunk of falsehoods and lies, as the best example of the Chinese educated in the party being suppressed by the English educated.
That I am anti-Chinese educated is so patently ridiculous that in the first instance, I had dismissed it as something which nobody would believe.
After all, my record, and that of the Party, on Chinese education in the last 15 years is an open book for all to see and judge. But when over periods of three months, and clearly this campaign will go on for the next 18 to 24 months until the next general elections, a lie is repeated a hundred or two hundred times, without counter from the Party, there will be people who will begin to believe it.
The DAP is a multi-racial party, with members from different language medium of education. In such a movement, for anyone to present any problem or difference by the English educated, is the height of anti-party activity. For it is the Party as a whole which is being damaged by such irresponsible charges, for it lends credence and support to the MCA and Barisan’s malicious campaign to discredit the Party leadership on the ground of being anti-Chinese educated.
Similarly, it will equally be the height of anti-party activity for anyone to distort any internal problem or difference as being the result of the Party’s leadership’s alleged anti-Malay or anti-Indian tendency, when such problems or difference have abolustely nothing to do with race.
In the DAP’s 15 years struggle, we have gone through great tests and trials. Party leaders have been detained or prosecuted. But these are open challenge visible to the eye, which challenge the idealism, principles and commitment of the Party and party leaders. The challenge we face now as a result of the systematic and organised campaign of character assassination by the MCA and Barisan through the Barisan-controlled press is more dangerous, for it is not so ‘visible’ to the eye. It attacks the perceptions and opinions of the people by a period of time drumming into their consciousness that the DAP is anti-Chinese educated,
The time has come for the Party as a whole to declare war on this malicious campaign of character assassination. The MCA and Barisan pedlars of lies and falsehoods hope to get support from inside the Party to lend credence to their evil attack on the DAP. We must deny them this. If we fail, and there are those in the Party who for their own reasons are prepared directly or indirectly to give credence to this MCA and
Barisan campaign of character assassination, then such element have gone beyond the pale of the Party and become anti-party element who have no room in the DAP.
There are those who want the Party to slowly bleed to death culminating in the next general elections in 18 to 24 months time. I have brooded over this malicious campaign against me and the DAP for long enough. I will brood no more, and together with all Party leaders, branches and members who want to see the DAP reach even greater heights in the next general elections, ACT TO END THIS PARTY HAEMORRHAGE.