Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Petaling, Lim Kit Siang, at the Kuching DAP Branch Second Anniversary Dinner held at Kuching Hilltop Restaurant on Wednesday, 5th August 1981 at 7 p.m.
DAP calls on Malaysian Government to review relations with Soviet Union in view of KGB attempts to sub infiltrate and subvert top government and social circles a in the backdrop of growing Soviet expansionism in the Asia-Pacific region
Three days before he was sworn in as the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s political secretary, Siddiq Mohamed Chouse was detained under the Internal Security Act for being a Soviet KGB spy, and three top Soviet Embassy officials in Kuala Lumpur were expelled for KGB activities.
This is not the first time that the KGB, under protection of its diplomatic cover, had tried to infiltrate and subvert the higher reaches of Malaysian government and society.
Five years ago, the Government revealed that the Soviet apparatus had reached as high up as two Deputy Ministers. And in 1976, I also revealed in Parliament, how the Russians were also trying to recruit agents and sympathizers through commercial and business deals, as through the Moscow Narodny Bank where a few top UMNO leaders were involved.
Although espionage is a fact of international life, the repeated attempt by the Soviet Government, through its KGB, to infiltrate and subvert the higher reaches of Malaysian government and society is clearly intolerable and acceptable, as these activities indicate an ambitious long-term design to subjugate Malaysia.
The GB activities remind me of the espionage activities carried out by the Japanese Imperialist government before they through seemingly innocent Japanese tourists, businessman, etc. before Japan launched its war in South-East Asia to establish its Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere in Asia.
The persistent KGB activities to infiltrate and subvert top government leaders in Malaysia are very ominous when seen in the backdrop of Soviet military expansionism in Asia-Pacific region in recent years.
Since 1975, there had been a startling increase of Soviet military presence in the region. Aided by a favourable shift in the overall US-Soviet strategic equation, by an impressive Soviet naval build up in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and by the consolidation of a united, military powerful Vietnamese ally, the USSR has drawn Kampuchea, Laos and Afghanistan towards its orbit by sheer military force.
The invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet troops and of Kampuchea by those of Moscow’s Vietnamese proxy point to a two-prong Soviet strategy aimed at Soviet control of access to the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Malacca, to control the key arteries for the transport of Middle Eastern oil to Western Europe and Japan, and to turn the South China Sea into a Communist lake through an unimpeded access to the Cam Ranh Bay and other Vietnamese naval facilities.
Malaysia and ASEAN countries must enlist international support to resist any attempt to establish a PAX SOVIETICA, which will be detrimental to the independence, nation sovereignty and territorial integrity of all small nations. For this reason, the DAP calls on the government to be especially on guard against KGB activities to infiltrate and subvert top reaches of government and society in Malaysia, and in view of the persistent activities to continue with such infiltration and subversion, to review Malaysia’s relations with the Soviet Union to consider how best to protect Malaysia’s national interest.
By refusing the condemn Haji Suhaimi for his extremism in Parliament, the SUPP is in fact encouraging such extremism to establish and grow in power and influence.
On July 9, I wrote to the SUPP Chairman, Tan Sri Ong Kee Hui, suggesting the SUPP, MCA, Gerakan and MIC Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and Members of Parliament join with DAP MPs in the next Parliamentary meeting to condemn UMNO Youth Leader, Haji Suhaimi Kamaruddin, for his extremist and chauvinist speeches and demands.
In June this year, at the UMNO Youth General Assembly, Haji Suhaimi called for the slowing down of the economic growth of the non-Malays and the prohibition of the non-Malays from buying foreigners’ shares.
In June last year, also the UMNO Youth General Assembly, Haji Suhaimi made three highly divisive calls, namely:
• The imposition of control on the economic progress of non-bumiputera to reduce the economic gap between them and the bumiputras;
• The raising of the quota of housing to be set aside for bumiputras in housing schemes from 30 to 55 per cent; and
• The implementation of Clause21 (2) of the 1961 Education Act convert Chinese and Tamil primary schools into national primary schools.
Although I had asked Tan Sri Ong Kee Hui and the other Barisan leaders, namely Datuk Lee San Chong of MCA, Dr. Lim Keng Yaik of Gerakan and Datuk Samy Vellu of MIC, to reply within two weeks, I did not receive a single reply.
But Tan Sri Ong and the other Barisan leaders had made clear their refusal to condemn Haji Suhaimi Kamarrudin in Parliament. When Tan Sri Ong and the other Barisan leaders dare not even reply to me on the DAP invitation, it clearly shows how spineless are these parties when it come to basic rights of the people.
The Barisan leaders have given various reasons in public why they refuse join DAP MPs in Parliament to condemn Haji Suhaimi for his extremism and chauvinism.
The first reasons is that there is no need to waste time on Haji Suhaimi as what he days does not reflect government policy.
Malaysians still remember to the UMBC case. When Multi-Purpose Holdings BHD. had conclude the deal to require 51% of the UMBC, and was only awaiting the full payment of the monies agreed upon to complete the transaction, Haji Suhaimi and UMNO Youth came out in opposition. As a result f Haji Suhaimi and UMNO Youth’s opposition, Multi-Purpose Holding Bhd. 51% control of UMBC has been cut down to 41%.
It would be more true to say the Haji Suhaimi and UMNO Youth need not waste time on SUPP, MCA and Gerakan, for the UMNO Youth’s influence on government policy is more effective, final and permanent than the influence of the SUPP, MCA and Gerakan added together!
After Haji Suhaimi’s extremist call in the 1980 UMNO Youth Conference, he was appointed Deputy Minister for Agriculture. After his extremist call at the UMNO Youth Conference in June this year, he was elevated from Deputy Agriculture Minister to Deputy Education Minister.
By refusing to take a firm, unequivocal and public stand in the place where it matters, namely Parliament, against extremism and chauvinism of the kind espoused by Haji Suhaimi, SUPP and the other component Barisan parties are in fact encouraging such extremism to gather strength, support and momentum.
Malaysia’s survival, prosperity and future can only be premised on a policy of moderation. Extremism of one quarter will beget extremism from another quarter, and Malaysia’s multi-racial society will head towards disintegration and ruination.
This is why it is imperative that whenever extremism rears its ugly head, it must be the duty of responsible leaders to smack hard on them so as not to allow them to have a lease of life.
If the voices of moderation and reason are not prepared to make themselves heard, felt and respected, then they will be drowned by the siren of extremism. Where extremism is the rule of the day, even moderates in UMNO will have to become extremist to service.
I therefore hope that the SUPPP would act responsibly and rise to the occasion to positively respond to the DAP’s invitation to show Haji Shuaimi that his extremism and chauvinism is not acceptable to the majority of Malaysians.
If there are no voices of moderation and reason inside the Barisan Nasional who are prepared to assert themselves to check the growth of extremism and chauvinism, then SUPP must bear the full responsibility together with other component Barisan parties for any rise of extremism in the country in the 1980s.