Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 24.6.1982:
DAP appoints Lee Lam Thye and Chan Kok Kit to conduct investigation into Hu Sepang-Chia Ban Chan affair
I had announced at a Malacca press conference on Monday that the DAP would conduct a thorough investigation into the Hu Sepang-Chia Ban Chun affair, where the Seramban Nanyang Siang Pao reporter alleged that DAP Assemblyman for Rahang had gone to the press office and rummaged his drawers and threatened him.
I have received a written report form Hu Sepang denying Chia Ban Chan’s allegations.
In view of the conflicting versions by the two parties involved, the DAP has appointed Deputy Secretary-General and MP for Kuala Lumpur Bandar, Lee Lam Thye, and National Vice Chairman and MP for Sungei Besi, Chan Kok Kit, to conduct the investigations into the Hu Sepang-Chia Ban Chan affair, and to seek the co-operation of the National Union of Journalists Malaysia and the various press clubs and associations so as to be able to determine what actually happened on June 9 in the Seremban Nanyang Siang Pao office.
The DAP is prepared to make available all the DAP members involved in the case who can throw light on the matter, and in the same way, we hope that the National Union of Journalists Malaysia, newspapers and the various press clubs and associations would also be prepared to make available all their members who can throw light on the incident.
Until there is a full and thorough inquiry, it would not be right for anyone to come to any prejudgement.
I regret the statement by the General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists Malaysia in today’s press giving the DAP a one-week ultimatum to get Hu Sepang to apologise or to face a nation-wide press boycott of all DAP functions and statements.
The DAP is prepared to get to the truth, but will not allow itself to be blackmailed or intimidated.
We know that there are political forces in the country who are trying to make political capital out of the Hu Sepang-Chia Ban Chan affair, and to engineer a total press black-out of the DAP. The people will be the best judge as to who is right or wrong in such an event.
There are also those who disregard the fact that the police investigations into the Hu Sepang-Chia Ban Chan affair had not been completed, and therefore the question as who is right or wrong undetermined.
Sdr. Lee Lam Thye and Sdr. Chan Kok Kit will be getting in touch with the NUJ Malaysia, the press and the various press clubs and associations, and I hope that with the co-operation of all concerned, the Hu Sepang-Chia Ban Chan affair could be satisfactorily resolved, but even more important, the matter is not blown out of all proportion for the political gain of some political forces in the country.