Press Conference Statement (2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-Genaral and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Wednesday, 1.8.1984 at 12 noon
Lim Kit Siang challenges Harris Salleh to name the place and time, whether in Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur, to repeat his entire speech in Parliament on the Fung-Ket Wing-Harris Salleh debate without protection of privilege
Last Friday, the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Harris Salleh, challenged DAP MPs to repeat accusations against him over the Labuan issue outside Parliament.
I challenged Datuk Harris Salleh to name the place, date and time, whether in Kota Kinabalu or in Kuala Lumpur, and I will repeat my entire speech in Parliament over the Fung-Ket Wing-Harris Salleh Privileges Committee Report on the Labuan land issue without protection of Parliamentary privilege.
I am surprised that the Prime Minister, Datuk Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, had himself come into the picture. My colleagues, Fung Ket Wing (MP for Sandakan) and Dr. Tan Seng Giaw (MP of Kepong) had surprised my expose in the Parliamentary debate that Datuk Harris Salleh had breached Article 6(5) of the Sabah State Construction, which states: “The Chief Minister shall not hold any office of profit and shall not actively engage in any commercial enterprises”. Datuk Harris was in 1983, when he was Sabah Chief Minister, a director of at least two companies, which are in Labuan, DUA BERSAUDARA SDN. BHD. and EMPAT BERSAUDARI SDN. BHD.
Datuk Harris Salleh is one who is very fond of challenging people, but in this matter involving his being a Director of two companies when being Chief Minister, breaching the Sabah State Constitution, he had become unusually silent.
Datuk Harris’ silence is understandable, for we have produced for public the Registry of Companies Record showing that Datuk Harris Salleh was director of these two companies, and Sdr. Fung Ket Wing had yesterday lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency in Kuala Lumpur that action initiated against Datuk Harris Salleh’s breach of the Sabah State Constitution.
I would have expected Dr. Mahathir, who came to power with the pledge of wanting to fight corruption and all forms of improper and unethical practice, would have given a public pledge that the government would take action against anyone, be he the Chief Minister of Sabah, if he had breached the law.
Instead, Datuk Dr. Mahathir seemed to be sending a message to the Anti-Corruption Agency and other investigative authorities not to pursue Sdr. Fung Ket Wing’s report, when he wanted to create a diversion by saving that the DAP leaders must assert outside Parliament that Datuk Harris owned 70 per cent of Labuan land.
If this is Datuk Dr. Mahathir’s intention, then his pledge of wanting to put the ‘fear of God’ into the and those who abuse power is an empty one.
Datuk Harris had clearly broken his pledge as Chief Minister of Sabah to uphold the Sabah State Constitution. Is Dr. Mahathir going to condone Datuk Harris’ action, and help to bail him out?
Real issue is whether Datuk Harris Salleh is above the law
The real issue now is whether Datuk Harris Salleh is above the law. It is no more an argument over 70 per cent or about 2 per cent of Labuan land ownership.
I call on the Prime Minister to give full powers and green light to the Anti-Corruption Agency to prosecute the Harris Salleh case.
Call on Harris Salleh to deny that he is director of a third company while being Chief Minister – SEJATI SDN. BHD.
I want to make public a third company involving the Chief Minister, Datuk Harris Salleh. I call on Harris Salleh to deny that while being Chief Minister, he was also director of SEJATI SDN. BHD. According to the Registry of Company Records for 1983, the shareholders of Sejati Sdn. Bhd. are as follows:
Harris Salleh 2,525,000 shares
Ruppiah Bachee Khan (wife of Datuk Harris Salleh) 2,525,000 shares
Empat Bersaudari Sdn. Bhd. 3,030,000 shares
Dua Bersaudara Sdn. Bhd. 2,020,000 shares
Again according to the Registry of Companies Records
On 27th July 1983, SEJATI SDN. BHD. charged Labuk & Sugut Lease No. 085310005 containing 5,000 acres to Bank Bumiputera Malaysia Berhad of Sandakan for one million dollars.