Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at the Cameron Highlands DAP Branch Anniversary Dinner held at Cameron Highlands on Saturday, 4.8.1984 at 8 pm
Call on the Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Musa Hitam, to explain the status of the 300,000 illegal Indonesia immigrants in Malaysia
Four days ago, the Deputy Home Affairs Minister, Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, announced that the first batch of 100 Indonesia workers to be recruited under the recently-concluded labour pact between Malaysia and Indonesia will arrive here in August.
A week before that, when I asked Radzi Sheik Ahmad in the Dewan Rakyat during question time whether the Malaysia-Indonesia Agreement on the supply of Indonesia contract workers was being implemented, the Deputy Minister had answered in the negative. Radzi owes an explanation to the MPs in the Dewan Rakyat whether he had deliberately misled the house.
Before the Malaysia-Indonesia pact to supply Indonesian workers to Malaysia, there were already some 300,000 illegal Indonesia immigrants in the country, working in the various plantations and estates, or taking part in various forms of criminal activities.
The DAP wants the Minister of Home Affairs to explain clearly what is the status of the 300,000 illegal Indonesian immigrants in Malaysia as a result of the pact on the supply of Indonesian workers. Are the 300,000 illegal Indonesian immigrants automatically legalised as lawful residents in Malaysia, or have they to be repatriated back to Indonesia first to come through proper channels?
The MCA, MIC and Gerakan Ministers are a great disappointment to the Chinese and Indian society for they had failed to raise the objections and reservations of the Chinese and Indian community to the legalisation of illegal Indonesia immigrants in the cabinet.
The DAP calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Musa Hitam, to suspend the importation of the first batch of 100 Indonesian workers under the Medan pact, until the people have a full opportunity to study and express their views on the pact to supply Indonesian workers to Malaysia.
Support for Prof. Ismail Hussein’s view that the Bahasa Malaysia language should be cleaned up to ensure that it is a language for all Malaysians
The DAP fully support the view of Prof. Ismail Hussein of the Federation of National Writers Association
(GAPENA) that Bahasa Malaysia should be cleaned up so that it would be a language for all Malaysians, and would not comprise humiliating and derogatory remarks or proverbs about any community in the country.
Bahasa Malaysia is no more a language of the Malays, but is the language of all Malaysians. As such, it must reflect and express the aspirations of all Malaysians, regardless of race, and not convey humiliating or derogatory remarks about any community in Malaysia.
In Parliament, the Mp for Pasir Puteh, Wan Najib, had said last week that if you meet a snake and an Indian, you hit the Indian first. Up to now, Wan Najib had not apologised for his insulting remark of all Indians. What is surprising is that against Karpal Singh and my protest, the Acting Assistant Speaker ruled that Wan Najib was using a Malay saying, and therefore could not be stopped.
Bahasa Malaysia must not only he cleaned up to remove all deoregatory and humiliating remarks and proverbs about other communities, Wan Najib must be openly and publicly disciplined for such ‘communalism’ by the Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, in line with his slogan of ‘Leadership by example.’ The Barisan Nasional Supreme Council should meet in urgent session to suspend Wan Najib from membership of the Barisan National for his most communal and chauvinistic remarks.