1984 National Day Message by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang released on August 30 1984
DAP calls for the establishment of two Royal Commissions of inquiry into (i) Corruption, abuse of power and breach of trust in public life; and (ii) Racial Polarisation
The 1984 National Day Theme is ‘Trust as the Foundation of Success’. Although Dr. Mahathir Mohamed started his premiership with a clarion call for the stamping out of graft – corruption, abuse of power and breach of trust in the public life has never been so rampant under the 2M administration as it is now.
Even the Prime minister has conceded this, for only last weekend, he moaned the dangerous trend of growing corruption and abuse of power in public life.
The National Day Theme of ‘Trust as the Foundation of Success’ could not be more apt and timely, but more than a slogan is needed to check the rampant corruption, abuse of power and breach of trust in public life.
The two best recent examples in the fall in the ethical and moral standards of our political leaders is the Bumiputra Malaysia Finance loans scandal in Hong Kong which, up till now, is still hidden away from public scrutiny although the Ahmad Nordin Inquiry Committee had submitted its interim report to Bank Bumiputra.
The other instance is the blatant abuse of power and violation of the Constitution of Sabah by the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Harris Salleh.
Datuk Harris Salleh had challenged me to take direct accusation that he had breached Sabah State Constitution Article 6(5), and I am going to do precisely that at the Sept. 3 date at the Chinese Assembly Hall at 8 p.m. I would not only repeat my parliamentary speech of July 23 on Harris Salleh, but also accept his second challenge to directly accuse him of violating Article 6(5) of the Sabah State Constitution.
Datuk Harris has therefore three good reasons for attending the Sept. 3 date: firstly, I will be repeating the July 23 parliamentary speech, secondly, I will be making a direct accusation that he had violated the Sabah State Constitution in acceptance of his second challenge; and thirdly, I will pay for his return fare, first class if necessary, for him to attend the Sept. 3 date.
Be that as it may, to give meaning to the National Day theme of ‘Trust as the Foundation of Success’, there must be greater government determination to combat corruption, abuse of power and breach of trust.
The Anti-Corruption Agency has proved to be a great disappointment, and the change of name from National Bureau of Investigations has neither lent it greater authority, effectiveness or results.
The DAP proposes the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the rampant corruption, abuse of power and breach of trust in public life.
There should also be a second Royal Commission of Inquiry to deal with grave and pressing problem of racial polarisation, which had been compounded in the last 28 months because of a whole range of political, economic, educational, cultural and religious policies and measures which failed to take into account the rights and sensitivities of all groups and communities in Malaysia.
Malaysians must have the courage to face up to the daunting nation-building problems confronting a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation. There is no problem which could not be solved, provided there is a reservoir of good will, sincerity, love for the country and respect for other races, cultures and religions co-existing in Malaysia.