Press Conference Statement by parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in Malacca on Monday, 10.9.1984 at 11 a.m.
Call on people of Malacca and Malaysia to be on look-out for the latest tricks of the Tan Koon Swan MCA faction to help Malacca Chief Minister to achieve his Bukit China plan
In the past few days, the Tan Koon Swan MCA Malacca faction leaders leki Chan Teck Chan and Ng Peng Huay have again been making speeches and issuing statements about Bukit China, after they had kept silenty for about a month.
I call on the people, in particular the Chinese in Malacca and Malaysia, to be on the look-out for the latest tricks of the Tan Kon Swan MCA faction to help the Malacca Chief Minister, Datuk Abdul Rahim Thamby Cik, to level and develop Bukit China into a commercial and housing centre.
If in the next few weeks, the Malacca State Government takes any more action on Bukit China, then the people know who is the ‘branchild’!
I understand that the Tan Koon Swan MCA Malacca faction leaders are now going around giving a now twist to their Bukit China position. They now say that they support the preservation of Bukit China, but not Bukit Gedong or Bukit Tempurong, that the latter two hills should be leveled.
This must be the new advice they are giving the Malacca Chief Minister, to leave Bukit China alone at the moment, and to go for Bukit Tempurong and Bukit Gedong first. In fact, when we talk about the ancient cemetery site of Bukit China, we refer to all the three hills – for the Chinese ‘Sam Poh San’ makes no distinction between Bukit China from Bukit Gedong or Bukit Tempurong, covering all three cemetery hills in one term with their 12500 graves.
The ugly faces of the Tan Koon Swan MCA faction leaders are becoming more and more plan!
Advice the Abdul Rahim not to use Bukit China for his political gain
The Malacca Chief Minister, Datuk Abdul Rahim Thamby Cik, criticined the DAP although he did not name us, for making use of sports for political gain. UMNO had organized sports meets and games to project UMNO’s image while the DAP had not done so yet – go if any party is guilty of using sports for political gain, it is UMNO itself.
The DAP’s ‘Save Bukit China’ cycletons, ‘walks or jogs’, are openly and direct y aim d at raising public consciousness about the Bukit China issue – and we do so without any subterfuge or camouflage like the UMNO sports meets and games.
I would advise Datuk Abdul Rahim not to use Bukit China for his political gain, hoping to become a great UMNO leader by demolishing the 5000 year-old ancient Chinese cementry hill. He should care more for the need o prevent the aggravation of racial polarization which Datuk Musa Hitam had expressed grave concern – and he could make a great contribution in this direction by abandoning his plan to level and develop Bukit China.
PARLIAMEN AHLI DEWAN RA’AYAT MALAYSIA
Proposed $10 cut motion against Malacca CPO dropped
As there had been no police harrasement or interference with the Wanita DAP cyclethon yesterday from Pulau Sebang to Malacca to complete the KL- Malacca cyclethon organized by “DAP Socialist Youth the previous Sunday, I will not pursue further the matter by proposing a $10 cut to the salary of the Malacca Chief Police officer in the forthcoming budget meeting of Parliament.
In actual fact, the DAP had planned a series of activities, including a weekly cyclethon from Pulau Sebang to Bukit China every Sunday for September, and a daily cyclethon from Pulau Sebang to Bukit China in October, to put to the test the people’s right to cycle, walk or jog without any police interference, even if their intention is to highlight the cause of Save Bukit China.
I hope that with yesterday’s development, the cordial and good relationship which the Malacca DAP always had with the Malacca Police would be restored, and instead of a confrontation between the DAP and the Malacca Police, we cold work closely for the good of society.
Lim Kit Siang cables congratul tiions to Datuk Musa for being given the highest Sabah award
I have today sent a telegram to Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Musa Hitam, to congratulate him on being bestowed the highest award in Sabah on them occasion of the 67th birthday of the Sabah Yang di-Pertua.
My cable to Datuk Musa reads:
“Congratulations on your receiving highest Sabah award. It should spur you on to fulfil the ‘Clean, Efficiant and Trustworthy’ Government motto’.
Visit to Pusat Seranti Tampin
I will be visiting the Pusat Serenti Tampin on Friday when the centre will be officially declared open by the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Musan Hitams. There was the public scandal last year exposing the terror and brutality meted out to the drug addict inmates, leading to ass escapes and even swallowing of glass pieces and nails to avoid being sent back to the Tampin one-stop drug rehabilitation centre. The Deputy Prime Minister promised that action would be taken against the erring personnel concerned, but up to now, there has been no public accounting on the matter. I hope the DPM would be also to clarify this matter as well on the occas on of the official opening of the Pusat Serenti Tampin. The DAP fully supports all government efforts to cobat the drugs menace which is unchecked, would destroy the entire basic of Malaysian nation.