Press Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at DAP PJ Hqrs on Saturday, 22.9.1984 at 12 noon
Lim Kit Siang to make new challenge against Datuk Harris Salleh on Sept. 24 at Chinese Assembly Hall for violating Sabah State Constitution
The press has published a clarification by the Sabah State Assembly Secretary that Datuk Harris Salleh had never said anything in the Assembly on the allegation made by the Assembly for Bongawan, Abdul Hamid Awang, of a plot between USNO and the DAP, and presumably, including the allegation that I have received 1 million from Tun Mustapha and Sdr. Fung Ket Wing received $100000.
I had said right from the beginning on Sept. 13 when I was told of Abdul Hamid Awang’s defamatory speech in the Sabah Assembly that it was the work of the Sabah Chief Minister in his ongoing personal vendetta against me.
I never said Datuk Harris Salleh personally uttered the allegation in the Sabah State Assembly that I had received $1 million and Sdr. Fung Ket Wing $100000 from Tun Mustapha, but I said that Datuk Harris Salleh instigated Abdul Hamid Awang to say it.
Dare Datuk Harris Salleh swear on the Quran that he had not approved Abdul Hamid Awang, or had no foreknowledge, with regard to the $1 million allegation against me and $100000 allegation against Sdr. Fung Ket Wing?
In fact, on the night of Sept. 18 at the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall where the Berjaya leaders chickened out from their promise to repeat Supreme Council member and responsible official, S. Ghanie, and asked him direct whether Harris Salleh could disclaim approval, knowledge or involvement in the allegations. S. Ghanie avoided an answer.
It was Parti Berjaya Secretary-General who applied to the Kuala Lumpur Police for the Sept. 18 fiasco at the Chinese Assembly Hall, and the whole Parti Berjaya, including its Chairman Datuk Harris Salleh, could not escape responsibility for the $1 million and $100000 allegations – especially as none of them had publicly dissociated themselves from the Bongawan Assemblyman!
Berjaya Information Chief, Datuk Majid Khan, had attacked the peninsular newspaper for ‘consorting’ with the DAP to try to topple the Berjaya Government. Is this the view of Datuk Harris Salleh? He should speak up, for if he does not. Then he cannot blame anyone for including that Majid Khan is speaking not for himself, but that such anti-Malaysia sentiments derive from the Sabah Chief Minister himself.
Datuk Harris Salleh, Ahmad Hamid Awang and Majid Khan are all in the same boat as far as the $1 million and $100000 up till Monday on Sept. 24 to come to the Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur to repeat the allegation outside the privilege and protection of the Sabah Assembly – unless Harris Salleh wish to publicly dissociate himself from these two allegations!
If any event, I am giving Datuk Harris advance notice that on the Sept. 24 date the Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur, I will be making new allegations, supported by documentary proof, that he had violated the Sabah State Constitution Article 6(5) which prohibited the Sabah Chief Minister from actively engaging in Commercial enterprise.
If he does not have the courage to come to the Chinese Assembly Hall on Monday night to repeat the $1 million allegation, he should have the courage to come to listen to my new allegations against him so that he could file legal action to clear his reputation.
If Datuk Harris Salleh wishes to be accompanied by his lawyers, he may do so. If he wants to bring along a tape-recording team to tape my allegations at the Chinese Assembly Hall on Sept. 24, he is also welcome.
I also invite the Attorney General to come or said his representative to the Chinese Assembly Hall, as the Prime Minister has referred the question of the legality and constitutionality of Harris Salleh’s action to him for opinion and report.
I also invite the Anti-Corruption Agency Director to come or send his representative as my allegations on Sept. 24 would be relevant to the reports which Sdr. Fung Ket Wing and Sdr. Dr. Tan Seng Giaw had lodged with regard to Datuk Harris Salleh’s breach of the Sabah State Constitution.
Finally, I invite all Malaysians concerned to ensure that there is a higher ethical and moral standards among our political leaders to attend the Sept. @4 date at the Chinese Assembly Hall at 7.30 p.m.
I hope that the MIC Youth Leader, D.P. Vijandran, the most prominent MIC leader at the largely MIC attendance for the Berjaya fiasco at the Chinese Assembly Hall on Sept. 18 would interested enough to come.
Vijendran had denied in a local press my allegation that estate Indians in the surrounding areas like Dengkil, Puchong, Kajang were lured with false promises an pretences to pack the Chinese Assembly Hall on Sept. 18. I want to ask Vijendran: Who are you bluffing. What Vijendran should do is to let the people know how much money MIC got from Berjaya for organizing the MIC crowd at the Chinese Assembly Hall, how much were actually spent, and how much profits were made – and by who? There must be a proper accounting for the Berjaya monies given to MIC for the Sept. 18 fiasco!
Save Bukit China Mass Signature Campaign: 341 Lawyers and Members of the Malaysian Bar signed the petition to save Bukit China
I have three announcements to make with regard to the Save Bukit China campaign.
Firstly, I have been informed by the Federal Territory DAP Save Bukit China Committee Legal Adviser, Sdr. K.C. Cheah, that over 300 lawyers and members of the Malaysian Bar had signed the Save Bukit China mass signature petition calling for:
(a) government abandonment of the decision to level and develop Bukit China;
(b) withdrawal of the Chief Minister’s three proposals for the development of Bukit China as announced in the Malacca State Assembly on July 23, 1984;
(c) the withdrawal of the $2 million quit rent and late payments demand on Bukit China for the past 16 years;
(d) the full recognition and respect of the Malacca State Government for the full ownership and determination right of the Chinese community, though trustees Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Committee, over the future of Bukit China, including the right to reject the State Government proposal to level and develop Bukit China.
The mass signature petition also made the declaration that:
“Bukit China in Malacca is a national heritage for all Malaysians regardless of rade, as it symbolizes and represents:
(a) the first Sino-Malay friendship and co-operation dating to 500 years ago as recorded in the Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu) in the union of Sultan Mansur Shah and Ming princess Hang Li-po;
(b) the historic, cultural and religious contribution of the Chinese to Malaysian nation building in the past 500 years;
(c) the trust property for the Chinese community handed down by the ancestors for the purposes of the ‘promotion, propagation and observance of the doctrines, ceremonies, rites and customs of the Buddhist and other religions’, and which trust had been given statutory basis by the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Incorporation) Ordinance 1949 which was signed into law by the High Commissioner of the Federation, Henry Gurney, and the Representative of the Malay Rulers, Tuanku Abdul Rahman (the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong); who was then the Yang di-Pertua Besar of Negri Sembilan;
(d) the cultural roots of the Chinese in Malaysia, with its 12500 graves on Bukit China.”
Sdr. K. C. Cheah has completed the full book of signatures, which is for 341 signatories, and the lawyers who signed the petition come from all races, religions and backgrounds, giving the lie to the Malacca Chief Minister’s allegation that those who signed the Save Bukit China mass signature memorandum did not know what they were signing, or they were confined to one racial group.
I hope Datuk Abdul Rahim Thamby Cik would not accuse the over 300 lawyers who have signed the signature petition to Save Bukit China of ‘signing blindly’ and being led by the nose. Sdr. K. C. Cheah has started getting more signatures from the legal fraternity in the second book of signatures.
I wish here to commend Malaysian Lawyers and the Bar Council for its public-spiritedness in Providing leadership, particularly in Public-interest issues, as in the BMF scandal, the Civil Law Amendment Bill, the establishment of legal aid bureaus in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kuantan,
If all Malaysian Professionals could emulate the example of the lawyers and also play an active role, especially in issues which concern the people and the long-term future of the nation, in helping to shape public opinion and national destiny, Malaysia would be a much better place for all concerned.
All Malaysian professional groups should realize that they have a greater responsibility to society than the non-professionals, for by virtue of their professional training, they have a greater duty to play in nation building, not just in their chosen profession, but in the larger national arena as well.
(2) DAP Federal Territory Save Bukit China Committee to organize a 100000 people Save Bukit China Dinner in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 28
My second Save Bukit China announcement is that the DAP Federal Territory Save Bukit China Committee will organize a 100-People Save Bukit China Dinner in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 28, 1984.
The 10000_People Save Bukit China dinner in the Federal Territory is to raise funds for the Save Bukit China campaign, which is being conducted not only nationally, but will soon be internationalized into a world-wide campaign. It will also be an occasion for the people to demonstrate their strong concern and support for the cause of preserving the 500-year-old symbol of our history, cultural roots, contribution to nation building, our political and citizenship rights and the status of future generations in Malaysia.
Members of the 10000-People Save Bukit China Committee are as follows:
Advisers: Lim Kit Siang, National Save Bukit China Committee Chairman; Liew Ah Kim, Director of Save Bukit China Operations;
Chairman: Lee Lam Thye
Vice Chairmen: Chan Kok Kit
Dr. Tan Seng Giaw
Secretary: Chan Kok Wai
Treasurer: Yee Kai Wah
Committee: Liew Sin Yu, Philip Hor, K.C. Cheah, Yip Kwok Wai, Tan Yoke Peng, Yip Soo, joseph Chan, low Sek Moah, Sow Tong Keng, Cheng Poh Ching, Yap Poh Soo, Ho Yew Seng, Yeo Ah Bee.
(3) Another two-week extension of the 300000 Save Bukit China Mass Signature Campaign till Oct.29
The 100000 Save Bukit China mass signature campaign has been raised to a new target by 100000 signatures, i.e. to 300000 mass signatures, and in view of this increase, the deadline for the mass signature campaign would be extended for two weeks from Oct. 15 to Oct. 29.
The 300000 mass signature campaign will end with two climaxes – one of them will be the 10000 Save Bukit China dinner being organized by the Federal territory Save Bukit China Committee. Details of the second climax are being worked out and would be announced within 10 days.