Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary- General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at the Taiping DAP Branch 2,000 People 19th Anniversary Dinner held in Taiping on Saturday, August 3, 1985 at 8 p.m.
Has Datuk Seri Mahathir brought forward his China trip by three weeks from November to October
The next general elections in not far away. It could be held in April next years, although I will not rule out completely the possibility of the general election being held at the end of this year itself.
I understand that the China visit of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamed, has been brought forward by some three weeks. Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir was to visit China in the second, half of November originally, but now a according to my sources of information, he is to visit China at the end of October.
I call on the Prime Minister to confirm whether he China trip h been brought forward by three weeks from the second half of November to October.
If Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed changes his China trip time—table by advancing it three weeks ahead in October, then the possibility of general elections at the end of this year f after his China trip is very much greater.
With approach of general elections, the power of people be comes greater
With the approach of general elections, the power of the people becomes greater. This is because the component ruling parties know that they have to soon appeal to the people for their votes, and they dare not take decisions which disregard the people’s basic wishes and aspirations.
This could be seen by the example of the Taiping Munioipal Council backing down from its earlier decision that the offering of roast or raw pig for Chinese festivities is ‘sensitive’ and should be moved elsewhere, for if not for the fact that the DAP had. prepared to attack the Barisan Nasional parties for the latest Taiping Municipal Council decision and. the approach of the general elections, there would have been no compromise by the Taiping Municipal Coil.
Although with the approach of the general elections, the power of the people increase propotionately, the people must realise that this is only for a short period. After the general elections, especially if the Barisan Nasional scored an overwhelming landslide viotory, the government would completely disregard the people’s aspirations and interests.
This was what happened immediately after the 1983 general elections when the DAP was slaughtered, and the MCA and Gerakan scored unprecedented victories. But the immediate result was the wholesole erosion of the people’s rights, as in the One—Language, One— Culture—, One—Religion Poliocy, thePolicy of Islamisation, the proposed extension of New Economic Policy, and the further dilution of the political power of the non—Malay Malaysian because of the unfair delineation of parliamentary and state assembly constituencies.
It was because the UMNO and Barisan Nasional won great victories during the 1982 general elections that there was the blatant attempt to demolish Bukit China in Malacca and damp the earth of Bukit China into the sea for land reolamation.
It was again the landslide Barisan Nasional general elections victory of 1982 which encouraged the Barisan Nasional to lauch a ho1e—salo1i of Islamisation.
The inoreased power of the people could be sees from the Boon Brothers scandal in Sitiawan, where a Chinese family concern which had been carrying out the traditional family business of petrol station for some 60 years had to discontinue business because the State government wouldnot renew the lease.
I raise the case of the Boon Brothers in Parliament during my motion on the New Economic Policy injustices and inequalities. Not a single MCA or Gerakan MP dare to take part in the debate. But after the debate, one MCA MP from Perak told me outside the House that what I said during the debate was right and. good. I scolded him for hi cowardice, for I told him it is no use praising me outside Par1iament. He should have the courage to stand up in Par1iamit and express his support for the DAP’s views.
A few days ago I came across a statement by the MCA MP for Lumut, Ng Cheng Kuai, who claimed that I had misled the Parliament, and that there was nothing wrong with the case of Boon Brothers.
Why is it Ng Chegg Kuai dare not speak up during the debate on my motion on NEW Economic Policy injustices and inequalities?
Ng Cheng Kuai said he had received a letter from the Perak Menteri Besar, Ramli Ngah stating that he agreed in principle to give another lot of land to Boon Brothers to carry out the petrol station business.
But Ng Cheng Kuai dare not state the date of the letter from the Perak Menteri Besar, before or after the launching of the DAP signature campaign against the New Economic Policy injustices and inequalities as highlighted by the Boon Brothers case.
I am sure that the Menteri Besar’s letter was written after the launching of the DAP’s signature campaign to try to take the wind out of the DAP’s as sail. This only shows that without action by the DAP, the entire Perak State government machinery could not move.
DAP condems Paul Leong and MCA Ministers for not having to courage to raise Sim Kie Chon’s case in Cabinet
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk James Ongkili, confirmed yesterday that Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting did not discuss Sim Kie Chon’s case. My individaal cables to the MCA and Gerakan Ministers 60 urge them to raise in Cabinet Sim’s commutation of his death penalty to life imprisonment was apparently a complete waste of time.
I call on the Gerakan MP for Taping and the Minister for Primary Industries, Datuk Paul Leong, to explain to the people of Taiping where is the justice if Mochtar Hashimi a Cabinet Minister, could be pardoned when he took the life of another while Sim Kie Chon, who did not harm or kill another although be had an unlawful possession of a revolver.
If Paul Leong dare not speak up for justice, what the people expect of him, Gerakan and MCA Ministers and MPs?