Press Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary- General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at the Chong Wan Kong Temple, Pudu, on the end of the 28- hour hunger strike by seven DAP leaders against execution of Sim Kie Chong.
DAP thank the Yang di Pertuan Agong and the Prime Minister for stay of execution of Sim Kie Chong fixed for tomorrow.
We have received news that the Yang di Pertuan Agong has commanded a stay of execution of Sim Kie Chon fixed for tomorrow. The DAP thank the Yang di Pertuan Agong and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, for acceding to the appeal of Sim’s family as well as the Malaysian people for a stay of execution.
The stay of execution of Sim Kie Chon will be a great credit to Malaysia’s moral position and reputation internationally.It has also made the hunger strike by seven DAP leaders in Kuala Lumpur and 20 DAP State leaders in Perak, led by Lau Dak Kee, Perak DAP State Chairman, worthwhile. The response of the people to the DAP’s Save Sim Kie Chon signature campaign, which have exceeded 40,000, have also not been completely in vain.
The DAP has submitted over 14,000 signatures to the Yang di Pertuan Agong today, a it had not been possible to collect back all the 40,000 signatures in the short time available,
While there is a sense of elation at the news of stay of execution of Sim Kie Chon, I want to remind all Malaysians that the campaign to save the life of Sim Kie Chon is not yet over. This is because a stay of execution does not mean commutation of Sim’s death sentence to life imprisonment.
The DAP’s Save’ Sim Kie Chon campaign-to secure his reprieve of death penalty to life imprisonment would continue immediately, to press on with our target of 250,000 signatures for the petition of mercy to appeal to the Yang di Pertuan Agong to exercise his prerogative of mercy to commute Sim’s death sentence to life imprisonment.
I would call on Malaysians of all races and religions who have not yet signed the petition of appeal to come forward to do so, and also to help to get more signatures.
I want here to pay tribute to the seven DAP leaders who fasted for some 28 hours since yesterday in Kuala Lumpur and the 20 DAP Perak leaders who fasted for some 25 hours to protest against Sim’s execution. They had succeeded in reaching the conscience of the authorities, with their sacriffice. I want want to pay tribute to Sdr.Lee Lam Thye, who as Chairman of the DAP Save Sim Kie Chon Campaign Committee, had spearheaded a nation—wide campaign to mobilise public support for the petition of mercy.
Sim Kie Chon had faced the hangman’s rope twice, once on July 3 and the second time, today. He should not be made to face the hangman’s rope a third time. On this score alone, Sim should be reprieved from death.
Finally, on humanitarian, equality, justice and moral rounds, we would appeal to the Yang di Pertuan Agong to review Sim’s case and commute his death sentence to life imprisonment.