by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in Malacca on Monday, 23rd December 1985:
Call on all parents to be concerned about the repeated incidents of Malaysian Chinese girl students being converted into Islam against parental wishes or knowledge and family break-ups
With another incident in Pasir Mas in Kelantan where a 18-year old girl student of Pasir Mas Sultan Ibrahim Girls’ School, disappearing from her home after completing her examinations on reaching the age of 18, all parents should be concerned about the rising number of such incidents, where Chinese girl students are converted into Islam against parental wishes or knowledge.
A few months ago, a Chinese girl student in Petaling Jaya was taken away from her home to an Islamic household on her reaching 18 years old.
Last month, a 16-year old Chinese girl student in Pasir Mas was taken away from her home by her Muslim teacher, against parental wishes and knowledge.
All parents must be concerned about the repeated increase of such incidents, which is not confined to Kelantan, but is taking place all over the country.
I call on the parents of all schools to demand the convening of a general meeting of the Parents-Teachers Association to take a firm stand against such incidents where teacher used their influence on students to convert them to Islam and take them away from their family, causing family break-ups and distress.
The parents must use social pressure to put an end to such incidents, which could seriously undermine inter-racial and inter-religious relations.
Whenever any such incidents take place, they must be highlighted, as otherwise, the Malaysian public would not be aware of the magnitude and seriousness of such a problem.
In the case of the Pasir Mas Sultan Idris Girls’ School, if the Ministry of Education refuses to take action to stop the teachers in the school from misusing their influence to carry out Islamic conversion activities, by returning the two girl students who had been taken away from their homes, then the parents should boycott the school altogether.
I had expressed to the Education Minister , Datuk Abdullah Badawi, my concern at such incidents last month, but unfortunately, he does not seem to have taken any action to put a halt to such activities.
The Deputy Education Minister, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, should fly to Kelantan to meet the Pasir Mas parents to use his powers to resolve this problem there.
I hope Datuk. Ling Liong Sik will not fail the people on this issue again!
Call on the 16 UNICO Directors to personally form a fund to help the depositors of Setia Timur , Nanhua and other credit and leashing firms or to save China Press, instead of trying to salvage Tan Koon Swan by buying over Grand United of Supreme
Tan Koon Swan has plunged the Malaysian economy into a lower level because of the Pan El crisis, triggering off a stock exchange, financial and economic crisis in the country.
The 16 Directors of UNICO had decided to try to salvage Tan Koon Swan by firstly, announcing UNICO’s intention to participate in the equity and management of Grand United- Koon Swan’s flagship company-and later about UNICO’s intention to buy into Supreme instead. Tan Koon Swan had told foreign correspondents that UNICO’s action is indication of the support of the Chinese community not only for him but also for the MCA.
The UNICO shareholders, numbering 25,000, have rightly questioned the wisdom of the UNICO directors’ decision. If the UNICO Directors regard it as their duty to come to the rescue of he Chinese community, then the 16 Directors should personally form a collective fund with multi-million dollar contribution by each director to rescue either:
(1) the 10,000 depositors of Setia Timur, the depositors of Nanhua Credit and Leasing in Kepong, and depositors in other such companies, involving the life-savings of hawkers, housewives, workers and small-timers totaling to as much as $100 million; or
(2) the China Press, to ensure that the long-established Chinese daily would not have to cease publication, but could take its place in the front-line of cultural development of the Malaysian Chinese.