Press Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in DAP PJ Headquarters on Monday, January 27, 1986 at 12 noon
DAP calls on Datuk Musa Hitam to order the arrest of UMNO National Publicity Chief, Senator Haji Hussein Ahmad, for being responsible for the 5,000-people demonstration outside the Kota Bahru High Court yesterday
The DAP calls on the Deputy prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister, Datuk Musa Hitam, to order the arrest of UMNO National Publicity Chief, Senator Haji Hussein Ahmad, for being responsible for the 5,000-people demonstration outside the Kota Bahru High Court yesterday.
There is no doubt that if yesterday’s Kota Bharu demonstration had been organised by PAS, PAS leaders would have been arrested. The time has come for the Malaysian Police to show that they do not have double standards, and would apply the law equally to everyone, regardless of his party or position.
Senator Haji Hussein made a statement in the Malay press on Friday, 24th January alleging that the habeas corpus application by the DAP on behalf of carpenter, Ng Sin Man, for the release of his 16-year-old daughter, Ng Yee Kuan, who had been forcibly separated from her family for over two months and converted into Islam without parental knowledge or consent, was aimed at attacking the position of the Sulatn of Kelantan.
This is most mischievous and irresponsible action of a national politician like the UMNO National Publicity Chief. There is completely no basis for Senator Haji Hussein’s accusation, which is aimed at inciting unrest and disturbance. The habeas corpus action is the last-resort action of a father to get back his daughter, and has nothing to do whatsoever with the allegation about challenging the Sultan of Kelantan’s position.
The DAP and Ng Sin Man fully support and respect the position of the Sultan of Kalantan, and it is most irresponsible for anyone to try to incite unrest by making such mishievous statements.
On the same day as Senator Haji Hussein’s statement in the press, a pamphlet attacking me and calling on Malays to turn up in large numbers at the Kota Bahru High Court yesterday morning in connection with the habeas corpus application was distributed widely in Kelantan.
On Saturday, after a three-hour discussion, the Kelantan Islamic Affairs Council and Ng Sin Man had reached a settlement of the issue, and Ng Yee Kuan was later taken home by her father from the Kamil National Secondary School in Pasir Puteh.
Clearly, irresponsible political leaders who want to exploit the issue politically do not want to see an amicable settlement of the issue.
It is well known that Senator Haji Hussein has political ambitions in Kelantan, hoping to replace Datuk Mohamed Yakob as Mentri Besar of Kelantan. Is he trying to use this issue to gain political capital and mileage for his political advancement. If he is doing this, then he is being very irresponsible.
The UMNO National and State leadership should dissociate itself from Senator Haji Hussein’s actions. Senator Haji Hussein should stop making irresponsible and false accusations against others for questioning the position of the Sultan of Kelantan. After all, it was Senator Haji Hussein himself who had his, Dato’ship stripped off for his unbecoming activities in the State of Kelantan.
Call on Pahang Police to explain its role in the disappearance of 15-year-old Gan Hock Tong of Mengkarak, Triang
In Eastern society, family unit is the cornerstone of our society. If the family unit is destroyed, social stability and harmony would be disrupted, and there would be social disorder and unrest.
It is for this reason that the DAP will stand firm to defend the integrity of the family unit, whether of the Chinese, Malays, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, and it is for this reason we insist that parents’ basic right over their children, especially those who have not come of age, is absolute and should not be deprived.
In this connection, I call on the Pahang Police to explain its role in the disappearance in the 15-year-old schoolboy, Gan Hock Tong, from his home in Mengkarak in Triang, Pahang.
Gan Hock Tosg, born on 23/9.70, studied six years of Chinese primary school at Mengkarak. For his secondary school studies, he joined the Sekolah Menengah Mengkarak, and last year was transferred to Sekolah Menengah Sri Bahagia, Temerloh.
On Nov, 28, 1935, he disappeared from home. After a few days of fruitless search, when Gan’s family reported to the police in Mengkarak, they were told that Gan had embraced Islam and that it was therefore not a case of missing person. Gan’s family members were also told that Gan Hock Tong had gone to Kuantan Police station to report that he had voluntarily left home.
Surely, it would be the responsibility of the Police in these circumstances to detain the boy, who was only 15 years, and to contact the Gan family in Mengkarak to inform them of Hock Tong’s whereabouts. Instead, by allowing Hock Tong to disappear, the Police had in fact aided and abetted in his escape from the legal custody of his mother, Madam Lew Chew, 53.
It is most shocking if in present-day Malaysia, a 15-year-old boy could just disappear into thin air, with the connivance of the Police. I call on the Police in Kuantan to explain its role in the disappearance of San Hock Tong, to locate Hock Tong and return the 15-year-old boy to his family.
If the Kuantan Police fails to give a satisfactory explanation, I propose meeting with the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Haniff Omar, and also raise it in Parliament during March meeting.
Memali Incident: Why has government gone back on its word that there would be public trial of those detained in the Baling Incident
The Government has now decided to detain 27 persons involved in the Kampong Mamali incident on Nov. 19 under the Internal Security Act, which allowed indefinite detention without trial.
Government must explain why it has gone back on its word that there would be public trial of those detained in the Kampong Memali Incident, which would give the accused an opportunity to defend themselves.
Four days after the Kampong Memali Incident, the Kedah-Perlis Chief Police Officer, Datuk Abdul Aziz, Hussein, said that those detained in the incident would be charged in court.
It was reported that those arrested would be charged for five offences:
• Carrying offensive weapons in public places;
• Rioting with offensive weapons;
• Harbouring Criminals;
• Wrongfully restraining police officers from carrying out their duties;
• Criminal intimidation.
In backtracking from its public position that those detained would be charged in court for a public trial to be held, the government would be undermining its credibility, especially over its explanations in connection with the Kampong Memali tragedy.
The DAP calls on the government to reconsider its decision and to charge the 27 persons detained in court, instead of using the ISA to detain them.
Is the MCA leadership fully behind Tan Koon Swan if he is found guilty of criminal breach of trust in Singapore?
The MCA leadership has re-affirmed its full support and backing for its President, Tan Koon Swan, who is facing sir charges in Singapore in connection with criminal breach of trust offences.
The MCA leadership, MCA branches and members of the Tan Koon Swan faction should explain to the Malaysian Chinese and people at large whether they would also be fully behind Tan Koon Swan if he is found guilty of the six criminal breach of trust offences in Singapore.
If this would be their position, then the people could understand their demonstrations and protest against the Singapore authorities, although the public may not agree or sympathise with such a stand.
On Saturday, I gave the MCA a 24-hour ultimatum to stop attacking the DAP and myself for being responsible for Tan Koon Swan’s arrest in Singapore, or we will launch a political counter-attack throughout the country to expose the ‘politics-economies’ scandal of Tan Koon Swan and MCA.
Yesterday morning, about 100 people staged a MCA protest and demonstration in Johore Bahru, and one of the banners they carried was ‘Singapore PAP connives with DAP’. I read that this demonstration took place in Johore Bahru at 9 a.m. yesterday, which was still within the 24-hour ultimatum. I read of a Jelutong MCA Branch statement from Penang- trying to Bumliputera the DAP for Tan Koon Swan’s arrest in Singapore.
I do not know whether the Jelutong MCA statement was issued before or after the expiry of the 24-hour ultimatum. We are giving the MCA the final benefit of the doubt. But heneforth, if there is any more MCA attack on the DAP making the baseless accusation that the DAP is in any way involved with Tan Koon Swan’s arrest in Singapore, we will immediately put into operation our nation-wide counter political offensive to expose Tan Koon Swan and MCA’s ‘politics-economies’ scandal.