by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General, MP for Tanjong and Assemblyman for Kampong Kolam, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Monday, August 25, 1986:
Dap calls on all Islamic groups to respect the rights and sensitivities of non-Muslims in Malaysia and stop their demands for an Islamic State or an Islamic Constition to prevent greater polarisation in the country
At the ABIM Seminar on Islamic law, there were renewed calls for an Islamic Constition and an Islamic State.
ABIM President, Siddiq Madil, wants Islamic laws to be the basis of legislation in Malaysia, where sections of any law found to be in conflict with Islamic laws would be struck off as unlawful.
Associate Professor Razali Nawawi of the International Islamic University said Islamic laws can be implemented in a plural society as there are sufficient provisions for the well-being of all, including the non-Muslims.
But they both miss the most important political reality in Malaysia that this nation which achieved Merdeka in 1957 was conceived on the basis that it is a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural and secular nation.
As Lord President Tun Haji Mohamed Salleh Abas has wisely pointed out in his paper at the ABIM seminar, the consent of non-Muslims in the nation has to be sought before any attempt is made to replace the existing Constitution with an Islamic one.
If there is any attempt to force an Islamic Constitution or an Islamic state in Malaysia, disregarding the rights and sensitivities of the majority of Malaysians, then the result will be great divisiveness and the most serious polarisation the nation had ever experienced.
Malaysia has enough problems at present, with a crisis of confidence unabated, without anyone raising issue like an Islamic Constitution and an Islamic State which could only make the crisis of confidence many times worse.
This is because any observer can forecast great troubles for Malaysia ahead, not only in the rest of the 1980s but the 1990s, if there is going to be increasing demands and pressures for an Islamic State or an Islamic Constitution.
I call on all Islamic groups to respect the rights and sensitivities of non-Muslim Malaysians, as well as themselves, who constitute the great majority in Malaysia, who do not want religion to become the new and even more divisive force in Malaysian society.
They should desist from pressures and demands for an Islamic State and Constitution, respect the basis on which Malaysia has been formed 19 years ago, and concentrate on building a new national ethos from the common values and virtues of the various great religions to be found in Malaysia.
If the Islamic movement find it difficult to work with the other non-Muslim religions in Malaysia, how could anyone expect an Islamic State or Constitution to unite rather then divide Malaysians?
As a first step, I would suggest that the Islamic movement form an Inter-Religious Council with the other religions in Malaysia to work together for the common good of all Malaysians.
It is open knowledge that in the past decade or so, the Islamic religious movement has refused to work hand-in-hand with the Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and other non-Muslim religious movements, for the common good of all Malaysians by finding common and universal meeting points for all religions.
Muslim leaders who are found of demanding for an Islamic Constitution and an Islamic State should ponder how they expect non-Muslim Malaysians to accept such ideas when the Islamic movement is not prepared as yet to form an Inter-Religious organisation with other non-Muslim religious groups to work together for the national good.
DAP calls for a special public inquiry into allegations of $ 1 million ‘donation’ to UMNO implicating Datuk Musa Hitam and Deputy Minister Haji Daud Taha
In the suit in Johor Bahru brought about by Anti-Corruption Agency officer Encik Zakaria Mohammad Esa, it was stated in open court yesterday that former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Musa Hitam, received a $ 1 million bank draft made out to “UMNO building society” from two companies as a political contribution, “in expectation of favours to the companies”.
This shocking revelation was made by Clement D’Cruz, former managing director of Bakland Sdn. Bhd and Dapat Sdn. Bhd.
Clement D’cruz also revealed that one of the shareholders of Bakland was Haji Daud Taha, now Deputy Minister, who held $ 18 million worth of shares which to his knowledge, was not paid for by Haji Daud.
Clement’s testimony also raised questions about corrupt practices or improprieties in the Johor State Government involving the issue of Certificate of Fitness for Occupation (CFOs) to Holiday Inn and Plaza in Johor Bahru by the Municipal authorities.
These are very disturbing testimony and the DAP calls for a special public inquiry into the allegations implicating Datuk Musa Hitam, Deputy Minister Daud Taha and the issue of CFOs to Holiday Inn and Plaza.
I believe Datuk Musa Hitam, Daud Taha and Datuk Abdul Ajid Ahmad, who as Menteri Besar of Johor and President of the Johor Bahru Municipal Council, would welcome an opportunity of a public inquiry to clear their names.
Five-man parliamentary delegation to meet Bank Negara Governor, Datuk Jaffar Hussien, on co-operatives finance scandal tomorrow
I will head a five-man DAP parliamentary team to meet Bank Negara Governor, Datuk Jaffar Hussien, at Bank Negara at 4 p.m. tomorrow to discuss the co-operative finance scandal and crisis, which involves 540,000 members and will affect a few million low-income Malaysians to the tune of some $ 1.5 billion.
The five DAP MPs will be Lee Lam Thye (Bukit Bintang), Dr. Tan Seng Giaw (Kepong), Dr. Eng Seng Chye (Petaling Jaya), Lim Guan Eng (Kota Melaka) and myself.
It is coming to three weeks since the Bank Negara action to freeze 23 depositor-taking co-operatives, and over a month since the first action against KOSATU on July 23. We will oppose any government proposal to liquidate the troubled co-operatives, sell the assets and distribute the proceeds proportionately to the depositors – ending up to 20 cents to a dollar or there about.
The Government will be failing in its public duty if it seeks the easy way out to liquidata the co-operatives in trouble, and wash its hands of its responsibility, when it could stump out $ 2.5 billion to save Bank Bumiputra and BMF in the $ 2.5 billion BMF scandal