Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secreatry_General, MP for Tanjung and Assemblyman for kampong Kolam, Lim Kit Siang, at the Batu Branch reception to mark the party’s 20th Anniversary at Cheng Siew Chinese Primary School Hall, Batu Pahat, on Sunday, 28.9.1986 at 9 p.m.
DAP proposes that the Central Working Committees of DAP, MCA Gerakan hold a joint meting on Datuk Abdullah’s Singapore speech and the UMNO General Assembly Speeches.
After the August 3, 1986 general elections, UMNO leaders have been making extremist speeches and Statements which have greatly undermined national unity and aggravated racial polarization.
Former Deputy Minister and now MP for Kok Lanas, Datuk Abdullah Ahmad, made a most seditious speech in Singapore on August 30, which was followed up by other extremist speeches by UMNO leaders and delegates at the UMNO General Assembly.
As a result, many non-Malay Malaysians are wondering whether they and their children have a future in Malaysia.
Some businessmen have even asked me whether they should divest some of their investments and put them overseas, as they have been disturbed by the extremist speeches by UMNO leaders after the general elections.
Responsible political parties and leaders must take those recent developments seriously, and make the UMNO leaders understand that they have a great responsibility to allay the fears and anxieties which these extremist speeches had aroused among the non-Malays in the country.
It is most unfortunate that the MCA and Gerakan Ministers and leaders do not seem to have the courage and confidence to take up these Issues with the top UMNO leaders, apart from taking their branch leaders to issue fierce statements for consumption of Chinese newspaper readers.
I suggest that the Central Working Committees of DAP, MCA and Gerakan hold a round-table conference to discuss the Singapore speech of Datuk Abdullah Ahmad and the extremist utterance of UMNO leaders and delegates at the UMNO General Assemblies, so that the UMNO leaders could understand the great damage these speeches had done to restoring confidence in the country.
I hope that MCA and Gerakan leaders will have the courage to reciprocate this proposal by DAP. If they dare not do so, then we find the MCA and Gerakan leaders in a position where they dare not take up important issues like the extremist UMNO speeches with top UMNO leaders, and yet do not dare discuss them with top leaders! What is the use of such MCA and Gerakan leaders I do not know?
DAP praise the Police for Kuala Lumpur raid against illegal immigrants, but this must be a daily campaign and not when a VIP is victimized.
I commend the Kuala Lumpur Police for their four-hour operation on Friday rounding up 410 illegal immigrants – all of whom, except nine, are Indonesians. However, such police raids against illegal Indonesian immigrants must be a daily campaign throughout the count until the whole problem of illegal Indonesian immigrant is solved, and not be mounted when a VIP is a victim of illegal Indonesian crime.
Last week, former Lord President, Tun Suffian, was robbed in Kuala Lumpur and taken for a ride by three illegal Indonesian robbers. In the past, other VIPs had also become victims like former Penang Governor, Tun Sardon.
The Raids and clean-up operation against illegal Indonesian immigrants must be conducted daily throughout the country, and not be a ‘flash in the pan’ because VIP had been victim. The Task Force VII had not made any impact to resolve the problem, and I shall discuss it with the ICP, Tun Sri Haniff tomorrow.