By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General, MP for Tanjung and Assemblyman for Kampong Kolam, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Saturday. 15.11.1986:
DAP commends the Government for withdrawing the suspension order against Asian Wall Street Journal.
The Government’s admission of irregularity in the suspension order against the Asian Wall Street Journal is most welcome and commendable. I hope the government will fully respect the important doctrine of the separation of powers, the Independence of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law, and will not think of legislative actions to overrule judicial decisions as had happened in the past.
I suggest that the Home Ministry gracefully accept the judicial decision on the Asian Wall Street Journal case and close this unfortunate episode on press freedom in Malaysia.
DAP calls on Singapore to cancel the visit of Israeli President to the island-state to respect the sensitivities and strong anti-Zionist felling of the people in the region.
The DAP regrets the Singapore Government’s invitation to the Israeli President, Chaim Herzog, to Singapore and urges the Singapore Government to cancel the visit to the island state to respect the sensitivities and strong anti-Zionist feelings of the people in the region.
The cancellation of Chaim Herzog’s visit to the Philippines has left Singapore as the only ASEAN state which would receive the Israeli President.
Call on Ghaffar Baba to explain who and how the government is to study the public views on the OSA Amendment Bill.
Deputy Prime Minister, Ghaffar Baba, said the Government would study the views of all parties on the Official Secrets Act Amendment Bill. He should let Malaysians Know who and how, the government is going to study the public views on the Official Secrets Act Amendment Bill when the Bill is to be debated and passed either on Dec.5 or 8.
It is clearly impossible for the government to do justice to the mass of public views on the Bill, and in particular on the whole question of freedom of information in the country, in the time available before the second and third reading and third reading of the amendment bill.
It is for this reason that the DAP and all other concerned organizations have suggested that the Bill be referred to a Parliamentary Select Committee which should inquire into the whole vital question of freedom of information in Malaysia. Or does the Deputy rime Minister think Malaysia’s stability, security and future would be grossly damaged if the OSA Amendment Bill is referred to a Parliamentary Select Committee?
If the Government can defer the previous OSA Amendment Bill from March this year till December because of general elections considerations, there is no reason why the Bill should not be referred to the fullest public discussion and study through a Parliamentary Select Committee before Parliament is asked to vote it into law.