Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung. Lim Kit Siang, at the DAP Ceramah at Kuala Sipatang on Friday,18.9.1987 at 8 p.m.
Is MCA supporting the UEM contract for North-South Highway because it also has a $50 million MCA Building debt to repay?
For over two months, the UEM contract for the North-South Highway which would impose a $63 billion burden on the Malaysian people for 30 years, had been the issue of foremost concern for the people.
But up to now, no MCA Minister or leader, nor the MCA Central Committee, had come out with a public stand on the North-South Highway issue.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, and the Minister for Youth and Sports and Acting UMNO Youth Leader, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, had openly admitted that the UeM contract for the North-South Highway is to enable UMNO to repay its $360 million debts in connection with the UMNO Complex.
I want to ask MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, and other MCA Ministers and leaders whether the MCA support the UEM contract for North-South Highway because the MCA has also a $50 million debt to repay in connection with Wisma MCA?
If component parties of ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, are allowed to make use of government positions and influence to help them to repay party debts, then very soon, the country’s economic and financial policies will have only one objective: to clear debts of Barisan Nasional parties, and their leaders.
During the MCA power struggle between the Neo Yee Pan and Tan Koon Swan factions, the Tan faction claimed that they represent a new MCA, a new leadership and a new style, who are prepared to ‘speak up and to show anger’!
Where is the new MCA leaderships “dare to speak up and to show anger” in the North-South Highway scandal? It is clear that the present MCA leadership had broken faith with its promise and claims in the MCA power struggle, that they are leaders who are prepared to sactifice their Ministerial positions and influence in government, over principles and the interest of the people.
The North-South Highway scandal is the best expose of the hollow claims of the MCA leaders, who dare not even whisper a word of protest about the North-South Highway scandal.
The Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, is also another disappointment. He has shown that he is basically no different from the MCA Ministers when it comes to issues in which a stand has to be taken against UMNO for its abuses of power.
We can expect Dr.Lim Keng Yaik to be very outspoken in denouncing the abuses of power and breach of trust in MCA leadership circles, but very silent and quiet where abuses of power and breach of trust in UMNO leadership circles are concerned!