by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary – General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 3rd December 1989:
DAP calls for tabling of the Peace Agreement with Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) in Parliament together with a Ministerial statement on all the administrative and other agreements reached in the peace talks
DAP welcomes the signing of the Peace Agreement by the Malaysian and Thai governments and the Communist Party of Malay (CPM) in haadyai yesterday, bringing an end to the 41 – year – old armed CPM struggle which had cost Malaysia so much in terms of lives and money, as well as the democratic freedoms and human rights of the people.
With the pledge of loyalty to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and adherence to the Federal Constitution and the laws of the country by the CPM Secretary – General, Chin Peng, Malaysia should concentrate her energies and resources on the country’s economic development and the fulfillment of the people’s aspirations for democratic freedoms and human rights.
The great ferment going on in Eastern Europe, with the banner of freedoms and democracy being raised in one communist state after another despite four decades of iron – fisted communist rule, is powerful testimony that human aspirations for democracy and freedom are innate in every human being, which no human power can extinguish for ever.
While the Poles, Hungarians, Czechs, East Germans and other East Europeans are working out a new destiny for themselves where they could enjoy freedom and democracy, Malaysia should also be able to look forward to a new era of greater freedom and democracy with the end of the 71 – year – old CPM armed struggle. Otherwise, future generations of Malaysians would wonder what was it that the people fought for in the past 41 years against the armed struggle of CPM.
I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed to give serious thought to the new scenario for freedom and democracy after the conclusion of the peace accord with CPM, so that the Haadyai Agreement could also mark a new era for peace, democracy and freedom for all Malaysians in the 1990s.
For a start, I would call on Dr. Mahathir to table the haadyai Peace Agreement signed yesterday in Parliament, and to make a Ministerial Statement in Parliament on call the administrative and other agreements which had been concluded with CPM to carry to the Haadyai Agreement.
Furthermore, Dr. Mahathir should agree to a Parliamentary debate on my motion on the signing of the Peace agreement with CPM which o had submitted to the Speaker, Tan Sri Zahir Ismail.