by Parliamentary opposition Leader, DAP Secretary – General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, December 3, 1989:
Ling Liong Sik should confirm whether he had prior knowledge and given authorization to the action by the eight Selangor MCA State Assemblymen to send in their threat of collective resignation on December 15
The threat by the eight Selangor MCA State Assemblymen to collectively resign by December 15 if there are no suitable amendments to the Selangor Islamic Law Enactment has raised many questions as to whether this is just a political ploy.
One of these questions is whether the action of the eight Selangor MCA State Assemblymen to threaten collective resignation is their own action, or whether it is at the direction of the MCA national leadership, or at least with the prior knowledge and tacit approval of the highest MCA leadership.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, said yesterday that at first, he thought the MCA Assemblymen’s quit threat were their own individual actions, but it now appeared that these moves were orchestrated by certain quarters.
The Selangor Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Mohamed Taib, said yesterday that he had asked the eight Selangor State Assemblymen why they put in their threat to collectively resign, and he was told that they were forced (“terpaksa”) to send in their collective resignation letters.
The MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, owes the people a full explanation as to whether he and the top MCA national leadership had directed and “forced” the eight Selangor MCA Assemblymen to submit the threat of collective resignation, or had prior knowledge and given tacit consent and approval to the collective resignation threat.
In particular, Ling Liong Sik should confirm whether what the MCA MP for Ampang Jaya and Lee Kim Sai’s right – head man, Ong Tee Kiat, said in today’s press is correct, that there was nothing wrong in Lee Kim Sai claiming after the MCA Central Committee meeting last Wednesday that the party leadership had “endorsed” the actions of the eight Selangor MCA Assemblymen, when translating the word “appreciate”, “as the resignation action of the eight Selangor MCA Assemblymen was carried out with the knowledge of the party leadership”.
I am not interested in the antics of Ong Tee Kiat to justify the unjustifiable, as to how “appreciate” could become “endorse”; but in the confession that the MCA top national leadership knew and consented to the actions by the eight Selangor MCA Assemblymen right from the beginning.
If this was in fact the case, then why are the MCA national leaders shirking their responsibility, by trying to pass the buck to somebody else. Ling Liong Sik and Lee Kim Sai should have the courage to go and tell Dr. Mahathir that they had “orchestrated” the quit threat of the eight MCA Selangor State Assemblymen.
A full and clear explanation by the MCA President and national leadership on the background of the quit threat of the eight MCA Assemblymen is important especially as the MCA leaders are complaining that the action of the eight Selangor MCA Assemblymen is not getting public support. How can the MCA expect the action of the eight Selangor Assemblymen to get public support hen the MCA leaders regard it as a mere political game?
How can the eight MCA Assemblymen boycott the Selangor State Assembly proceedings just because DAP is going to raise the issue of the Selangor Islamic Law Enactment?
It is reported today that the eight MCA Selangor State Assemblymen want to boycott the two – week Selangor State Assembly starting from tomorrow because they heard that the DAP State Assembly leader, Dr. Tan Seng Giaw, would be raising the issue of the Selangor Islamic Law Enactment during the proceedings. How can the eight MCA Assemblymen boycott the Selangor State Assembly proceedings for this reason? Is the MCA national leadership going to allow them to boycott the Selangor Assemblymen for this reason?
The least the eight Selangor MCA Assemblymen should do is to openly give support to the five DAP Selangor Assemblymen on the amendments to Sections 67 and 70 of the Selangor Islamic Law Enactment in the Selangor Assembly next week.