by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Wednesday, 7th February 1990:
Lim Kim Sai and MCA’s stand on AG/Viji pornographic videotapes scandal most dishonourable, shameful and unprincipled.
The stand of MCA, as stated by its Deputy President, Lee Kim Sai yesterday, on the AG/VIJI pornographic videotapes scandal is most dishonourable, shameful and unprincipled.
Lee Kim Sai claims that the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal is a MIC and not a Barisan Nasional affair. As an illustration, Kim Sai said: “Well, for example, the Barisan logo was not featured in the tapes, unless he had viewed the eleven Vijandran videotapes?
If Lee Kim Sai knows that the Barisan Nasional logo is not featured in the eleven Vijandran videotapes, then he and the MCA should know whether the Vijandran videotapes are pornographic or not, and whether Vijandran acted in the pornographic videotapes.
In fact, i had publicly challenged all the Cabinet Ministers to make a solemn statement on oath that they had all not viewed the videotapes, but there has been no response to my challenge. I have no doubt that certain Cabinet Ministers had in fact viewed the Vijandran videotapes that are supposed to have been destroyed on the directive of the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman.
MCA leaders afraid of Samy Vellu
However, MCA’s stand on the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal that it is and MIC affair is not unexpected, in the same way that the MCA has always maintained hat the MCA scandals involving criminal breach of trust of top MCA leaders, like MCA President, the national MCA Youth Leader and other national leaders, are internal domestic MCA matters.
Ma, with so many scandals, would not dare to take a principled and honourable stand on the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal, as MIC President, Datuk Samy Vellu, can always turn around and attack the MCA about the scandals of Tan Koon Swan, Kee Yong Wee, and even now, the scandal of the former MCA national organising secretary, Wong Choon Wing, hanging on to the parliament seat of Kuala Lipis despite a conviction and jail sentence for criminal breach of trust.
If the MCA dare not take a stand on Vijandran because of the fear of the MCA leaders to the MIC President, Datuk Samy Vellu, what is the stand of the MCA on the unethical, improper and unlawful destruction of the Vijandran videotapes and photographs by the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman? Of course, if the MCA leaders can be frightened of Datuk Samy Vellu, they would be more frightened of the Attorney-General!
But the reason Lee Kim Sai has given for not supporting any DAP motion in Parliament to remove Vijandran as Deputy Speaker is most childish and ridiculous. Lee Kim Sai said the MCA would not support any such DAP motion in the same way that the DAP had not supported any MCA motions.
Let me officially state here that if the MCA, whether in Parliament or the State Assemblies, tables a motion which is in the best interest of the people and country, the DAP will give it full support, regardless of the fact that it emanates from the MCA.
I challenge Lee Kim Sai to give an instance where MCA, whether in Parliament or the State Assemblies, had moved a motion which the DAP would have supported, but did not. In fact, I doubt Lee Kim Sai could come up with any MCA motion in Parliament or the State Assemblies at all!
Of course, the DAP had taken strong positions against the MCA in Parliament and the State Assemblies. A good example is the DAP’s opposition to the MCA in the Selangor State Assembly over the Selangor Islamic Law Administration Enactment where the DAP Assemblymen, despite fierce attacks by the MCA, led by the National MCA Youth leader and Selangor Executive Councillor, Datuk Yap Pian Hon, remained uncompromising in our rejection of the Enactment.
DAP offers to support MCA in Selangor State Assembly if it moves a motion to repeal Sections 67 and 70 of Enactment
I have publicly stated that if the MCA would move a motion in the the Selangor State Assembly to repeal Sections 67 and 70 of the Selangor Islamic Law Administration Enactment, the DAP will give the MCA full support. Is Lee Kim Sai prepared to make a similar commitment, that if the DAP moves a motion in the Selangor Assembly to repeal Sections 67 and 70 of the Selangor Islamic Law Administration Enactment, the MCA will give DAP full support?
MCA is a party without political principles, but only vested interested of its leaders. This is why they could stage the farce of the threatened collective resignation of the eight MCA Selangor State Assemblymen, not to resolve the issue, but to give the public the impression as to how heroic are the MCA Assemblymen!
Lee Kim Sai’s statement on the MCA’s stand on the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal shows that the MCA leaders do not care about what if right, moral or honourable, but only who moved the motion in parliament or State Assemblies. What type of a political party is this, which has no political stand or principles, but only on who is moving the motion in Parliament or State Assemblies?
I had challenged the MCA to declare its stand on the 15 year-old Ooi Kim Hooi, the latest addition to the lengthening list of non-Muslim minors who converted to Islam without parental knowledge or consent, and who deserted the family resulting in family break-up and parental suffering.
MCA has made the Ooi Kim Hooi incidents lawful and valid
Yesterday, Lee Kim Sai said “the government should prevent such incidents from recurring”. But who is the “government”, which should prevent such incidents from recurring? The government includes Lee Kim Sai and the MCA – so such a statement by Lee Kim Sai is empty and meaningless. It is even more hollow when it is remembered that none other than the MCA, through its eight Selangor State Assemblymen, who fully supported the Selangor Islamic Law Administration Enactment which made such incidents as Ooi Kim Hooi affair fully lawful and valid!
Is Lee Kim Sai prepared to give a clear and categorical assurance that at the next Selangor State Assembly meeting in a few months’ time, the MCA national leadership will stake its entire political reputation on the repeal of Sections 67 and 70 of the Selangor Islamic Law Administration Enactment?
The eight MCA Selangor Assemblymen are now utterly irrelevant, because this is an issue which has become the full responsibility of the entire MCA national leadership. Is Lee Kim Sai prepared to make such a public commitment on behalf of the MCA?
The MCA Presidential Council meeting yesterday decided to send top MCA leaders, including Ministers and Deputy Ministers, on group visits to the 15 DAP parliamentary constituencies which MCA claims to have adopted. The ministers would hold dialogues with the people in these 15 DAP constituencies.
This is an excellent opportunity for the people to demand that the top MCA national leadership, in particular the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, Lee Kim Sai, Ng Cheng Kiat and Lim Ah Lek, account for the MCA’s stand on the Selangor Islamic Law Administration Enactment, Ooi Kim Hooi cases, the AG/VIJI pornographic videotapes scandal, the Wong Choon Wing case, and the long list of broken political pledges of the MCA.
I hope the MCA would not disappoint the public again and ensure that all the four MCA Ministers will be present in the dialogues with the people in these group visits to all the 15 DAP Parliamentary constituencies.