by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Friday, 9th February 1990:
Semangat 46 to second the two DAP motions in Parliament to remove Vijandran as Deputy Speaker and Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman as Attorney-General
Semangat 46 will second the two DAP motions in Parliament when it begins its meeting on February 26 to remove D.P. Vijandran as Deputy Speaker and refer him to the Committee of Privileges for a full-scale investigation into the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal and the removal of Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman as Attorney-General for the destruction of the eleven Vijandran videotapes and four envelopes of 2,000 photographs.
I welcome the call by the Gerakan Vice President and Deputy Works Minister, Datuk Alex Lee, yesterday tat D.P. Vijandran should resign as Deputy Speaker of Dewan Rakyat. Datuk Lee said Gerakan would support a Barisan Nasional motion in Parliament for the removal of D.P. Vijandran as Deputy Speaker.
However, is Gerakan prepared to support my motion for the removal of D.P. Vijandran should the Barisan Nasional decline to move any such motion then Parliament meets on Feb. 26?
I hope the Gerakan leaders will clarify this, for if the Gerakan support for a motion to remove Vijandran is contingent and conditional on its being moved by the Barisan Nasional, then it would be a empty gesture if the Barisan Nasional is not going to move any such motion.
The Gerakan should also declare its position on the motion to remove Tan Sri Abu Talib as Attorney-General for his unjustifiable, improper, unethical and unlawful action to order the destruction of the eleven Vijandran videotapes and four envelopes of 2,000 photographs by the Police.
Possibility of several prominent male personalities involved in Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal makes destruction of eleven Vijandran videotapes and 2,000 photographs even more inexcusable and indefensible
Yesterday, DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP for Jelutong, Karpal Singh, called on the police to investigate whether several prominent male personalities were involved in the Vijandran videotapes scandal.
This possibility has made the destruction of the eleven Vijandran videotapes and four envelopes of 2,000 photographs by the Police on the directive of the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, even more inexcusable and indefensible.
In the interest of the image and integrity of the government, as well as the reputation and standing of Malaysia inside and outside the country, I reiterate my earlier call to the Prime Minister that a Special Independent Prosecutor should be appointed to investigate into all police reports lodged against Tan Sri Abu Talib in connection with the destruction of the eleven Vijandran videotapes and 2,000 photographs.
It is clear unacceptable to all right-thinking Malaysians that Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman should be deciding how the Police should initiate investigations into him, and he be the final arbiter as to whether he himself should be arrested and charged in court for the criminal offence of destroying vital evidence without lawful sanction from a magistrate as required by law.
2. Call on Election Commission to cancel the snap 21-day voters’ registration exercise on March 1 and invite all political parties to work out a proper and honest voters’ registration campaign.
The Election Commission is losing all public confidence in its independence and impartiality in its manner of trying to conduct a improper and dishonest snap 21-day voters’ registration exercise with the primary objective of putting 300,000 to 500,000 UMNO Baru members on the Electoral Roll.
Before the Election Commission does itself irreparable damage, I call on the Election Commission Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Talib, to be mindful of his constitutional responsibilities to be independent and not subject to the dictates to any political directives from any quarter, including the ruling parties of the day.
The Election Commission should cancel the snap 21-day voters’ registration exercise to begin on March 1. Instead, the Election Commission should invite all political parties to a round-table conference to work out a proper and honest voters’ registration exercise, which is aimed at putting every eligible voter on the Electoral Roll, and not just to target for the registration of 300,000 to 500,000 UMNO Baru members as voters before the next general elections.