by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, February 10, 1990:
Call for the withdrawal of the Barisan Nasional Whip in Parliament to allow all Barisan MPs the freedom to vote according to their conscience in the two motions to remove Vijandran as Deputy Speaker and Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman as Attorney-General
Deputy Prime Minister, Ghafar Baba, was quoted as saying yesterday that the Gerakan was free to introduce a motion for the removal of D.P. Vijandran as Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and that it was up to Gerakan to decide on the move as all MPs were free to take such action in the Dewan Rakyat.
However, MIC President, Datuk Samy Vellu, did not seem to agree as he said that any Barisan Nasional parliamentary motion should first be approved by the coalition’s leadership as well as by the Barisan Whip.
I call on Ghafar Baba as the Barisan Nasional Whip in Parliament to announce the withdrawal of the Whip on the two motions 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 to remove Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman as Attorney-General, so that all Barisan MPs can vote according to their own conscience on these two motions.
These two motions on the removal of Vijandran as Deputy Speaker and Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman as Attorney-General should not be seen as partisan issues involving the confrontation and conflict of the Barisan Nasional and opposition parties, but as national issues of grave importance to the image and integrity of parliament government in Malaysia
As such, the Barisan Nasional should not impose the Whip and lay down the line for all Barisan Nasional MPs to obey, but should allow all Barisan MPs the choice to act according to one’s conscience.
Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia have also joined in the call for the resignation of Vijandran as Deputy Speaker
Today, both Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia have joined in the call for the resignation of Vijandran as Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Although these two Bahasa Malaysia newspapers are later than some Chinese newspaper in making this call, this demonstrates the correct and proper position that has been taken by the DAP right from the beginning.
Unfortunately, the MCA, through its Deputy President, Lee Kim Sai, continues to maintain that the Vijandran issue is a MIC issue. If the Vijandran issue is a MIC issue, why should Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysian also urge Vijandran to resign as Deputy Speaker.
MCA’s stand on the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal is the worst of all Barisan Nasional parties, as no leader in the Barisan Nasional parties had to impose a total ban on its leaders and members from publicly commenting on the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal except for the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik.
It would appear that the MCA Ministers and national leaders need some lessons to educate them to understand that the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal is an issue which does not just concern an individual or MIC, but concerns the honour and reputation of Parliament, the integrity of government and most important of all, the credibility and legitimacy of the system of parliamentary democratic in Malaysia and the international image of the country.