Part II of Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Second national joint DAP-Semangat 46 ceramah at Ipoh on Saturday, 24th February 1990 at 10 p.m
Semangat 46 fully supports the repeal of Section 21(2) of the 1961 Education Act
The political earthquake started in the first joint national DAP-Semangat 46 ceramah in Penang last Saturday, repeated in Ipoh tonight, has caused panic in the Barisan Nasional camp, whether in UMNO Baru, MCA, Gerakan or MIC.
As a result, the Barisan Nasional parties would step up their attack on the DAP and Semangat 46. the DAP is daily being accused by the MCA and Gerakan of selling out the basic rights and interests of the Chinese, while Semangat 46 is being accused by UMNO Baru of selling out Malay rights and interests. MIC has not yet accused the DAP of selling out Indian rights and interests because the MIC leaders are still to engrossed by the Vijandran pornographic videotapes scandal.
If the DAP and Semangat 46 co-operation results in the sell-out of Chinese rights and interests as claimed by MCA and Gerakan and the sell-out of Malay rights and interests as claimed by the UMNO Baru, then everybody would have been sold out! This shows how ridiculous and nonsensical are the accusations of UMNO Baru, MCA and Gerakan, who are really frightened by the co-operation between DAP and Semangat 46.
DAP and Semangat 46 leaders are not for sale
The leaders of DAP and Semangat 46 are not for sale. If we can be bought and sold like chattels, Tengku Razaleigh would have returned to the Cabinet when Dr. Mahathir offered him a ministerial post. MCA and Gerakan leaders would also have no chance of becoming Ministers and Deputy Ministers if DAP leaders are only interested in becoming Ministers.
DAP and Semangat 46 leaders are not for sale because the rights and interests of the Malaysian people for which we are fighting is not something which could be sold.
DAP is co-operating with Semangat 46 to save democracy, restore human right, ensure socio-economic justice and build a united, peaceful and prosperous nation.
The cornerstone of our co-operation therefore will be freedom, justice and unity.
The primary thrust of the DAP-Semangat 46 co-operation will be to save democracy and restore human rights, because if these objectives are not achieved, then nothing else could be done.
Call on Dr. Mahathir to abolish the four Proclamations of Emergency and dismantle all undemocratic laws before he leaves for Lusaka on Monday to meet Nelson Mandela
Dr. Mahathir is leaving for Lusaka on Monday to meet Nelson Mandela. I call on Dr. Mahathir to meet Mandela with clean hands as Prime Minister of a country which respects human rights and democratic freedoms of her people.
When Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years of incarceration, he could address public rallies of 50,000 and 100,000 people to tell South Africans of his resolve to continue to oppose and destroy the racist apartheid policies of the Pretoria government. But in Malaysia, which claims to be more democratic than South Africa, public rallies are still banned.
When Nelson Mandela was first released, he called for the end of the State of Emergency in South Africa. But in Malaysia, we have not one, but four, Proclamations of Emergency which are still governing the lives of Malaysians.
I call on Dr. Mahathir to repeal the four Proclamations of Emergency and dismantle undemocratic laws which suppress the human rights of Malaysians, like the Internal Security Act, the Official Secrets Act and the Printing presses and Publications Act, before he leaves for Lusaka on Monday to meet Nelson Mandela. Dr. Mahathir should meet Mandela with clean hands and a clean record of human rights in Malaysia.
Challenge to Anwar Ibrahim to repeal Section 21(2) in the Parliamentary meeting beginning on Monday
In the 1986 general elections, Barisan Nasional government pledged that Section 21(2) of the 1961 Education Act would be repealed in the first meeting of the new Parliament after the general elections.
Four years have passed, but this general elections promise of the Barisan Nasional has not been fulfilled. If the Barisan Nasional government cannot fulfill such a simple general elections pledge to repeal a sub-section of the Education Act, the Education Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, must be the one of the most inefficient Ministers in the country, and the credibility and sincerity of the Barisan Nasional is rightly being questioned by all Malaysians.
I have discussed this question with Tengku Razaleigh, and Semangat 46 fully supports the repeal of Section 21(2) of the 1961 Education Act.
I challenge Anwar Ibrahim to repeal Section 21(2) of the Education Act ion the parliamentary meeting beginning on Monday.