Press Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Monday, 7th May 1990 at 11.30 a.m.
My intention is to push Keng Yaik beyond the limit of his patience and sue me in court for calling him “an inveterate, compulsive and incorrigible liar”
Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, warned in Batu Pahat yesterday that I should not push him past the “limit of his patience” and that reserved the right to defend himself and his name.
Let me tell Keng Yaik, if he has not realized it yet, that my purpose is precisely to push him past the limit of his patience and force him to sue me in court for slander and defamation for calling him “an inveterate, compulsive and incorrigible liar” for his lies about the secret DAP-PAS meeting in Jakarta.
I am not conducting a personal vendetta against him. All I want is to teach him a lesson that as a national political leader, as well as being a senior Cabinet Minister, he cannot go round concocting and telling lies such as the secret DAP-PAS meeting in Jakarta.
Keng Yaik had very mischievous and malicious motives in-concocting and telling the lies about the DAP-PAS secret meeting in Jakarta, for he wanted to create the impression that the DAP leaders are dishonest and dishonourable people, who are prepared to sell out the basic rights and interests of the people by agreeing to the establishment of an Islamic State.
If Keng Yaik is prepared to openly and publicly admit that he had told lies about the so-called DAP-PAS secret meeting in Jakarta, I am prepared to cancel all plans to print and put up posters countrywide with the words:” Keng Yaik – You are a Liar!” as well as all other actions.
Unfortunately, Keng Yaik is still going round the country repeating the lies about the so-called secret DAP-PAS meeting in Jakarta, although he could not produce any proof to substantiate it.
What is worse, Keng Yaik is telling more lies about the DAP. For instance, he said that in the last general elections, the DAP distributed a superimposed photograph of him with a woman in bed. This is a first time I am hearing about it. If this is true, he must have a copy. I invite him to give me a copy, and I will launch a full investigation.
Keng Yaik is also alleging that for over twenty years, the DAP had accused the MCA and Gerakan of selling out the rights of the Chinese by co-operation with a Malay political party.
This is another lie. DAP did not attack MCA and Gerakan for selling out the rights of the Chinese by co=operating with a Malay political party.
There is nothing wrong with co-operating with Malay political parties. In Malaysia, there must be co-operation among all races. In fact, the DAP has its own Malay leaders and members for we are a multi-racial party.
The DAP never criticized the MCA and Gerakan for co-operating with Malay political parties. What we criticized the MCA and Gerakan is for selling out its political objectives and principles, and the rights of the Chinese they claim to represent, in exchange for office and position for a few MCA and Gerakan leaders in government.
The DAP leaders will never be so stupid as Keng Yaik wants the people to believe as to condemn any co-operation with ‘Malay political parties or with Malays. I challenge Keng Yaik to produce proof, since he said that this is what the DAP had been doing for over 20 years!
Keng Yaik’s inveterate, compulsive and incorrigible character to tell lies is becoming more and more evident. For instance, he said that when he produced his ‘Star witness’, Yusop Mohamed Yusop, on May 2,alleging that he was supposed to be on the DAP delegation to Jakarta for secret talks with PAS, I immediately ran to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, and had a rebuttal press conference in Tengku Razaleigh’s house.
In actual fact, on the morning of May 2, from 10.30 a.m., the DAP leaders were having a meeting with Semangat 46 leaders in Tengku Razaleigh’s house that morning.
At about noon time, DAP Deputy Secretary-General, Sdr. Lee Lam Thye, received a call and was informed about Yusop Mohamed Yusop’s lies in his press conference. As the DAP-Semangat 46 meeting was still going on, I decided to meet the press (as many local reporters were already waiting outside Tengku Razaleigh’s house) at 2 p.m.
So the question of my running to Tengku Razaleigh and having a press conference in his house, after hearing abou the so-called revelations of Keng Yaik’s ‘Star Witness’, Yusup Mohamed Yusop,
Is a gross distortion – and another example of Keng Yaik “inveterate, compulsive and incorrigible” character to tell lies.
I had given Keng Yaik 72 hours to apply to the court for an injunction to restrain the DAP from printing and putting posters throughout the country with the words “Keng Yaik – You Are a liar!”. Junid Megat Ayob, to proctect him. If Keng Yaik does not act to defend his name and character in court, I will next spell out further “serious consequences” to him for telling downright lies.