by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Saturday, 19th May 1990:
Why is there complete silence from Keng Yaik on my challenge to him to public debate on Gerakan allegations that DAP wants to create Islamic State by co-operating with PAS
Yesterday, I gave the Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, 24 hours to deny that he gave authority to his Political Secretary and Director of Gerakan Publicity Bureau, Dr. Kang Chin Sang, to throw me a challenge at Pantai Remis giving me 48 hours to produce a Gerakan member to publicly provide proof that “Lim Keng Yaik is the most corrupt Minister in Malaysia and uses his overseas trips to deposit his corruption money in unnumbered Swiss bank accounts”.
I gave Keng Yaik 24 hours to repudiate Dr. Kang’s challenge, failing which I will assume that it is made with his authority, and I will reply to the 48-hour challenge as Keng Yaik’s challenge.
This is because I have decided not to give any attention or notice to Dr. Kang as Gerakan leaders and members themselves are treating Dr. Kang as if he is suffering from some form of political A.I.Ds.
The 24-hour deadline has expired, and Keng Yaik has not repudiated Dr. Kang, and so I will proceed on the assumption that Keng Yaik had authorised Dr. Kang to challenge me to produce a Gerakan member to publicly provide proof that “Lim Keng Yaik is the most corrupt Minister in Malaysia and uses his overseas trips to deposit his corruption money in unnumbered Swiss bank accounts.”
Keng Yaik can have Kerk Choo Ting, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and Dr. Kang Chin Sang as his supporting speakers in the public debates with DAP
Keng Yaik should know that there are two outstanding challenges which I have made to him, to which he had not yet responded. Keng Yaik should know that before he issues any new challenge to me, he must respond satisfactorily to these two outstanding challenges I have made to him.
The first challenge I had made to him was way back at the Chan’s Clansmen Association on May 3, where I challenged him to a series of public debates in Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and English all over the country on the Gerakan allegation that the DAP wants to establish an Islamic State by co-operating with PAS.
Two weeks have passed, and there is deafening silence on Keng Yaik’s part. I expect a response from Keng Yaik to my challenge to him to a series of public debates. If Keng Yaik feels that he needs support from other Gerakan leaders for such a debate, I have no objection at all. And he can get Gerakan Deputy President, Kerk Choo Ting, Gerkan Youth National Chairman, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon or even Dr. Kang to be his supporting speakers.
For Keng Yaik’s sake, I am prepared to change the format of the series of public debates from a one-to-one debate, to a debate with three or four persons for each side.