By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, June 13, 1990:
Advice to NUTP not to be misled by biased press accounts of the Penang Assembly uproar to join in an politically orchestrated attack on DAP and Karpal Singh
As expected, the Barisan Nasional parties have politically orchestrated a mass media attack on the DAP and in particular DAP Assemblyman for Glugor, Karpal Singh, because of the Penang Assembly uproar last Monday where four DAP Assembly were suspended from the Assembly.
Various UMNO, MCA and Gerakan leaders have jumped into the scene denouncing the DAP, which is only to be expected. However, I notice that some organizations like the NUTP have also been misled to join into this politically-orchestrated attack on the DAP.
I would advise the NUTP, and in particular its deputy general-secretary. P. Ramanathan, not to be misled by biased press accounts of the Penang Assembly uproar to join in a politically-orchestrated attack on the DAP and Sdr. Karpal Singh.
If Raanathan wants to know the full story of the events and the real cause of the Penang Assembly commotion, I am prepared to give him a full briefing.
Ramanathan said that there is a danger of students losing respect for members of the Penang Assembly. Students can lose respect for the institution of parliamentary democracy for a variety of reasons, including the blatant example of the abuses of power by the Speaker, refusing to allow Assemblymen the legitimate right to ask questions or raise issues of concern to the people.
More and more, we are having Speakers who seem to know of only one section in the Standing orders, that their decision is final. Speakers seem to think that this section gives them dictatorial powers to making any ruling they want and they ignore all other rules.
Karpal Singh is perfectly right when he said yesterday that Penang Speaker, Datuk Ooi Ean Kwong, acted like a tyrant in his utter disregard of the Standing Orders.
If Ooi Ean Kwong of only one rule in the Standing Orders, that his decision if final, and therefore he could decide whatever he wants in utter disregard of the democratic purpose of the Assembly, then the Standing Orders might as well be thrown away!