Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the DAP Ceramah at Kampong Koh, Sitiawan on Tuesday, 26th June 1990 at 10 p.m.
Loke Yuen Yow was telling a lie when he said in Parliament on Monday that MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, was not involved in the sale of KSM’s 28.9 per cent stake in MPHB to Kamunting
MCA Deputy Finance Minister, Loke Yuen Yow, was openly telling a lie in Parliament yesterday when he claimed that the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, was not involved in the sale of KSM’s 28.9 per cent stake in the Multi-Purpose Holdings Bhd. (MPHB) to Kamunting Corporation Bhd. last May.
Loke said that it was the KSM Receivers, Price Waterhouse, who decided on the sale of the KSM’s 28.9 per cent stake in MPHB to Kamunting, and not Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik.
In claiming that Liong Sik was not in any way involved in the sale of KSM’s 28.9 per cent stake in MPHB in Kamunting, Loke can compete with the Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik (who lied about the so-called DAP-PAS secret talks in Jakarta) and MIC National Vice President, Datuk K. Pathmanaban (who lied about Lee Lam Thye beign photographed with American, Terry Collingsworth to connive and collude in the removal of GSP privileges for Malaysia) for the title of the Biggest Liar of the Year in Malaysian Politics!
No one will believe Loke’s claim, including no one in MCA will believe him. This is why the real story behind the sale of KSM’s 28.9 per cent stake of MPHB to Kamunting is one of the biggest campaign issues of the Lee Kim Sai faction to remove Liong Sik as MCA President, on the ground that he betrayed the interests of both the KSM members and the MPHB shareholders to Kamunting!
Challenge to Liong Sik to openly declare that he was not in anyway involved in the Kamunting takeover of the KSM’s 28.9 per cent stake in MPHB
I challenge Liong Sik whether he dare to publicly declare that he was not in any way involved un the decision to sell KSM’s 28.9 per cent stake in MPHB to Kamunting. I am sure that if Liong Sik dares to make such a declaration, there will be people in the MCA who will come forward to expose the real story of the decision to sell KSM’s 28.9 per cent stake in MPHB to Kamunting, when there were attractive offers by other groups, apart from the HUME bid.
Loke’s defence of Liong Sik over the issue of KSM-MPHB Investment Fund’s 19.7 per cent stake in MPHB was also ridiculous.
Everybody knows that Kamunting was opposed to the bloc sale of the 19.7 per cent stake of the KSM-MPHB Investment Fund because it could threaten Kamunting’s control of MPHB. As a result, Liong Sik also opposed he bloc sale of 19.7 per cent stake in MPHB, until the DAP shamed the MCA leadership to veto Liong Sik’s stand and accept the DAP’s formula.
However, with the asset-stripping exercises taking place in the MPHB after its take-over by Kamunting, the 50,398 Investment Fund unitholders are not likely to get money for their MPHB shares even if they are sold en bloc.
Keng Yaik had failed to look after the interests of the fisherman, many of whom are his constituents
During the recent 12-day Parliamentary meeting, which ended today, I drew the attention of the House and the Government about the anger of the people fisherman in this area over the incident where a Royal Malaysian Navy boat, KD Sri Selangor, opened fire on a trawler boat off Pulau Pangkor early this month. The fishermen fired up were lucky to be still alive.
I also called on the Government to stop harassing the fishermen carrying out their legitimate livelihood, and in particular to amend the Fisheries Act to remove the highly oppressive provisions on mandatory confiscation of fishing vessels for offences under the Act.
I openly criticized the Gerakan President and Primary Industries Minister, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, and the Deputy Minister for Culture and Tourism, Ng Cheng Kuai, whose constituents include fishermen, for not showing concern for the sufferings and hardships of the fishermen and not using their position in Cabinet and Government to amend the Fisheries Act and to stop the harassment of the fishermen by the authorities.
As a Cabinet Minister, Keng Yaik is well-placed to help the fishermen by getting the Fisheries Act amended. The question is whether he wants to help the fishermen and his constituents or not.
From his complete lack of concern about the oppressive features in the Fisheries Act, it is clear that keng Yaik had failed to look after the interests of the fishermen who are his constituents.