Press Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Kota Kinabalu Airport on Friday, 6th July 1990 at 12.15 p.m. at the end of two-day visit to Sabah
Ten Questions for Joseph Pairin Kitingan on PBS Stand on Labuan
The PBS President and Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, announced that one of the PBS election manifesto pledges is to ‘continue to work for the return of Labuan to Sabah without conditions.’
I have ten questions for Pairin on the PBS stand on Labuan:
1. What had the PBS Government done to seek the return of Labuan to Sabah in the past five years from 1985-1990?
2. Is it not true that the PBS government had done absolutely nothing in the past five years to return Labuan to Sabah?
3. Is it not true that the PBS had never raised the issue of the return of Labuan to Sabah in any Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting in the past five years?
4. Is it not true that Pairin had never discussed or raised this issue with the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, in the past five years?
5. Why is it no single PBS Member of Parliament had ever spoken up in Parliament in the past five years for the return of Labuan to Sabah, including during the four-day debate in the June meeting of Parliament on the six Bills to make Labuan a ‘tax haven’ which was dominated by DAP MPs?
6. Is it not true that the PBS inserted the Labuan issue in its election manifesto after the DAP had again raised the issue of the return of Labuan to Sabah during last month’s Parliamentary meeting?
7. Would Pairin agree that one important reason the PBS Government could ‘forget’ the Labuan issue for five years was because of the absence of DAP elected representatives in the Sabah State Assembly to constantly remind the PBS Government about its commitment and pledges on the Labuan issue, and that the PBS Government need the presence of DAP Assemblymen in the Sabah State Assembly so that the PBS would not again ‘forget’ about the Labuan issue in the next five years?
8. What are the concrete steps the PBS Government have in mind after the Sabah state general elections to fulfill its election pledge to ‘continue to work for the return of Labuan to Sabah without conditions’?
9. Deputy Prime Minister, Ghafar Baba, has said that the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council would discuss the PBS’ call for ‘the return of Labuan to Sabah without conditions’ after the Sabah state general elections. What is the PBS stand if the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council rejects the PBS call on the Labuan issue, and refuses to return Labuan to Sabah?
10. Isn’t it true that the only hope for Labuan to be returned to Sabah without conditions is for the toppling of the Barisan Nasional Federal Government in the coming parliamentary general elections, and its replacement by a new Federal Government based on the co-operation between Semangat 46 and DAP?
V. David has assured the DAP leadership that he had never supported the removal of GSP status and fully accepts the DAP stand on the retention of GSP privileges
DAP MP for Puchong, V. David, has assured the DAP leadership that he had never supported the removal of the GSP status of Malaysia, and declared that he fully accepts the DAP stand on the retention of the GSP privileges for Malaysian exports to the United States.
V. David had also given his undertaking to support all efforts by the DAP aimed at preserving the GSP status.
With the assurance and clarifications given by V. David in his capacity as DAP MP for Puchong, I hope the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri D. Mahathir Mohamed, and the Barisan Nasional leaders would stop politicising the GSP issue.
The GSP issue must not be treated as a game of party politics, but as a serious national issue which rises above party politics. The Barisan Nasional Government should make full use of the opportunity to demonstrate to the United States Government that all political parties in Malaysia, whether ruling or opposition, are united in wanting the GSP status retained – instead of trying to give the world the false impression that there is disunity in Malaysia on the GSP issue.
The DAP had proposed the establishment of an All-Party Parliamentary Committee on the GSP issue to make representations to the United States Government to retain the GSP privileges, and the DAP offer to give the Barisan Nasional Government all help and support in this campaign remains open.