Press Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at DAP PJ Hqrs on Thursday, August 9, 1990 at 11.30 am
DAP gives the MCA a last chance for the new MCA Central Committee to give a satisfactory explanation and accounting for the allegations by the Lee Kim Sai faction that Ling Liong Sik is not a clean political leader.
As the new MCA Central Committee is having its first meeting next Tuesday, the DAP is giving the MCA a last and final chance to give the people a satisfactory explanation, and accounting for the allegations by the Lee Kim Sai faction that the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, is not a ‘clean’ and honest political leader.
The allegations made by the Lee Kim Sai faction during the 13-day abortive Ling-Lee fight for the post of MCA President last month that Liong Sik is not a ‘clean’ political leader because of his various dubious personal and MCA-connected business deals, like Bolton Finance, Pyemas money brokerage firm, KSM, Multi-Purpose Holdings Bhd, Kamunting Corporation Bhd are very serious allegations.
They just cannot be swept under the carpet because the Lee Kim Sai faction found that it was to their own selfish political interest, just to survive in the MCA!
The people, and in particular the Malaysian Chinese whom the MCA claims to represent, cannot allow such allegations to hang in the air without a satisfactory explanation and accounting by the MCA leadership, for this would mean that it is not just Liong Sik who is not a ‘clean’ political leader, but Kim Sai and his fol1owers are also not ‘clean’ political leaders.
If the MCA is a serious political movement, which is con¬cerned about political principles rather than personal feuds and self-interest, or what the Kim Sai faction described at the beginning, as ‘justice’ versus ‘self-interest’, then the first MCA Central Com¬mittee next Tuesday should set up a committee to institute a public inquiry into all the allegations made by the Lee Kim Sai faction chal-lenging the honesty and integrity of Liong Sik.
Otherwise, it is not just Liong Sik’s honesty and integrity which will be under a cloud, but that of the entire MCA Central Com¬mittee as well.
The DAP has set up a Special Task Force on the allegations by the Lee Kim Sai faction that Ling Liong Sik is not a clean and honest political leader, and in particular with regard to the various dubious personal and MCA-connected business deals involving Liong Sik.
As the DAP is giving the MCA national leadership a final chance to redeem its political honesty,
honour and integrity, the DAP Special Task Force will hold its first meeting only after the MCA Central Committee next Tuesday.
If the MCA Central Committee at its meeting on Tuesday fails to give a satisfactory explanation and accounting on the allega¬tions made by the Lee Kim Sai faction challenging the honesty and integrity of Liong Sik, then the DAP Special Task Force will take over and pursue these allegations of the Lee Kim Sai faction in the public interest.
The DAP Special Task Force is headed by DAPSY National Chairman and MP for Kota Melaka,
Lim Guan Eng, and other members are;
Wee Choo Keong – Selangor DAP State Committee Member;
Wong Wing On – Political Secretary to DAP Secretary-General and DAPSY National Publicity-Secretary;
Yew Kok Kee – Political Secretary to DAP Secretary-General.
When will Liong Sik launch the second round of MCA attack on the DAP on the Islamic State issue?
Liong Sik will of course try to evade from giving, a satisfactory explanation and accounting to the various serious allegations, challenging his honesty and integrity, depicting him as a mere Kamunting agent inside the MCA.
He will be advised by his strategists that the best defence is to take the offensive. I am therefore asking Liong Sik when is he going to launch the second round of MCA attack on the DAP on the Islamic State issue.
Liong Sik must launch the second round of MCA-attack on the DAP on the Islamic State issue, because like the Gerakan leaders, they have run bankrupt of issues and ideas, and can only rely on lies for their political offensive.
Liong Sik launched the first round of MCA attack on the DAP on the Islamic State in February this year, but the MCA attack failed like a damp squib. Who believes that the MCA has a firm and depend¬able policy against the Islamic State when it is the eight MCA Selan¬gor Assemblymen who are responsible for giving full support for the Selangor Islamic Law Administration Enactment.
The MCA will even have less credibility to launch effec¬tively a second round of attack on the DAP on the Islamic State issue as the recent MCA General Assembly had just rewarded Yap Pian Hon, the leader of the eight Selangor MCA Assemblymen whcih voted for the Selangor Islamic law, and elected him as one of the four National Vice Presidents.
May be the MCA and the Gerakan national leadership should form a liaison committee, for both want a second round of attack on the, DAP on the Islamic State issue, and both face the problem of how to make their second round of attack on the DAP credible and convinc¬ing.
I suggest that the MCA Central Committee should decide on Tuesday, to direct the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, to accept my challenge to a public, debate on the Islamic State issue. I am prepared to face the two Lims heading MCA and Gerakan in a public debate on their allegation that the DAP wants to create an Islamic State by co-operating with PAS, for I am fully convinced that I can prove that both are liars.