by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP Tor Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, August 21, 1990:
DAP writes to Anwar Ibrahim to seek for five clarifications before deciding whether to send representative to the Consultative Council on Education Bill.
I received yesterday the letter from the Education Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, dated 16th August 1990, inviting the DAP to nomi¬nate a representative to the Consultative Council on Education Bill 1990 by today (August 21).
I have written to the Education Minister seeking clarification on five matters before the DAP decides whether to send a repre¬sentative to the Consultative Council on Education Bill 1990.
These five questions are as follows:
Firstly, why did the Cabinet establish a Consultative Council on the Education Bill at this late stage,
after the government had spent four years on drafting the new Education Bill, and when a Cabinet Committee had been set up to finalise all details on the Bill to purportedly present it to the Dewan Rakyat last June?
Secondly, would the members of the Consultative Council be bound by the Official Secrets Act?
Thirdly, would the members of the Consultative Council be given full time to study the over a thousand memorandum submitted to the Government on the Education Bill, as well as all government stud¬ies and reports commissioned by the Government on the Education Bill, which would require at least six months, considering that the National Economic Consultative Council has taken about 18 months and has not completed its report.
Fourthly, what is the status of the Consultative Council on Education Bill if Parliament is dissolved next month?
Fifthly, can the Education Minister give a solemn pledge on behalf of the Government that there would
be no dissolution of Parliament until after the Consultative Counci1 on the Education Bill had completed its work and submitted its report to Parliament?
The DAP will decide whether to accept the invitation to nominate a representative to sit on the Consultative Council on Educa¬tion Bill after receipt and study of the Education Minister’s reply to the
five clarifications.