Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the closing of the Balik Pulau Semangat 46 Division Dialogue held at Dewan Serbaguna Sg.Dua, Sg.Nibong on Saturday, 20th April 1991 at 6 p.m.
DAP calls on Federal Government to commission a full public inquiry to ensure that the correct lessons are drawn from the Malacca water crisis by all state Governments and political leaders in future
Semangat 46 president, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, said just now in his opening speech for the Semangat 46 Balik Pulau Division general meeting and dialogue that Semangat 46 is very ‘popular’ in the mass media recently, being prominently reported in the television, radio and newspapers.
In today’s press, the Deputy Prime Minister, Ghafar Baba, said that not only are Semangat 46 leaders ‘quitting in droves’, he predicted that many DAP leaders would leave the party as well.
Barisan National can break individual DAP leaders, but they cannot break the DAP or the public support for the DAP
This is of course the intention of the Barisan Nasional parties, who will do their utmost to try to destroy the Opposition parties, because what the Barisan Nasional leaders fear the most are courageous, consistent and committed Opposition leaders.
The DAP faces with equanimity and clam the Barisan Nasional’s latest attempt to try to destroy the DAP as indicated by Ghafar Baba’s statement.
The DAP has gone through many such trials and tests in our 25-year history. We have considerable experience of such Barisan Nasional schemes, when fiction is treated as news and blared over the television and radio and given front-page newspaper treatment.
The Barisan Nasional couls break individual DAP leaders or members, but they cannot break the DAP, or the public support for the DAP. Immediately after the DAP’s first general elections contest and success, they even broke the Secretary-General of the DAP, but the party did not succumb or perish, but went on to grow from strength to strength.
What is important is that members of Opposition parties which are the target of such Barisan Nasional campaigns should have confidence in their own political beliefs.
The DAP has been in the Opposition for 25 years. This is not because we want to be an Opposition for ever and do not want to have the opportunity to be in the Government. This is because we are serious in our political beliefs and commitments, for we are in politics because of our belief in freedom, justice, equality and unity in Malaysia. For those beliefs, we are prepared to continue to be in the Opposition, because we love our people and country and are the true Malaysian patriots.
If we are in politics for our own individual self-gain so as to be in government at any price, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah could return to the Cabinet any time, and I believe that I could have become a Minister long ago. This is what make the leaders in the Opposition different from the leaders in the Barisan National.
The Malaysian political scene today would have been very different if not for the politics of lies, fear, race and religion in the last three days of the election campaign
While we are all disappointed by the setbacks of the Opposition in the recent general elections, there is no reason for us to be despondent or to feel down and out.
In the recent general elections, the Barisan Nasional only managed to secure 52 per cent of the national vote.
There is no doubt that if not for the politics of lies, fear, race and religion of the Barisan National, in particular of UMNO, in the last three days of the election campaign, the Malaysian political scene today would have been very different.
Firstly, the Barisan National’s total national vote would have fallen below 50 per cent. Secondly, the Barisan National would have lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority. Thirdly, there would have been a great possibility of a charge of government at the national level.
Opposition parties must take the offensive and not be in the defensive
The Opposition parties which have come together to seek the registration of Gagasan Rakyat to promote the growth of a two-coalition system must take the political offensive, and not be in the defensive.
The people look towards us for leadership and to champion their cause against all forms of injustices and inequities in the country.
For instance, Deputy Prime Minister, Ghafar Baba, said yesterday that the Malacca water shortage crisis should serve as a lesson to all stat government for the future.
Unfortunately, the wrong lessons are being drawn by the Barisan Nasional leaders from the Malacca water crisis, which is not in the interest of the people.
Firstly, the Barisan Nasional government and leaders are drawing the wrong lesson that whatever their incompetence, negligence and ineptitude, they do not have to bear responsibility be held accountable for their actions.
Secondly, the three slogans of the Mahathir Government for ‘clean, efficient and trustworthy administration’, ‘Leadership by Example’ and ‘Lock East’ are empty words which have no meaning at all as they are never applied to Barisan Nasional leaders.
It is because of these two reasons that the Malacca Chief Minister, Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik, could openly declare that he is not responsible for the Malacca water shortage crisis, although he is also the Malacca Water Authority Chairman.
Tan Sri Rahim could even joke about the Malacca water crisis after he had established an Inquiry Committee with the specific objective to clear his name and put the blame for the Malacca water crisis on his subordinates.
The third wrong lesson that is being drawn from the Malacca water crisis is that if there is any suffering from gross government mismanagements, it is the ordinary people of all races, and not the Barisan Nasional leaders – who, in the case of the Malacca water crisis for instance, enjoy full water supply to their homes.
If Ghafar Baba is sincere and serious in wanting the right lessons to be drawn from the Malacca water crisis, which will benefit the people and spare them from future hardships, then the Federal Government should commission a full public inquiry to ensure that the correct lessons are drawn by all State governments and political leaders in future.