By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and Mp for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday,28th April 1991:
UMNO Youth and Barisan Nasional Government should stop creating an international witch-hunt which will make Malaysia into an international joke
UMNO Youth and the Barisan National Government should stop creating an international witch-hunt which will make Malaysia into an international joke.
UMNO Youth came out with a statement two days ago alleging the Zionist movement in Australia of trying to topple the leadership of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr.Mahathir Mohamed. UMNO Youth further alleged that the Zionist movement had connection with anti-Federal campaign in Sabah and that it had links with certain leaders in Sabah who frequently made unofficial visits to Australia.
Deputy Prime Minister, Ghafar Baba, took this witch-hunt one step further by warning of stern action against those who assist foreign countries or allow themselves to be their tools to interfere in Malaysian politics.
Ghafar said : “Leave Malaysia to Barisan National, we are capable of running the country’s administration to the benefit of the people.” This is arrogance of power stemming from a one-party rule mentality. Ghafar is showing utter contempt for the role of other political movements in the country which are not in the Barisan Nasional. This is why it is important that the Barisan Nasional should not be allowed to be too powerful in the country.
Malaysians are mindful that the last witch-hunt are being made on the eve of the Usukan by-election in Sabah.
It is the UMNO leaders who be reminded and warned that they should not jeopardize the unity, harmony and stability of the nation just for the sake of winning elections or a by-election.
In the recent general elections in October last year, UMNO leaders abandoned all scruples and resorted to the most unashamed use of the politics of Malay race and Islamic religion, painting the Semangat 46 leader, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, as having sold out the Malay race and betrayed the Islamic faith, by falsely accusing him of wearing a Christian cross.
The people are seeing a repetition of such irresponsible politics by UMNO Youth Leaders on the eve of the Usukan by election in Sabah.
The UMNO leaders have done enough damage to national unity as well as to Federal-state relations in the recent general elections, and they should not again resort to such irresponsible politics of hate and fear in the Usukan by-election.
I hope the Deputy Prime Minister will set a good example in the Usukan by-election and not do the opposite.