by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, June 4, 1991:
Gerakan has become the UMNO’s ‘partner’ in the campaign of political harassment, victimisation and discrimination against the leaders and people of Sabah
Gerakan President, Datuk Dr.Lim Kang Yaik, is very proud of the Gerakan’s role as the ‘partner’ of UMNO in the campaign of political harassment, victimisation and discrimination against the people of Sabah.
On Sunday, Dr.Lim Kenng Yaik said that if PBS wants to ‘mend’ relations with the Barisan Nasional Federal Government, it must leave Gagasan Raykat.
The Sabah case is the best example where the Barisan Nasional Federal Government had violated the principle announced by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr.Mahathir Mohamed during his one-day visit to Kelantan last week that development and politics should not mix.
In Sabah, not only are the PBS leaders harrassed and viotimized through anti-corruption charges and Internal Security intentions, the people of Sabah are also discriminated against in denied of their rightful development funds.
The Gerakan had boasted itself as the champion of democracy, human rights, justice and fair play, but in the Sabah case, the Gerakan leaders have shown their true colours in being partner of UMNO in the campaign of political harrassment, victimisation and discrimination against the people of Sabah, including the misuse and abuse of Internal Security Act and anti-corruption laws.
Why hasn’e Dr.Lim Keng Yaik or a single Gerakan leader spoken out __ protest again the use of the ISA against the PBS leaders, including Dr.Jeffrey Kitingan or the use of anti-corruption cases against PBS, including the Sabah Chief Minister, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, with their clear political motivation to cow the PBS leaders to surrender to the will of the Barisan Nasional?
If Gerakan leaders are prepared to give full support to the abuse of the ISA and other repressive laws against PBS leaders to serve the political end of the Barisan Nasional, and the discrimination of the people of Sabah by mixing up parties and development, clearly the Gerakan leaders claims that they stand for democracy, human rights and justice are completely empty and hollow.
The Gerakan leaders are getting their reward for being partner of UMNO in the campaign of harrassment, victimisation and discrimination against the leaders and people of Sabah.
Semangat 46 President, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, had announced in Muar on Sunday that Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan had told him that the PNS had no choice but to sever ties with the Gagasan Rakyat.
Secondly, the Gerakan must be delighted when the UMNO Secretary-General, Datuk Mohamed Rahmat, publicly told MCA to abandon its plans to extend to Sabah because MCA would not get the support of the Sabah Chinese, and even implied that the MCA would become a burden to the Barisan Nasional in Sabah.
These are gains for the Gerakan-but at what cost to political principles, convictions and integrity of the Gerakan leaders?