by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 14th June, 1991:
DAP suggests that Dr.Mahathir introduce his motion for OPP on Monday and stand down debate on the motion for a week for MPs to study the OPP and get public feedback
I have not received any reply yet from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr.Mahathir Mohamed, asking for an urgent meeting on the business of Parliament which begins next week.
I want to meet Dr.Mahathir to ask that the OPP debate should not begin on the very first day of Parliament on Monday as has been scheduled, but that all MPs should be given at least one month to study the Outline Perspective Plan (OPP) and the Report of the National Economic Consultative Council (NECC).
I am told that the Prime Minister is very busy with the Rulers’ Conference, and that he had to leave immediately for a tour of South America after he had moved to motion on the OPP in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
If the Prime Minister’s schedule is such that he had to move the OPP motion on Monday, then after Dr.Mahathir had moved the motion, the debate on the OPP should be stood down adjourned for a week, so as to allow MPs some minimal time to the OPP and the NECC Report and to get public feedback.
MPs are given two clear days after the delivery of the Budget speech each year before the resumption of the Budget debate, so that MPs have the time to study the Budget and to get the public feedback.
The OPP concerns the economic politics of the nation for the next 10 years, and it is not asking too much that MPs be given a minimal of one week to study the OPP and the NECC Report before the resumption of the debate on the OPP.
I have just today received the OPP and the two days available if the OPP motion is to be debated on Monday is clearly not adequate to do justice to the OPP. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of the Mps have not received the OPP.
I am still waiting for the NECC Report, which the Government has promised would be made available to all MPs in time for the OPP debate. Last month, the Government had said that the NECC Report had been sent to the Printers.