By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, November 24, 1991:
If Liong Sik thinks meeting at MCA Hqrs next Tuesday is unsuitable, I am prepared to invite him to the DAP Headquarters to sign the MCA-DAP Joint Declaration on the Constitutional right, status and guarantee for Chinese primary schools.
In my second letter to the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik yesterday. I had stated that if it is unsuitable for him to have a meeting at the MCA Headquarters next Tuesday. I am prepared to invite him to the DAP Headquarters in Petaling Jaya to sign the MCA-DAP Joint Declaration on the Constitutional right, status and guarantee for Chinese primary schools.
My second letter to Liong Sik, which was faxed to him at the MCA Headquarters yesterday, is as follow:
“Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik,
MCA President.
YB Datuk Seri,
I refer to my fax to you of 19th November 1991 where I propose visiting MCA Headquarters next Tuesday to discuss with you the Bukit Mertajam speech by MCA Deputy President, Datuk Lee Kim Sai, which represented the greatest concession of the MCA in its 42-year history in declaring that there is no constitutional right, basis and guarantee for the existence of the Chinese primary schools in Malaysia.
I wish to further propose that the MCA and the DAP sign a Joint Declaration on the constitutional right, basis and guarantee for Chinese primary schools when we meet at the MCA Headquarters next Tuesday.
The proposed MCA-DAP Joint Declaration on the Constitutional status of Chinese primary schools will also commit both the MCA and the DAP to oppose any person, political party or pressure which seeks to question, undermine or challenge the constitutional right, basis and guarantee for the existence and development of the Chinese primary schools.
The DAP will also propose in the Joint DAP-MCA Declaration the establishment of a six-man Joint Committee with three representatives each from the MCA and the DAP to defend, protect and uphold the constitutional right, basis and guarantee for Chinese primary schools.
This is a historic opportunity for the MCA and the DAP to come together for the first time on an issue of fundamental importance to the Chinese community. As far as the DAP is concerned, we are prepared to co-operate with one MCA any time if this is in the best interest of the Malaysian people and the Malaysian Chinese.
As I said in my previous fax to you, I am open to any suggestion to an alternative date or even venue for out meeting. If you wish to come to the DAP Headquarters for the meeting, you are also welcome.
As far as I am concerned, the place, date and time are minor details and are adjustable. What is most important is that no political party which claims to represent the Malaysian Chinese should give any support or encouragement to those who had always advocated that there is no constitutional right, basis and guarantee for the existence and development of the Chinese primary schools.
MCA national, state and branch leaders have accused me of distorting the MCA stand on the constitutional right, basis and guarantee for Chinese primary schools.
However, in the past 10 days, not a single MCA leaders whether Datuk Lee Kim Sai or your ‘trusted lieutenants’ like Dr. Ting Chew Peh, Dr Fong Chan Onn, Wong See Wah, Chan Kong Choy, Ong Ka Ting or Ong Ka Chuan, who had spoken on this issue, could resolve the whole controversy with one clear-cut and unequivocal statements that the MCA leadership had been committed in the past, is committed at present and will be committed in future and for all time to defend, protect and uphold the constitutional right, basis and guarantee for the existence and development of the Chinese primary schools.
If I am accused of having distorted the MCA stand, why is the MCA leadership so shy or ashamed to publicly declare for all to hear – whether the DAP or UMNO – that the MCA leadership will never compromise on the constitutional right, basis, status and guarantee for the existence and development of the Chinese primary schools?
The simple and straightforward question is whether the Chinese primary schools in Malaysia have constitutional right, basis and guarantee to exist or not. The second simple and straightforward question is why the MCA leadership has chosen this moment, when the Barisan Nasional Government is talking about Vision 2020, to declare that the existence of Chinese primary school have no constitutional right, basis, status and guarantee.
In any event, let it not be said that MCA and DAP leaders cannot sit down to discuss rationally and seriously, without creating ‘scenes’, great issues concerning the constitutional status of mother tongue education in Malaysia.
Thank You
Your sincerely,
Lim Kit Siang
Secretary-general