Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Penang DAP State Committee meeting at Penang DAP Hqrs on Tuesday, January 14, 1992 at 8.30 p.m.
Gerakan is a party which supports the Islamisation measures of UMNO but opposes the Islamisation measures of PAS
Last week, I challenged the Gerakan President, Datuk Dr.Lim Keng Yaik, to declare the Gerakan stand on the so-called ’62 Islamisation measures’ of the PAS Kelantan State Government in its first year in office.
For the past few months, the Gerakan, together with MCA, had been attacking the DAP and said that the DAP must be held responsible for these ’62 Islamisation measures’. I would have thought that the Gerakan President would find no difficulty in responding to the DAP challenge to the Gerakan to state its stand on every one of these ’62 Islamisation measures’.
The total silence from the Gerakan President has thoroughly exposed the Gerakan as a party which has no principles, but whose political stand is based on the likes and dislikes of its political leaders.
Gerakan does not oppose Islamisation policies and measures at all, for it is the strongest supporter and defender of the Islamisation measures of UMNO. What Gerakan opposes are the Islamisation measures of PAS, but not the Islamisation measures of UMNO!
What type of a political party is this, which could support the Islamisation measures of UMNO but opposes are the Islamisation measures of PAS?
The Gerakan should try to be consistent. If it wants to support the Islamisation measures of UMNO, then it should also support the Islamisation measures of PAS. On the other hand, if it wants to oppose the Islamisation measures of PAS, it should also oppose the Islamisation measures of UMNO.
Gerakan has become a champion for corruption, abuse of power and misuse of public funds
As a result of its unprincipled and highly opportunistic stand, Gerakan even opposes the measures of the PAS Kelantan aimed at combating corruption, abuses of power and misuse of public funds.
The Gerakan leaders and memebers should be ashamed that Gerakan has taken a position as to become a champion for corruption, abuse of power and misuse of public funds!
This is because in opposing No.1, 2, 3 and 5 of the ’62 Islamisation measures’, Gerakan is in fact taking the following stand:
1. Gerakan opposes the Kelantan Mentri Besar, State Exco members and government officials using old cars of previous government officials to save public funds, and want them to waste public funds by buying new vehicles;
2.Gerakan opposes the abolition of subsidy feast allowances to the Mentri Besar and Deputy Mentri Besar, including festivity jamuan expenditures, both big and small, and wants the Kelantan State Government to be extravagant and spend public funds lavishly for daily feasts;
3. Gerakan opposes the reduction of the Mentri Besar’s allowance, contributing 35 per cent to Pas and five person to the State Treasury; and does not want the Mentri Besar to set an example of thrift and modest style of living; and
4. Gerakan opposes practices to crub corruption and waste of government funds as prohibiting girfts or souvenirs at official function/ceremonies/visits as it wants the PAS Kelantan State Government to encourage corrupt practices and waste of public funds.
Yesterday, there was a press report that the local authorities in Johore have been given a free hand by the Barisan Nasional Johore State Government to ban cigarettee and liquor firms and dealers from putting up advertising boards in the state to check the poele’s drinking and smoking habits.
If this press report had been about Kelantan rather than Johore, Gerakan leaders would be issuing daily statements yelling that the DAP must be held responsible for another PAS Islamisation measures which had undermined the rights and interests of non-Muslim Malaysians.
A political party which does not have political principles, but takes political positions based on its likes or dislikes, can never earn the trust and confidence of the people. This is why Gerakan had been so decisively rejected by the voters of Penang in the 1990 general elections.
The DAP will never be opportunistic and unprincipled like the Gerakan and its leaders. The DAP will never oppose the Islamisation measures which adversely affect the rights of non-Muslim Malaysia if it is done by UMNO but support it if it is done by PAS.
The DAP will be consistent and principled. We will oppose all Islamisation measures which are detrimental to the rights and interests of non-Muslim Malaysians, whether committed by UMNO or PAS.
Dare Gerakan President, Dr.Lim Keng Yaik, make such a simple principled stand and statement?