Speech(Part 2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the 25th DAP Anniversary Dinner organised by the Selangor State DAP at the Hokkien Huay Kuan in Klang on Wednesday, 15th January 1992 at 8 p.m.
In his final year politics, Lee Kim Sai should act honourably and live up to his slogan as MCA Youth leader in 1970s to ‘restore the self-dignity of our race’
The political days of Lee Kim Sai are numbered, and he has probably one year to remain as top MCA leader and Cabinet Minister.
This is evident from the long-running controversy over a most trivial matter, the appointment of Selangor MCA district councillors for the new year, where Kim Sai, though MCA National Deputy President and Chairman of the MCA Disciplinary Committee, was openly challenged and humiliated by MCA small-fries in the Selangor state.
In fact, although he is the No.2 in the MCA, he is generally treated in MCA as if he is suffering from ‘political AIDs’.
These are the signs of the times for Kim Sai, and I am sure he could read them better than anybody else.
Instead of spending his final political year and continuing to run away from his political responsibilities, and just looking after aids and dengue in the Health Ministry, Kim Sai should make full use of his final political year to act honourably to live up his slogan as MCA Youth leader in the 1970s to “restore the self-honour of our race”.
It is clear that Kim Sai’s slogan of ‘restore the self-honour of our race’ as MCA Youth leader in the 1970s had not been able to ensure that the MCA national leadership in Government and Cabinet take a firm stand to check the erosion of the political, economic, educational, cultural and citizenship rights of the Malaysian Chinese.
This is probably why the Chairman of the Federation of Chinese Assembly Halls, Lim Geok Chan, publicly asked “what is left for the Chinese in Malaysia to be sold out” last month?
If Kim Sai is prepared to devote his final political year to take a courageous stand in Government and Cabinet on the great issues which greatly concern and affect the Malaysian Chinese with regard to their political, economic, educational, cultural, social, religious and citizenship rights, then Kim Sai would have left a better political mark and impact as a Cabinet Minister than all the other MCA Ministers.
DAP opposition to Islamisation measures detrimental to non-Muslim rights consistent and unchanged
There have been many interpretations of the proposed visit of DAP leaders to Kelantan later this month to meet with the PAS Kelantan State Government leaders and the public on the policies and measures of the PAS Kelantan State Government since it captured power in the October 1990 general elections.
DAP is today celebrating our 25th anniversary, and the reason why the DAP has stood the test of a quarter of a century and received the support of one million voters in the last general elections is because of the Party’s consistent political principles and the selflessness and sacrifices of DAP leaders.
DAP and its leaders are not prepared to betray or change their political principles and convictions for everyone-for if we are people who could be bought or bent by inducement and allurements, the DAP would not be at the height of his political power and influence after 25 years.
DAP’s stand against the Islamic State and our opposition to Islamisation measures which are detrimental to the rights and interests of non-Muslim Malaysians have always been consistent and will remain unchanged.
We will oppose Islamisation measures which prejudice the rights and interests of non-Muslim Malaysians, whether they are by PAS or UMNO.
It is the MCA and Gerakan which are in trouble because of their double standards and utter lack of political principle. As far as MCA and Gerakan are concerned, they oppose all Islamisation measures of PAS, even those which are aimed to crub corruption, abuses of power, misuses of public funds and exploitation of the poor; while the MCA and Gerakan give full support to all Islamisation measures of UMNO, including those which deprive non-Muslim parents of their constitutional parental right to unfettered custody, guardianship and control of their children!
Kit Siang invites Liong Sik and Keng Yaik to join the meeting with the Kelantan Mentri Besar, Nik Abdul Aziz
For the past year, the MCA and Gerakan leaders have been painting a picture of great suffering and hardships of the Kelantan Chinese, which they claim are ‘deep in water and hot in fire’, with their fundamental rights being deprived by the Kelantan PAS State Government.
During the DAP leaders’ visit to Kelantan, we are prepared to meet MCA and Gerakan leaders in Kelantan to give them an opportunity to prove that the Kelantan Chinese are suffering ‘deep in water and hot in fire’.
In fact, I am prepared to invite the MCA President, Datuk Dr.Ling Liong Sik and the Gerakan President, Datuk Dr.Lim Keng Yaik, to come along to the meeting with the Kelantan Mentri Besar, Nik Abdul Aziz, to discuss the policies and measures which had been adopted by the PAS Kelantan State Government.
If MCA and Gerakan leaders claim to be very concerned about the rights and position of the Kelantan Chinese, Ling Sik and Keng Yaik cannot turn down my invitation to jointly visit Kelantan and meet the Kelantan State Government leaders.